The History of Suffrage, 1760–1867
Editors: Anna Clark and Sarah Richardson
978 1 85196 706 3: 234x156mm: £495.00/$875.00
This set covers the expansion of suffrage to middle class and working class men, and their efforts to extend these reforms to women and the colonies. It traces the evolution of parliamentary reform from its beginnings with the Levellers of the seventeenth century, concentrating on the arguments for and against expansion of the franchise in the eighteenth century, and the debates which led to the First Reform Act of 1832 and the Second Reform Act of 1867, and culminating in a discussion of the failure of the women's suffrage in 1873.
The set includes a historical introduction, and six volumes of reprints of original and often rare pamphlets from metropolitan and provincial sources, tracts, caricatures, parliamentary debates, and other material on suffrage. New editorial material includes a general introduction, volume introductions, headnotes, endnotes and a consolidated index. It will appeal to historians studying the history of suffrage and the labour movement throughout the long nineteenth century.
Contents
Volume 1: 1760s–1780s
Foundations of Freedom or an agreement of the people proposed as a rule for future government in the establishment of a firm and lasting peace. Drawn up by several well-affected persons (1648); Robert Robinson, Selections from A Political Catechism (1782) and Reflexions on representation in Parliament (1766); Soame Jenyns, Thoughts on a Parliamentary reform and Some other thoughts on Parliamentary reform; Richard Price et al., selections from A collection of letters to the volunteers of Ireland on the subject of parliamentary reform (1783); John Almon, selections from the Political Register and impartial review of new books (1768–69); Edmund Burke, 'Speech to electors at Bristol' from Mr Edmund Burke’s speeches at his arrival at Bristol and at the conclusion of the poll (1774); John Cartwright, Take your choice (1776); James Burgh, Political Disquisitions (1774)
Volume 2: 1790–1820
Address of the London Corresponding Society, to the other Societies of Great Britain, united for Obtaining a Reform in Parliament (1792); William Playfair, Inevitable Consequences of a Reform in Parliament (1792); George Philips, The Necessity for a Speedy and Effectual Reform in Parliament (1792); The State of the Representation of England and Wales, delivered to the Society, the Friends of the People, associated for the Purpose of obtaining a Parliamentary Reform, on Saturday the 9th of February 1793 (1793); Norman M’Leod, Two letters to the Chairman of the Friends of the People at Edinburgh (1793); Facts, Reflections, and Queries, submitted to the Consideration of the Associated Friends of the People (1792); William Knox, A Letter to the People of Ireland, upon the Intended Application of the Roman Catholics to Parliament of the Exercise to the Elective Franchise (1792); A Brief Account of the General Meeting of the Catholic Delegates held in Dublin, December 1792 (1793); Address from the Society of United Irishmen of Dublin, to the People of Ireland, couched in moderate language, containing strong and unanswerable facts, which demonstrate the Necessity of a Parliamentary Reform, with a plan for an equal representation of the people of Ireland in the House of Commons (1794); William Roscoe, A Letter to Henry Brougham, Esq. M.P. on the Subject of Reform in the Representation of the People in Parliament (1811); Address of the Reformers of Fawdon, to their Brothers the Pitmen, Keelmen, and other Labourers, on the Tyne and Wear (1819); Leeds Reform Meeting (1819); Charles Phillips, Address to the Electors of the Country of Sligo; in which he states his reasons for declining the Poll (1818); Francis Burdett, The Plan of Reform proposed by Sir Francis Burdett (1809)
Volume 3: 1831–2
John Taylor Coleridge, Notes on the Reform Bill by a Barrister (1831); William Carpenter, A letter to Earl Grey (1830); A Political Olio (1831) and Address to the working class on the Reform Bill (1831); Henry Brougham, Speech on English Reform Bill with Grey’s reply to opposition (1831); Letters to a friend by a liberal supporter of Roman Catholic emancipation on the Irish Reform bill (1831); Objections to the ballot (1831); Open voting better than the ballot (1831); William Cobbett, lecture 1 from Manchester Lectures in support of his 14 reform propositions (1832); John Sinclair, Thoughts on Parliamentary reform (1831); George Grote, Essentials of parliamentary reform (1831); Duke of Wellington, Speech on Reform Bill (1831); The First Batch being minutes taken at a private meeting of a society for selecting approving and returning candidates to the first meeting of the chamber of delegates to commence the new era Anno I (1832); What the people ought to do, in choosing their representatives at the general election, after the passing of the reform bill by Junius Redivivus (1832); Everyman his own law maker? Or the complete guide to a parliamentary reform wherein the road to national confusion is made plain and easy to the meanest capacities (1832); Election broadsides from 1832 From Edinburgh, 1832 election (1832)
