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The Spirit of Reform, 1832 and 1867*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 July 2014

Ellis A. Wasson
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Extract

The connection between political reform and aristocratic decline is central to an understanding of nineteenth-century Britain. No one denies that the landed elite dominated the institutions which passed the parliamentary reform acts of 1832 and 1867. However, historians continue to speculate about the motives that inspired these remarkable measures. Was the ruling class retreating, retrenching, being overthrown, or surrendering gracefully? The articles appearing in this issue by David Spring, Richard Davis, and Thomas Gallagher occasion an opportunity to reflect further on this question. The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to a neglected aspect of the reform process, especially in relation to the 1832 act, the first and most important step in the aristocracy's displacement. This element was the spirit of reform, a progressive force, that made the great reform bill something more than either a concession or a cure.

Professors Davis and Gallagher remind us of the extraordinary change in the political firmament wrought by the 1832 act. Those who argue, in response to the traditional interpretation of the Whig historians, that the great bill scarcely altered anything find it increasingly difficult to sustain their case.1 John Cannon, Michael Brock, and others have already undermined much of the ground upon which the revisionists, led by D. C. Moore, based their analysis. An extraordinary array of convincing evidence has been adduced to show that Earl Grey and his colleagues were not in the business of trying to cure the source of demands for reform in order to avoid yielding to the demands themselves. Professor Davis has been particularly effective in demonstrating Moore's anachronistic view of deference.

Type
Research Article
Information
Albion , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , Summer 1980 , pp. 164 - 174
Copyright
Copyright © North American Conference on British Studies 1980

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Footnotes

*

Dr. Wasson has written this essay as an extension and revision of his commentary on the papers of professors Spring, Davis, and Gallagher delivered at the Southern Conference on British Studies, November, 1979 [Ed.].

References

1 For instance, Moore, D.C., The Politics of Deference, (New York, 1976), pp. 224, 401Google Scholar.

2 Cannon, John, Parliamentary Reform 1640-1832, (Cambridge, 1973)Google Scholar; Brock, Michael, The Great Reform Act, (London, 1973)Google Scholar.

3 Moore, , Deference, p. 232Google Scholar.

4 Davis, Richard W., “The Whip and the Idea of Electoral Deference,” Durham University Journal, n.s., 36 (1974): 79–91Google Scholar, “Deference and Aristocracy in the Tune of the Great Reform Act,” American Historical Review, 81 (1976): 532–9CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

5 Wasson, Ellis A., “The Young Whigs: Lords Althorp, Milton, and Tavistock and the Whig Party 1809-1830,” (Ph.D. thesis, Cambridge University, 1975), pp. 1–34Google Scholar.

6 Davis, , “The Whigs and Electoral Deference,” p. 79ffGoogle Scholar, “Deference and Aristocracy,” pp. 533-4; Milton-Smith, John, “Earl Grey's Cabinet and the Objects of Parliamentary Reform,” The Historical Journal. 15 (1972): 64CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

7 Lansdowne to Earl Grey 18 January 1831, Grey MSS, Dept. of Paleography and Diplomatic, University of Durham.

8 Grey to Lady Grey, 4 December 1819, Grey MSS.

9 Cannon, , Parliamentary Reform, p. 246Google Scholar.

10 Moore, , Deference, pp. 151, 232Google Scholar.

11 Davis, , “Deference and Aristocracy,” p. 536Google Scholar.

12 Henry, , Holland, third Lord, The Holland House Diaries 1831-1840, ed. Kreigel, Abraham D. (London, 1977), pp. xxi, xxix, xxxiiGoogle Scholar.

13 Ibid.. p. xxix.

14 Grey to the Duke of Devonshire, 17 November 1830, Chatsworth MSS in the possession of the Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth, Derbys.

15 Wasson, “The Young Whigs.”

16 The Liberal Awakening, 1815-1830, (London, 1961), pp. 259, 253Google Scholar.

17 Chapter 3.

18 Wasson, , “The Young Whigs,” pp. 41–244Google Scholar.

19 Moore, Thomas, Memoirs, Journal, and Correspondence of Thomas Moore, ed. Russell, Lord John, 8 vols. (London, 1833–1856), 3: 258Google Scholar.

