Katie:
1.      The Metropolitan Police Act, 1829:

            http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/laworder/police.htm

Macaulay may have thought that these radical newspapers were people acting out and that they in no way would have helped the revolution, but on the other hand, he may have agreed with Chadwick

Stephanie:
1. “.. I say, sir, that there are countries in which the condition of the laboring-classes is such that they may safely be intrusted with the right of electing members of the Legislature. If the labourers of England were in that state in which I, from my soul, wish to see them-if employment were always plentiful, wages always high, food always cheap - If a large family were considered not as an incumbrance but as a blessing-the principal objections to universal suffrage would, I think, be removed. Universal suffrage exists in the United States without producing any very frightful consequences; and I do not believe that the people of those States, or of any part of the world, are in any good quality naturally superior to our own countrymen. But, unhappily, the lower orders in England, and in all old countries, are occasionally in a state of great distress....”

So Macaulay could be referring to…. the “Poor Law” and or the “Swing Riots”. The Poor law housed laborers in harsh conditions with strict rules, which were considered the “relief” for those who could not find jobs. Conditions were harsh for the labourers. Before this law was put into place children under the age of 13 were working full 12 hours days. The Swing riots brought the issues of the farm laborers rebelling against their masters. They were paid very low wages to work for 12 hours a day. They were no longer housed in the farmer’s house, they had to find their own.

2. “For the sake, therefore, of the whole society, for the sake of the laboring-classes themselves, I hold it to be clearly expedient that, in a country like this, the right of suffrage should depend on a pecuniary qualification. Every argument, sir, which would induce me to oppose universal suffrage, induces me to support the measure which is now before us. I oppose universal suffrage, because I think that it would produce a destructive revolution. I support this measure, because I am sure that it is our best security against a revolution....”

This is similar to what Macaulay is saying above… suffrage is an issue in England right now but in order to change that labor laws and regulations need to be changed. There were farmer’s being able to pay less wages to laborers instead of housing and feeding them. The children working in mines was no were near humane. They were not allowed to talk or clean themselves and they were given dangerous jobs, like pushing carts in tunnels underground that often collapsed and also working with machines that often limbed fingers and hands of the children.

Katy:
"I oppose universal suffrage, because I think that it would produce a destructive revolution. I support this measure, because I am sure that it is our best security against a revolution...."

"... I believe that there are societies in which every man may safely be admitted to vote.... I say, sir, that there are countries in which the condition of the labouring-classes is such that they may safely be intrusted with the right of electing members of the Legislature. "
Here, he belives that only a certain body of people should be able to vote. This goes along with the first quote, because he says that only under the conditions of the working class is good enough then they should have the opprotunity to vote.
 
"If the labourers of England were in that state in which I, from my soul, wish to see them-if employment were always plentiful, wages always high, food always cheap"
He woudl like to see the working conditions be better. He would like to see more money for the workers, and this money would always be at an adequate rate, not cutting it short on them. He would also like to see them properly fed, with the costs of food low. This could kind of be associated with the French Revolution because all of these things he is proposing would have spared them the revolution. One of the main reasons why there was a revolution was because of the unreasonably high costs of food. By his suggestion, this would never have occured and therefore no revolution.
 
 
"He thinks, if I understand him rightly, that they ought either to leave the representative system such as it is, or to make it symmetrical. I think, sir, that they would have acted unwisely if they had taken either of these courses...I praise the Ministers for not attempting, under existing circumstances, to make the representation uniform"

