Many historians have justly seen the 1832 Reform Act as a turning point in.
This was the first major reform of the electoral system in.
almost six hundred years, and thus deserves to be seen as a significant event.
Although some historians1 have attempted to downplay the significance of the passing.
of the bill, it can be seen as a triumph for the Whig party.
Since the reign of George III, and his astute political manipulation, Foxite.
Whigs had become increasingly convinced of the ever-growing malevolent power of.
the crown. George's staunch Toryism and political ability had kept them from the.
power they felt they deserved. They needed a way to check the power of the king, so.
as to return to their former position of pre-eminence.
That is not to say that Whig motives for reform were entirely self interested.
Their belief in liberty' as a crucial right seemed to be threatened by this almost.
despotic behaviour. Over the next fifty years, the Whigs were exceptionally rarely in.
office, and their conviction in favour of reform strengthened.
After Pitt's creations the House of Lords had become a Tory bastion, so Whig.
hopes for a balanced constitution fell entirely upon the House of Commons. This was.
fruitful ground for reform; the abuses and corruption inherent in the electoral system.
were patently unfair and inherently attractive to Whiggish reform, on a more scientific.
basis.
This is not to say that the Whigs had not exploited the system of rotten.
boroughs and uncontested elections as much, if not more than the Tory's. It was.
merely that their more liberal inclinations encouraged them towards reform as a.
response to their catastrophic political fortunes.
Although the power of the crown was not ever growing, and indeed began to.
decline during the early part of the 19th century, this Whiggish perception of an ever increasing monarchical despotism proved powerful among the older, Foxite whigs.
who had experienced the party's darkest days.
