History

Front 1

The liberation society

Back 1

Wanted disestablishment from the church.

Front 2

The national education league

Back 2

Wanted free, compulsory, non religious education in alk state schools

Front 3

The United Kingdom alliance

Back 3

Wanted the ban of alcohol (led to 1872 licensing act)

Front 4

Foresters education act (1870)

Back 4

1860 it was clear religious schools not coping with growing population

This act was an attempt to fill in the gaps a make good schools across country

Gstone saw this as good as WC could read for themselves

Good- Children I'm education doubled to 3 mill by 1880

Bad- local council made it compulsory or not.

Front 5

The licensing act (1872)

Back 5

Gstone and Henry Bruce ( home Secretary) saw drunkenness as a big moral problem, to many pubs & profits made should be controlled.

Original bill to harsh as not seen in line with lassaiez faire.

Final bill - magistrates had power to give licenses out so many pubs closed (good) , pubs must close at 12 pm in towns, 11pm in country. Adulteration of beer forbidden.

Bad - highly unpopular with WC riots when closing times enforced, brewers saw act as attack on independence and profits, liberty attacked

Gstone lost support of brewers as result and long term lost 1874 election.

Front 6

Public health act (1872)

Back 6

Attempt to deal with Britain's health problems, great dissapointment as hope of strong gvt leadership and large injection of money was not met

Gstone not interested enough, health board operators main objective was to have minimum expenditure.

Front 7

Married women's property act (1870)

Back 7

Women after marriage became invisible to the law

Act stated, wages and investments could be held by wife for her own seperate use. A wife could inherit £200 & keep money

Woman was allowed to keep property of next of kin if not bound in trust, both parents also liable for children support

Front 8

Army reforms

Back 8

Inefficiencies of the army had been pointed out by the crimean war and Indian mutiny.

Key root to this was that officer ranks were bought not earned based on merit (purchase of commissions) any wealthy young man could buy and sell an officer class whether he knew about army matters or not, money not brains was what counted for promotion.

CiC (commander in chief) was Duke of Cambridge (often referred to as poor George) he had a reputation for bad decisions, was slow and against change. Liberals reform was as an attack in privilege aswell as new prussian victories over Austria and France showed a new professional force in Europe

Edward Caldwell was responsible for reform which were introduced in intervals.

1) Troops were withdrawn from self governing colonies

2) Flogging was abolished (in peactime)

3) Secretary of war was given power over CiC

4) War office created

5) Purchase of commissions was abolished

6) County regiments were introduced

7) Length of service reduced form 12 years overseas to 6 years overseas and 6 years in the reserves

8) The Martini - Henry Breech - Loading rifle was introduced as a main infantry weapon

Lots of opposition to these reforms by the aristocracy as their privileges were being threatened, Cardwells bill was defeated in the Lords. However Gstone was not afraid to bypass the lords and get a royal warrant from Queen Vic, the Lords shortly passed the bill after.

Cardwells reform was a great success, the new humane and civilised conditions of service encouraged a better type of recruit which made a large efficient reserve. Britain now had the beginnings of an efficient modern army.

Cardwells Failures -

1) failed to create a a permanent General Staff of the type in existence in France and Prussia

2) Artillery officers preferred to use old fashioned muzzle - loading cannon even though recent wars fought and won by Prussia had used breech locked artillery

3) Failed to get rid of CiC who continued to block change until his retirement (1895)

Front 9

The Civil Service Refom (1871)

Back 9

The civil service was under a corrupt state as the recommendations came from an MP or peer in some cases it came down to if you could afford the position and what strings you could pull to get a position. As the administration became more complex a more efficient civil service was needed which meant ousting the lazy and incompetent candidates.

Gstone and Robert Low introduced the principle that recruitment must be by examination, this opened up the civil service to some of the best brains n the country which in turn increased the efficiency and professionalism of the service

Front 10

The University Tests Act (1871)

Back 10

Another example of Gstone removing another glaring injustice and increasing equality within universities.

There was an ancient statue which only allowed anglicans to become teachers, members of admin or to hold fellowships at Oxbridge. This act threw out the privilege of the CofE and opened all posts to suitable candidates.

Non conformists were happy with this but this did not change their view on the Education Act as a whole. In reality there were no real changes to social exclusiveness before WW1.

Front 11

The Local Government Board Act (1871)

Back 11

This established the Local Govenrment Board which took over admin of the poor law and the public health works of the Privy Council.

Its Public Health responsibilities now included disease prevention, vaccination, births, deaths, marriage registration, making public improvements and the provisions of bath and wash houses.

Front 12

The Judicatre act (1873)

Back 12

The British legal system was in a mess, it had developed pecemeal from meadieval times, which meant courts were created to meet specific demands. By the 19th C. there were 7 major courts i.e. The Queen's Bench ETC. this made the legal processes were slow and inefficient.

Lord Selborne prepared the successful act that simplified the situation uniting the seven courts into one supreme court of Judicature

This was the least controversial Liberal law passed with little to no opposition, it did however take away the HofL power to act as the final court but this was restored by disraeli.

Front 13

Trade Union Act (1871)

Back 13

The legal position, powers and privilages had never been outlined to the trade unions; the liberals came up with two measures, both in 1871 to clarify this.

1) The trade unions were recognised as legal bodies with rights to their own property and funds, to protect these properties and funds by law and strike.

2) The Criminal Law Amendment Act, stated that even though unions could organise strikes, picketing of all types was banned, in practice it made striking impossible.

Some see this act as a mistake by Gstone as it lost him a large majority of his WC voters.

Front 14

The Criminal Law Amendment Act (1871)

Back 14

This act was put in place to stem all violoence towards those who did not belong to a union or group, it also stemmed the power that trade unions hd to strike

Front 15

The Ballot Act (1872)

Back 15

Voting was still carried out in public by a show of hands, a system that could easily be corrupted. Gstones act made the voting secret and made elections more orderly.

This however did not completely remove bribery & corruption, there were still ways of of buying votes i.e. free beer. (1883 corruption was abolished)

Even though this act was necessary it was highly unpopular with landlords & employers who could no longer control how their tenants and workers voted.