Kim:
            I think that two events Macaulay might see ending in revolution are farmer’s wages and child labor.  The child labor issue was growing rapidly due often times to a shortage of workers. One account of such an incident reports, “To overcome this labor shortage factory owners had to find other ways of obtaining workers. One solution to the problem was to buy children from orphanages and workhouses. The children became known as pauper apprentices. This involved the children signing contracts that virtually made them the property of the factory owner,” (Workhouse Children).  The treatment of children as property, the long hours of work they were being put through and the crucial phase of life that these children were missing out on all add up to reasons why change was necessary.  With so much power in the factory owners and the rich, however, this change may need to come in the form of revolt.
            As for the farmers and working conditions there, farm workers were finding themselves without sufficient wages to survive on.  William Cobbett writes, “Why do not farmers now feed and lodge their work-people, as they did formerly? Because they cannot keep them upon so little as they give them in wages. This is the real cause of the change. There needs no more to prove that the lot of the working classes has become worse than it formerly was,” (The Destruction of Rural Economy).  Having put the farm workers in a situation where they were struggling just to survive is a sure sign that change needs to happen promptly and in a big way.
As Macaulay says speaking of the people who feel revolt is not necessary, “Let them wait, if this strange and fearful infatuation be indeed upon them, that they should not see with their eyes, or hear with their ears, or understand with their heart.”  This quote makes me think of families who have children being able to sympathize even if their own children are not in the coal mines or factories with the families whose children are.  Knowing that their own could be just as easily in those awful conditions may be just enough for them to support a revolt. Men who can sympathize with low wages and expensive living may easily connect with the situation of the farm workers and support a revolt as well.  All of this could easily occur once the people who were in a state of denial and were under the impression that such things could be put on hold start to come around be it through their own revelations or empathy.  With such social injustices taking place revolution was necessary and likely would find much support.

Akil:
Place’s Letter to Hobhouse

Tory arguments against Reform

Political Unions

The 1830 General Election

Dan D.:
Thomas Babington Macaulay mentions in his piece how he opposes universal suffrage. In the sense that Macaulay is arguing universal suffrage refers to all white men, he mentions how those in America have this right. Macaulay states how there should be a “pecuniary qualification” for voting in Britain. Macaulay believes that if those of the lowest segment of British economy were given the vote than revolution in the country would be inevitable, that the king would be deposed and the House of Lords done away with.

Macaulay also mentions how the Reform bill must be passed, that either there will be “Reform or Revolution”. Macaulay argues that the way the country is headed if things are not reformed then great distress will turn into violence and the country will be in upheaval. Macaulay doesn’t believe that the bill would lead to the end of the monarchy and aristocracy in Britain and that neither should be ended, that they are part of the country, but rather the political, economic, and social practices of the country need to be reformed for its survival.

Spenser:
The Factory Movement
This Act was passed in 1833 and its purpose was to limit people under the age of eighteen to not work in the mines from eight thirty in the night and five thirty in the morning in any cotton, woolen, hemp, flax, low, linen, or silk mill.  This law also stated that people were not allowed to work in the mines for more than twelve hours.
            I think Macaulay might think that the Factory Movement is culminating in revolution because some individuals might want to work during those hours for more money for various reasons, such as family and household necessities.  People might get mad that they are unable to work at these hours

The new Poor Law
The new Poor Law was in effect in 1834.  Its purpose was to abolish poverty that existed in the 19th century.  The new Poor Law established workhouses that provided work for the sick, orphans, widowed, and poor.  These workhouses, however, had really bad conditions.  All individuals were separated into different classes.  Even families were separated, thus married couples were unable to breed. 

            I think Macaulay might think that the new Poor Law is culminating in revolution because all individuals were separated.  It was no need for families to be separated.  I also think that he would think that it is culmination in revolution because there was more distress experienced by those who were living there than receiving a small dole from the Poor Law Guardians

Evan:

Events Potentially Culminating in Revolution
Two events that could easily succumb to a revolt were the formation of the Catholic Association and the happenings of the 1830 General Election. Information on the Catholic Association is as follows:

These people were a strict, devout group who had very strong beliefs. The government stepping in and attempting to regulate their business and religion could have easily sparked a revolution amongst this community.

The 1830 General Election served as a turning point for those individuals seeking parliamentary reform.