Volume 4: 1832–48
Charles Wetherell, Speech of Sir C. W. at the Bar of the House of Lords against the Municipal Corporation Bill (1835); Lord John Russell, Letter to electors of Stroud on principles of reform act (1839); Henry Brougham, Reply to Lord John Russell’s letter to the electors of Stroud on the principles of the reform act (1839); George Grote, Speeches on the Ballot (1833-8); Sydney Smith, Ballot (1839); Marion Reid, A plea for woman: being a vindication of the importance and extent of her natural sphere of action (1843); Rights and conditions of woman (1841); Observations to show that by the constitution of England tax is become illegal etc, etc and a few remarks against universal suffrage by an Englishman; Lord Teynham, How it must work: in an address to the freeholders and electors of the United Empire (1833); The Finsbury Tract Society, The Question ‘What is a Chartist’ Answered (1839); Address of the Metropolitan Reform Association (1842); Alexander McKay, Electoral Districts or the apportionment of the representation of the country on the basis of its population (1848); The end in view: shewing the necessity and advantage of a complete reform of our financial and representative system (1848); Hugo Reid, What should be done for the people? (1848); Benjamin Disraeli, Parliamentary Reform: A Series of Speeches on that subject delivered in the House of Commons (1867); Joseph Hume, On Parliamentary reform (1850); Parliamentary Reform. The educational franchise (1853); Parliamentary Reform by A Conservative (1855); Scrutator, A few remarks on the Ballot (1857); John Stuart Mill, Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform (1859); Word to the Masses on their right to the franchise and the means of attaining it by a Norwich operative; A Voice from the Millions. Reasons for appealing to the Middle Classes on behalf of their unenfranchised brethren by a Norwich operative.
Volume 5: 1850s–1860s
Robert Lowe, Speeches and Letters on Reform (1867); Benjamin Disraeli, Parliamentary Reform: A Series of Speeches (1867); Earl Russell, The Final Reform Bill (1866); Edward Baines, Speech on moving the second reading of the Borough Franchise Bill in the House of Commons on 11 May 1864 (1864); G C Brodrick, The Utilitarian argument against reform, as stated by Mr. Lowe (1867); Albert Venn Dicey, The Balance of Classes (1867); C H Pearson, On the Working of Australian Institutions (1867); An Old Colonist, Universal Suffrage and Vote by Ballot in Australia. How far is the Present depressed condition of the Australian colonies generally and of the colony of Victoria particularly, to be attributed to the adoption of Universal Suffrage and Vote by ballot; and how can those colonies be most readily restored to a state of sound prosperity. An Inquiry addressed to the Rt Hon the Earl of Derby (1867); Edward Beales, Moral right for every man, respectable working class (1865); Report of Proceedings of the Yorkshire Reform Confr.: Franchise (1861); Charles Bradlaugh, Reform or Revolution (1867); Ernest Jones, Democracy Vindicated (1867); Beehive Newspaper, 'Great Meeting of London Working Men’s Association and Reform League' (1866)
Volume 6: 1867
George Jacob Holyoake, A New Defence of the ballot in consequence of Mr Mill’s Objections to It (1868); Major General T Perronet Thompson, The Catechism on the Ballot; or a list of Fallacies and the Answers (1860); John T Ball, Ballot considered in connexion with Extension of the Franchise (1872); Charles Buxton, Self-Government for London: The Leading Ideas on which a Constitution for London should be Based (1869); James Edward Fitzgerald, The Native Policy of New Zealand. A Speech delivered in the House of Representatives of New Zealand (1862)
Reviews
‘the facsimile reproductions are of the highest quality and Pickering & Chatto have demonstrated once again why they are a leading publisher of primary source materials.’
– Michael T Davis, Australian Journal of Politics and History
‘… this is a most valuable collection of primary sources. Many of the texts included deserve much closer textual attention for the vitality and liveliness of the writing. The anthology can be strongly recommended for library purchase.’
– Jane Rendall, Democratization