20 Tavistock to John Cam Hobhouse, 31 March 1830, postmark, British Library (hereafter cited as BL), Add. MSS 36466; Althorp to Russell, 2 October 1827, Public Record Office (hereafter cited as PRO), 30/22/1A 192-4.

21 SirLe Marchant, Denis, Memoir of John Charles, Viscount Althorp, (London, 1876), p. 290Google Scholar.

22 Butler, Josephine E., Memoir of John Grey of Dilston, (London, 1874), p. 108, 25 December 1830Google Scholar; Althorp to Ebrington, 2 September 1831, Fortescue MSS, Devon Record Office.

23 Arbuthnot, Charles, Correspondence, ed. Aspinall, Arthur (London, 1941), p. 135Google Scholar.

24 E. J. Littleton to Mrs. Littleton, 3 February 1831, Hatherton MSS 27/7/14, Stafford Record Office. See also J. C. Hobhouse diary, 12 February J831, BL Add. MSS 56555 ff. 68-71; Althorp to the Duke of Richmond, 19 February 1837, Goodwood MSS 1590/1353, West Sussex Record Office; Althorp to Milton, 22 November 1830, Wentworth Woodhouse MSS G68, Central Library, Sheffield.

25 Le Marchant, , Althorp, pp. 473–4Google Scholar.

26 Dyott, W., Dyott's Diary 1781-1845, ed. Jeffrey, R. W., 2 vols. (London, 1907), 2: 117Google Scholar.

27 Althorp to Brougham 5 October 1836, Althorp MSS. I am grateful to Earl Spencer for permission to use these papers at Althorp Park, Northampton.

28 SirBaring, Francis, Journals and Correspondence from 1808 to 1852, ed. of North-brook, the Earl, 2 vols. (Winchester, 1905), 1: 112–13Google Scholar; Viscount Howick's diary, 12 July 1833, Grey MSS.

29 Althorp to Milton, 17 May 1818, Fitzwilliam MSS, Northampton Record Office.

30 Wasson, , “The Young Whigs,” p. 167Google Scholar.

31 Russell to Grey, 3 November 1834, Grey MSS.

32 Wasson, Ellis A., “The Third Earl Spencer and Agriculture, 1818-1845,” The Agricultural History Review, 26 (1978): 97–98Google Scholar; Spring, David, “Earl Fitzwilliam and the Corn Laws,” American Historical Review, 59 (1954): 287–304CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

33 Althorp to W. Oswald, 18 June 1832 and Althorp to Brougham, 2 September 1832, Althorp MSS; Thos. Hagger to J. C. Qotch, 1 September 1832, Ootch MSS OK 3S6, Northamptonshire Record Office; T. Muir to Lord Durham, 15 June 1832, Lambton MSS, Lambton Park, Chester-Ie-Street, Co. Durham.

34 Althorp to Richmond, 12 December 1833, Goodwood MSS 1436/443. At least one Tory observer used just that word to describe some of the new MPs. Viscount Mahon to Peel, 8 January 1833, BL Add. MSS 40403 f. 167; see also Lord O. Bentinck to Richmond, 16 December 1832, Goodwood MSS 1436/461.

35 Althorp to Ebrington, 23 January 1831, Fortescue MSS FC 87; Lord Palmerston to Grey, 9 October 1831, copy, BL Add. MSS 51548 f. 54.

36 Althorp to Russell, Fit [December-January] 1830-31, Lambton MSS; Althorp to Milton, 28 December 1830, Fitzwilliam MSS.

37 Littleton diary, 22 December 1831, Hatherton MSS 26/7/287.

38 Althorp to Milton, 6 March 1831, Fitzwilliam MSS.

39 Althorp to Russell, Fri. [December-January] 1830-31, Lambton MSS; see also Cannon, , Parliamentary Reform, p. 243Google Scholar.