The reformers gained the power and support they needed from the 1830 General Election and posed a large threat with the ability to revolt. Using strategies of intimidating anti-reformers and getting general consent of their wants and needs, the reformers became a much more

Emily:
Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859): Speech On The Reform Bill of 1832, March 2, 1831 <https://fe.assumption.edu/exchange/edavies/Drafts/RE:%20Url.EML/MacaulayReform1831.html> : Compared to the Swing Riots

Macaulay’s speech mentioned bits and pieces of farmer riots in England and in Ireland. For instance, “Do they wait for associations more formidable than that of the Corn Exchange, for contributions larger than the rent — for agitators more violent than those who, three years ago, divided, with the King and the Parliament, the sovereignty of Ireland?” This statement describes rent and wages, and the agitators are similar to the farmers during the swing riots, as they had issues about the high taxes and low wages issued by the government. Since Parliament and the local governments supported machinery in rural areas, as well as raised taxes and lowered wages. When wages were lowered, farmers rebelled, because there is hardly any point in working when you aren’t earning any higher wages.

Speech On The Reform Bill of 1832: Compared to the Luddite Riots

Luddites were groups of workers that destroyed machines to rebel against the industrial part of society, because machines were taking away jobs. “Have they forgotten how the spirit of liberty in Ireland, debarred from its natural outlet, found a vent by forbidden passages?” The luddites and workers of England use their liberties to express their anger toward the government. When the speech talks about a vent by forbidden passages, this is like the workers finding a way to make change by rebelling the industry and standing up for their rights and liberties.

Bill:
Macaulay speaks of progress and reform and makes note of the Irish oppression.  The Irish were a people who continually rebelled until they received their emancipation in 1828.  The Irish catholic emancipation is a good foundation for Macaulay to build on while discussing the conditions at England in the time.  At this time, the Swing Riots and child labor were both prominent issues and in need of reform. 
The Swing Riots were a great source of tension for all walks of life in England at the time.  As a result of low wages and a reduced need for labor, the working classes began to rebel.  This is striking similar to the Irish Catholic situation that Macaulay discusses.  However, Macaulay does oppose universal suffrage, which seems to indicate that he is not in favor of the advancement of the working classes.  This may cause a problem, even a revolution. 
Child labor was also another prominent issue in Macaulay’s era.  Many had experienced first hand the horrors of child labor; many had been child laborers themselves. Macaulay spoke of reforms and the middle class, but he seems to not address the lower classes who primarily worked in factories in urban areas.  Urban factory workers could have been a great source of revolution within England.  It would not have taken much for something such as the mistreatment of children to spark outrage.

At the start of the nineteenth century England was a hotbed for revolution.  Other than the Swing Riots, which were only mildly violent there was no major revolution to speak of.  This is shocking considering the ways in which the people were oppressed and mistreated; not even children were spared from the atrocities. Macaulay believed that England and time were changing, but society needed to stop resisting such changes and advancements, he remarked, “…while everything at home and abroad forebodes ruin to those who persist in a hopeless struggle against the spirit of the age…”

Laura:

The swing riots were an uprising of rural workers in 1830 that were in misery over three things: the Tithe system, the Poor law guardians, and the rich tenant farmers who had been progressively lowering wages while introducing agricultural machinery. The rioters wanted to stop all the reductions in their wages and to put a stop to the introduction of the new threshing machines that threatened their work.
Macaulay could have seen this event ending in a revolution because of how bad the swing riots were. The swing riots were so bad that…

The poor law was an act of parliament in 1834 that reformed the countries poverty relief system. The new legislation established workhouses throughout England and Wales where the people could work in return for aid. It was extended to Ireland in 1838. Legislation for Scotland did not appear until 1845. This amendment eliminated systems of poor relief that had existed since the passing of the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601.
Macaulay could have seen this event ending in a revolution because…

Chelsea:
1.     Voting
·        In this time period not everyone is allowed the privilege of voting.  The only people who had any power were the rich land owners.  Macaulay felt that other countries, such as the U.S., were able to have universal suffrage without “frightful consequences”.  The U.S. was by no means any better than England so why couldn’t England be able to provide suffrage to at least a few more class types.  Even though Macaulay wasn’t fully onboard with providing universal suffrage, he felt that if they could exclude those whom it was necessary to exclude, then they could admit those whom it was safe to admit.  Macaulay thought that allowing the middle class a direct share in representation was a way to avoid a revolution.
·        Macaulay’s insight into this matter was correct because if people felt that they were in some part involved with the decision and law making then they might feel more national pride and be less inclined to revolting.
 
