The Whig Reforms

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The Whig Reforms

• www.educationforum.co.uk

2
Social Reform

• The 1832 GRA was followed by a burst of social
  reform from the Whigs arguably the most
  extensive series of reforms that had been up to
  that point attempted by any government
• Reforms included
• 1. The first government grant for education 1833
• 2. The Factory Act 1833 first ever regulation
  of factory conditions
• 3. The Abolition of slavery in the British Empire
  1833/4
• 4.The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 an attempt to
  rationalise and improve the relief of poverty
• 5. The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 a reform
  of local government

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Motivations

• Fear of revolution urgent need to tackle social
  problems such as poverty, factory conditions etc.
  the country had been close to revolution during
  the struggle for the GRA
• Liberalism (the ideology of the new middle
  class?) Adam Smith and Jeremy Bentham
• Humanitarianism Christian campaigners putting
  pressure on the government e.g. William
  Wilberforce and Richard Oastler

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Key Exam Questions

• How successful were the Whig domestic reforms of
  1833-41?
• How liberal/progressive were the Whig reforms of
  1833-41?
• Look at dates carefully a question which cites
  1832-41 could also include the GRA

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Liberalism

• Liberalism was changing! Adam Smith had said that
  the role of government should be minimal and the
  economy should be free from government control.
  The phrase Laissez faire has been used to
  describe this approach let the market decide
  wage rates, working conditions, keep taxes low
  etc.
• This classical liberal position was challenged by
  new liberals such as Jeremy Bentham and the
  Philosophical Radicals who argued that some
  government intervention was necessary

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Bentham

• Individual freedom still very important but
  government intervention sometimes necessary
  sometimes individual freedom had to be sacrificed
  to protect society.
• Bentham introduced his utilitarian principle to
  the role of government and to morals does it
  lead to the greatest happiness of the greatest
  number?. If it does then it must be the right
  thing to do.
• Institutions and policies were to be subjected to
  other utility principles in order to protect
  liberties What is it for? What use is it?
  Is it effective?
• The utilitarian's or philosophical radicals
  were an influential if small group of M.Ps and
  activists whose influenced can be seen in some of
  the Whig Reforms

7
Humanitarians

• A humanitarian is defined as someone who works
  for the benefit of humanity by reducing
  suffering.
• In the 19th century there were a number of
  humanitarians both inside and outside Parliament
  often inspired by Christianity e.g. Elizabeth Fry
  who campaigned for more humane prisons. William
  Wilberforce who campaigned against slavery.
  Richard Oastler who campaigned for better factory
  conditions

8
Education 1833

• In 1833 the first ever government grant (20,000)
  for education was established. This was the first
  time ever that public money had been set aside
  for the purpose of education
• It was to be divided up between two religious
  societies involved in schooling and when compared
  to the annual budget for the royal stables -
  50,000 doesnt seem very much!
• However it marks the beginnings of government
  interest in education arguably the first step
  towards the modern State education system.

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The Factory Act 1833

• This was the first law regulating factory
  conditions which was enforced by factory
  inspectors
• Work by children under 9 made illegal
• Child workers between 9-13 years were to be given
  2 hours schooling a day and to work no longer
  than 9 hours
• Workers aged 13-18 years to be worked no more
  that 12 hours a day
• Adult working hours and conditions left untouched
  and remained dreadful. However at least there was
  now a system of inspecting factories which would
  allow any future reform to be effective

10
Abolition of the Slave Trade 1833

• After a lifelong struggle against the slave trade
  William Wilberforce just lived long enough to see
  the slave trade outlawed in the British Empire by
  the Whigs.
• Slave owners were compensated with 20,000,000
  (around half of total government yearly
  expenditure) of government money around 37 a
  slave

11
Poor Law Amendment Act 1834

• By far the most significant piece of Whig
  legislation was the reform of the Poor Law.
• The Old Poor Law dated back to Elizabethan times
  and had broken down as a result of the industrial
  revolution.
• The Speenhamland system had been adopted over
  much of the south of England putting enormous
  pressure of local ratepayers as employers reduced
  wages
• The Whigs appointed the Poor Law Commission to
  investigate and propose a new system of poor
  relief

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Main Features

• The Speenhamland system ended no more outdoor
  relief for the able bodies in essence only the
  elderly or sick and disabled to get handouts
• The able bodies to be subjected to the workhouse
  test Anyone who received aid from the
  ratepayers had to be prepared to enter the
  workhouse
• Workhouse conditions (food and accommodation) to
  be set to be less attractive than the situation
  of the independent labourer of the lowest class
• Those entering the workhouse were made to work
  for their keep (stone breaking etc) and were
  subjected to complete loss of liberty, the
  separation of married couples and their children,
  and severe rules such as no visitors, meals to be
  consumed in silence. Unless an inmate chose to
  leave and risk starvation there was little chance
  of getting out and finding work

13
Municipal Corporations Act 1835

• Set up a uniform system of elected town councils
  and extended the vote in local elections to all
  ratepayers.
• Local councils directed to organise local police
  forces modelled on Peels Met