40 Milton diary 21 January 1829, Milton MSS, used by kind permission of Earl Fitzwilliam, Milton, Peterborough, Cambs.

41 E.g. T. Orenville to Lord Orenville, 7 March 1831, BL Add. MSS 58890 ff. 116-17; Aspinal, Arthur, ed., Three Early Nineteenth Century Diaries (London, 1952), p. 62Google Scholar; Milton to Grey, 16 April 1831, Grey MSS.

42 Northampton Mercury 8 December 1832; Althorpiana; or a Few Facts Relative to the Late Northamptonshire Election (London, 1831), p. 30Google Scholar; Rosselli, John, Lord William Bentinck (London, 1974), p. 80Google Scholar; Hobhouse diary, 9 March 1831, BL Add. MSS 56555 f. 107.

43 Milton to Ebrington, 6 and 7 October 1831, Fortescue MSS FC 87; Wellington rightly argued that this would be a coup d'etat: 7th of Wellington, Duke, Wellington and His Friends (London, 1965), p. 94Google Scholar.

44 Althorp to Brougham, 8 June 1836 and Althorp to Earl Spencer, 12 July 1833, Althorp MSS; Howiek diary, 12 July 1833, Grey MSS.

45 Baring, , Journals and Correspondence, 1: 94–5Google Scholar; Le Marchant, , Althorp, p. 416Google Scholar.

46 Olphin, H. K., George Tiemey (London, 1934), p. 47Google Scholar; Northampton Mercury (21 May 1831), Lord Brudenell speech of 14 May.

47 Reid, Stuart, Life and Times of the Rev. Sydney Smith (New York, 1855), p. 303Google Scholar.

48 Reid, Stuart, Life and Letters of the First Earl of Durham, 2 vols. (London, 1906), 1: 238–9Google Scholar.

49 Sixth Duke of Devonshire's diary, 9 November 1830, Chatsworth MSS.

50 Wasson, , “The Young Whigs,” pp. 169–227Google Scholar.

51 A good example of the thinking of the advanced Whigs on reform not relating to the franchise is their Irish policy, see Wasson, Ellis A., “The Coalitions of 1827 and the Crisis of Whig Leadership,” The Historical Journal, 20 (1977): 593–95CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

52 Cannon, , Parliamentary Reform, p. 244Google Scholar.

53 Althorp to J. Shaw Lefevre, 2 February 1841, Shaw Lefevre MSS, Spencer Trust 1, House of Lords Record Office.

54 Moore, , Deference, pp. 419, 235Google Scholar.

55 Ibid.

56 Davis, H. W. Carless, The Age of Grey and Peel (Oxford, 1967), p. 272Google Scholar.

57 Althorp to Milton, 6 March 1831, Fitzwilliam MSS. Althorp to Littleton, 1 January 1831, Hatherton MSS 27/7/1; Althorp to Brougham, 17 January 1841, Althorp MSS; Althorp to Russell, 2 May 1841, PRO 30/22/4A ff. 263-4.

58 Althorp to Joseph Parkes, 6 November 1831, Parkes MSS, Library, University College, London. Parkes to Althorp, 13 November 1831 and Althorp to Grey, November 1831, Althorp MSS: Littleton's diary 29 February 1832, Hatherton MSS 26/7/364; Hobhouse's diary, 16 March 1832, BL Add. MSS 56556 f. 100; Althorp to Grey, n.d. (November 18317) PRO 30/22/1B f. 64.

59 Northampton Mercury (15 December 1832); Milton-Smith, , “Earl Grey's Cabinet,” pp. 72–74Google Scholar.

60 Himmelfarb, Gertrude, “The Politics of Democracy: the English Reform Act of 1867,” Journal of British Studies, 6 (1966): 97CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

61 Thompson, E. P., The Making of the English Working Class (London 1963), p. 486Google Scholar; Wasson, , “The Young Whigs,” pp. 108–10Google Scholar.

62 SirWest, Algernon, Recollections 1832 to 1886, 2 vols. (London, 1899), 2: 40Google Scholar.

63 Bagehot, Walter, “Lord Althorp and the Reform Act of 1832,” in Bagehot's Historical Essays, ed. John-Stevas, N. St. (Garden City, 1965), p. 178Google Scholar; Gash, Norman, Politics in the Age of Peel (New York, 1971), p. 4Google Scholar.