2.     Swing Riots
·         Riots that were brought about due to the decline in agricultural jobs, the increased use of machines such as threshing machines, low wages, and terrible living conditions.  The destruction of machines and arson were common crimes committed by rioters.  
·         Macaulay’s philosophy of allowing some change to keep old things proves true for this event because had someone realized how terrible the farming/agricultural situation was becoming, then maybe they could have made some reforms and avoided all of the riots and destruction.

Emma:
Most families during the time of the factory reform were extremely poor and needed to have their children work instead of letting them play and be normal children. However, once word began to spread of the dust filled rooms, extremely long hours, and the punishments received by the children when they grew weak, many parents began to not allow their children to work in the textile factories. As a result factory owners had to find other ways of getting workers for their factories. Many resorted to buying children from orphanages and the parishes. If the owners were less thickheaded and listened to Macaulay, then it would be obvious that this is a sign of the times.  This is significant because it shows that people are beginning to become fed up with their current situation and are beginning to take action by removing their children form the factories. This should be an obvious sign that something big is about to happen and that big changes are going to happen sooner than factory owners want it to.

Farming and farm workers once had a fairly prosperous life. Famers would usually house and feed their workers in exchange for them working on the farm. Once times got worse, farmers were forced to pay their workers less and send them out to fend for themselves. Then, with the developments of threshing machines the workers were forced to find something else to do in the winter months. In 1830, violent outbreaks began to spread all across the countryside and farmers would find that the threshing machines would be broken or other more serious damages would be made to their farms. The only evidence left was a note from the fictitious “Captain Swing.” This would seem to be a series of events that could culminate in revolution for several reasons. First, the farm workers who lost their jobs due to the new machines is obviously going to cause unrest between the workers and the farmers. Secondly, if it is to the point that farm workers are resorting to small violent outbreaks it is clear that they mean business. Eventually  one would think that all of these individual events would result in some sort of revolution or major change.

Jaime:
Topics that can generate potential Revolution:

      Swing Riots:
Mass amount of people
Burnt house after burnt house can lead to landowners’ frustration
Loss of crops, cattle, land, and money for landowners
Severity of riots increased as time progressed
If Bill is passed, then riots may begin again and may be even more intense
If the riots happen again, working class may actually get what they want
If working class received vote and equal rights
Then they could own land and start businesses that would compete with upperclassmen businesses

     Factory Reform:
            Angry workers who are exhausted and receive little pay
If riots became more intense, then factories may be destroyed
If conditions were not enhanced, then maybe all workers would boycott the factories
            Factory owners would not be able to run factories then
            No on else would want to work those tedious, long days with very little pay
If strikes occurred, then maybe working class would get their way
            If this happened, then shorter days and better pay would result
            Better working conditions, healthier as well
            Businesses would profit more because the workers would now be dedicated to their job
            Economic growth of country would skyrocket

Meghan:
Swing Riots

Macaulay might have said that the Swing Riots were important because the damages and threats created by the farmers caused significant harm to the harvest for that year and gave members of the working class, which Macaulay saw as “dangerous”, power.

The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834

This event would have been significant to Macaulay because he wanted to keep the working, or poorer class, out of contention for voting and other privileges that the higher classes had. He considered them to be dangerous and wanted them to have as little power and privileges as necessary, so if they were not receiving help from the government, he would have been pleased.

Ryan:

    1. The Poor Conditions in The Coal Mines

Macauly probably would have found the conditions in the coalmines to be appalling. Children sweating and struggling to breathe to make ends meet for their families is a sight that is hard to stomach. Certainly, such a situation demands reform. Macauly would be the perfect figure to handle this issue, as he advocates for the advancement of the poor and laborers.

