Birmingham (UK Parliament constituency)

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Birmingham Borough constituency
Created:	1832
Abolished:	1885
Type:	House of Commons

Birmingham was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the city of Birmingham, in what is now the West Midlands County, but at the time was Warwickshire.

Contents 1 Boundaries and History 2 Members of Parliament 3 Election Results 4 References

[edit] Boundaries and History

The Parliamentary borough was created in 1832, following the passage of the Reform Act and the constituency existed until it was divided in 1885.

In 1832 a uniform borough franchise was introduced, on top of the various ancient right franchises found in the old Parliamentary boroughs: (see the Unreformed House of Commons for a list of the different franchises in each borough). The new boroughs, like Birmingham, had no ancient right borough voters so only the new franchise rules applied to them. Seymour explains that:-

Only one class of new rights was created by the act of 1832. This was the £10 occupation qualification. According to the act, the franchise was granted to all male persons who for a year before registration had occupied as owner or tenants "any house, warehouse, country house, shop or other building, either separately or jointly with any land" of a clear yearly value of £10. The land must be within the electoral limits of the borough; and in order to qualify, the occupier must have been rated in respect of such premises, to all rates for the relief of the poor; and he must have paid at the time of registration all rates and taxes due from him the preceding April.

This occupation franchise was the characteristic of the borough franchise after 1832. As ownership furnished the ordinary qualification for franchise in the counties, so in the boroughs, occupation, actual or constructive, was the basis of the suffrage. While however, in the counties no provision was made for ascertaining the true value or bona fide rent which was to qualify for the franchise; in the boroughs, assessment to the taxes was embodied with the condition of value, and actual payment was super-added. There was another difference between the character of the county and borough franchises, as determined by the Reform Act. In the latter no claimant could be registered as a voter if he had received parochial relief within the past twelve months; in the counties, no disqualification was attached to the receipt of poor-relief. ...

From 1832 to 1868 the constituency returned two members, but the Representation of the People Act 1867 conferred a third seat from the United Kingdom general election, 1868. However the 1867 Act also introduced the limited vote restricting electors in three member constituencies to casting a maximum of two votes.

A way in which the limited vote system may fail to achieve its end of minority representation, is if the largest party is very well organised and is able to arrange the distibution of its supporters vote for maximum advantage. Charles Seymour explained the reaction of the Liberals of Birmingham after the limited vote was enacted.

The Liberals of Birmingham realized that if they were to retain the third seat, their vote must be divided economically between the three candidates. To prevent waste of votes, an organization must be built up which could control absolutely the choice of the elector; and each elector must vote invariably as he was told. The success of the Birmingham organization, which soon became known as the Caucus was unbroken and no Conservative candidate was returned. It was copied in many other constituencies and inaugurated a new era in the development of party electoral machinery, the effect of which upon the representative system has been profound.

The area was split into seven single-member constituencies in 1885; Birmingham Bordesley, Birmingham Central, Birmingham East, Birmingham Edgbaston, Birmingham North, Birmingham South and Birmingham West.

[edit] Members of Parliament

• Constituency created (1832)

Year			First member	First party	Second member	Second party
		1832	Thomas Attwood	Liberal	Joshua Scholefield	Liberal
		1840	George Frederick Muntz	Liberal
		1844			Richard Spooner	Conservative
		1847			William Scholefield	Liberal
		1857	John Bright	Liberal
		1867			George Dixon	Liberal

• Third member added (1868)

Year				First member	First party	Second member	Second party	Third member	Third party
			1868	George Dixon	Liberal	Philip Henry Muntz	Liberal	John Bright	Liberal
			1876	Joseph Chamberlain	Liberal

• Constituency abolished (1885)

[edit] Election Results

General Election 1832: Birmingham (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Attwood	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Liberal	Joshua Scholefield	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
Turnout			4,309 reg.	N/A	N/A

• Note (1832): Stooks Smith classifies Attwood and Scholefield as Radicals. Craig follows the modern convention, for Whig and Radical candidates from 1832, and classifies them as Liberals.

General Election 1835: Birmingham (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Attwood	1,718	40.02	N/A
	Liberal	Joshua Scholefield	1,660	38.67	N/A
	Conservative	Richard Spooner	915	21.31	N/A
Turnout			3,681 reg.	70.09	N/A

• Note (1835): 2,580 electors voted. (Source: Stooks Smith)

General Election 1837: Birmingham (2 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Attwood	2,145	40.43	+0.41
	Liberal	Joshua Scholefield	2,114	39.85	+1.18
	Conservative	A.G. Stapleton	1,046	19.72	-1.59
Turnout			5,236 reg.	59.87	-10.22

• Note (1835): 3,135 electors voted. (Source: Stooks Smith)

General Election 1868: Birmingham (3 seats)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	George Dixon	15,198	25.73	N/A
	Liberal	Philip Henry Muntz	14,614	24.74	N/A
	Liberal	John Bright	14,601	24.72	N/A
	Conservative	Sampson Samuel Lloyd	8,700	12.87	N/A
	Conservative	S. Evans	7,061	11.95	N/A
Turnout			42,042 reg.	70.26	N/A

• Note: Turnout is estimated on the basis of dividing votes cast by two. To the extent that electors did not use both their possible votes, turnout will be underestimated.

[edit] References

• British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977)
• Electoral Reform in England and Wales, by Charles Seymour (David & Charles Reprints 1970) originally published in 1915, so out of copyright
• The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844-50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973) originally published in 1844-50, so out of copyright
• Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume I 1832-1885, edited by M. Stenton (The Harvester Press 1976)