“I believe that there are societies in which every man may safely be admitted to vote.... I say, sir, that there are countries in which the condition of the labouring-classes is such that they may safely be intrusted with the right of electing members of the Legislature” (Macauly, par. 4)
                       
This statement by Macauly reaffirms that that he is an underdog, a kind of working class hero in fighting for the poor class’ right to vote. If Macauly felt that the poor were significant enough to vote, then he surely must have agreed that they deserved more than the hazardous and unhealthy conditions that coalminers were subjected to day after day, week after week

2. The Need for a Successful Poor Law

I think Macauly would reject the British idea of a workhouse under the New Poor Law of 1834. Many aided laborers were treated worse than the lowest paid workers already employed. While this was the main objective of the government, Macauly would have called the conditions intolerable. The lack of substantial meals was almost as bad as going hungry. The words of Sir Charles Napier in 1840 reaffirm the need for change:
“The poor here have resolved to die rather than go into the union houses, and I have not the least doubt that numbers would have starved sooner than go there; certainly they would have resisted hunger until the feebler bodies of their children perished, or been so reduced as never to recover their health…some people here cannot sleep in their beds” (Bloy, par. 1-2).

The “price of experience” here would be the further starvation of poor workers and thus the financial starvation of the British economy. Thus, the poverty exhibited by the poor class signals an urgent demand for reform. “I hold it to be clearly expedient that, in a country like this, the right of suffrage should depend on a pecuniary qualification,” Macauly said (Macauly, par. 5). This proves that money should not buy the rights that Macauly advocated; that those rights should be natural and born into a person from the outset. In a way, the Poor Law is similar. The New Poor Law should have acknowledged the poor class’ right to decently adequate living conditions. Only then could the poor be expected to reintegrate into the workforce.

Works Cited
                       
Bloy, Marjie. "Conditions in Nottingham in 1840." The Victorian Web: An Overview. Web. 27 Jan. 2010. <http://www.victorianweb.org/history/poorlaw/notting2.html>.

Macauly, Thomas B. "Modern History Sourcebook: Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859): Speech On The Reform Bill of 1832, March 2, 1831." Assumption College: A Catholic College founded by the Augustinians of the Assumption. Ed. John McClymer. Web. 27 Jan. 2010. <http://www1.assumption.edu/users/mcclymer/hi119net/MacaulayReform1831.html>.

John:
·        The economic situation in rural England was bound to create uproar among the people.  With rural workers facing cut hours and compensation, they were consistently unhappy.  The farmers whom they worked for had financial pressures also.   With these two forces going against each other, it was predictable for the Swing Riots to occur.  The damage of the threshing machines is a direct message to the farmers telling them that they should not replace hard working Englishmen with machines to save some money.  The situation basically tested how far the rural workers could take this before they revolted.  As Macauly would have imagined, a revolution ensued in the form of the Swing Riots.

·        Another foreseeable revolution takes place concerning the living conditions of hard workers.  Many people worked extremely hard and dedicated their lives to providing for and supporting their families.  Unfortunately, their hard work wasn’t enough most of the time.  People like this worked hard to barely keep their heads above water.  Then they look and see prisoners living with better living conditions, as well as sometimes a fresh start in Australia.  This is a classic case of the temptation to live off the system.  If the welfare and conditions for inmates are so appealing, what’s stopping people from just giving up and feeding off the system?  As we find out, the answer is not that much.  In fact, through these times, there was a sudden revolution of Englishmen purposely committing crimes in order to receive a better living situation, and overall, a better life.  

Brenna:
Catholic Association
very strict and being a member was hard and required much devotion
paying a catholic rent
 
Political Unions
not all are represented
social classes butt heads over parliamentary reform
the campaign for political reform caused more problems than it fixed.
 
Factory Reform
changing hours for children
the brutal conditions that children as young as 6 work it
under-nourishment
deformities

Tiffany:
The Swing Riots should have been something that concerned the government during the time of the Revolution.  The Swing Riots started when the agricultural workers finally had enough of the poor living conditions and poverty that came along with their lifestyle.  They created a faux leader for their riot group called "Captain Swing."  Angry workers set fire to barns and property, and the idea of this type of riot-like behavior began to quickly spread.  Macaulay might see this event as potentially culminating in revolution because the agricultural workers that participated in the Swing Riots were at such a breaking point with their position in society and means of life that they were just acting out against all forms of authority.  When workers start to rebel against the authority figures, it is always a call for a drastic change or compromise between the two sides.
             Another event that should have concerned the government during the time of the Revolution should have been the child labor laws in the factories across the country.  Children as young as the ages of six or seven were working up to eighteen hour days inside of the factories and mines.  If the children were found slacking by their managers, they were punished in brutal ways.  Some of the children were taken into the corner and dipped into an iron vat of water by their legs then sent back to work with the others. Females that were seen slacking were forced to strip naked and then were forced to wear chains around their ankles up to their hips.  Sometimes the females would be forced to wear the chains for days at a time for the purpose of humiliation.  The conditions in the factories might be seen by Macaulay as culminating in revolution because the children of the mines and factories would become fatigued and suffered injuries at such a young age.  Six or seven year old children are not meant to be on their feet working for up to eighteen hours a day, and this should have raised a red flag to the government that things needed to be changed.  The new generation of children would not live long, healthy lives under the conditions they were forced to endure at the factories. Instead they should have been spending their days in school, getting an education.

Kara:

  1. Swing Riots- Men began revolting throughout England against the farmers because they were frustrated with the way they were being treated and the lifestyle the farmers lived thanks to the unfair wages and tax system. The government’s lack of control over the economy enabled the farmers to terribly underpay the workers while benefitting from the tax system. For some time, farmers would board their workers, which provided the farm hands with their basic needs (they were fed and lived in a decent home). However, they realized it would be cheaper for them to pay their workers wages than to board them, so they began doing so. It was much more difficult for the workers to live off of this small salary. The food shortage throughout Europe also increased the demand for farm goods coming from England and helped to drive the prices up, thus making farmers richer. All of these incidents contributed to the animosity of the rural working class and led them to revolt against the farmers, often torching hay and ruining machinery under the name of “Captain Swing”.
  2. Factory Revolt- Once again, because of the lack of government control, factory workers were being treated more poorly than prisoners. They had horrid working conditions, low wages, unhealthy hours, very little food and other various health hazards, like unsafe machinery. The factory owners took advantage of the fact that there were no mandated laws at the time and were able to create their own laws. Finally, people begin to take a stand and try to change the system. They are mildly successful, in that they get the government to pass a law limiting the working hours of children under the age of 18, but unfortunately nobody really seems to follow through on the law. Actually, the factory workers are almost hurt by this, because now they have fewer working hours and are still getting paid the same wages, which means they make less money and have a harder time.

Jennifer R.:

  1. Swing Riots- Anger was beginning to build up within the farmers because of high taxes and low wages. The main cause of the Swing Riots was that the thrashing machines were replacing people. This caused many people to become unemployed and not able to support themselves or their family. Workers were not needed to plow the fields. Only a few men were needed to work the thrashing machine that replaced hundreds of workers. The Swing Riots fought for the destruction of thrashing machines and a raise of wages. To get their point across rioters would destroy the thrashing machine. Thomas Babington Macaulay said “Would they have us wait that the numbers of the discontented party may become larger, its demands higher, its feelings more acrimonious, its organisation more complete?” I believe he’s saying that if you do nothing about a group of unhappy people than it will just become worse. He could be referring to the swing riots because he is saying you should repress the riots so they don’t become too out of hand.
  2. The Poor Laws- The poor laws were made into effect because the poor were getting money even if they were not worthy and did not deserve any help from the government. The upper class was becoming very upset that they worked very hard for their money and the poor was doing nothing and got money just handed to them. They also changed the parameters that classified a person as being poor. Before the New Poor Laws poverty was measured by how much land or property someone owned, but after the new law was made they measured poverty by how much money they possessed. The new poor laws made the conditions in the workhouses horrible and almost unbearable so people would make going into the poorhouses their last resort. Even though they did earn money people did not want to work there because of the horrible working conditions. Macaulay states, “Would they have us wait merely that we may show to all the world how little we have profited by our own recent experience?” In this quote he could be taking about how the Elizabethan law did very little for the situation with the poor. The Elizabethan law did not take care of the problem very much at all and gave money away to anyone basically even if they did not deserve it.

Haley:
Swing Riots:
      The swing riots were one of the signs that a revolution may be on its way. There were only small groups of rebels who were rioting but the groups could grow fast. The swing riots can be compared to what the Americans did at the Boston tea party. It was small acts that lead to something larger. As William Cabbot says “By some means or other there must be an end to it; and my firm belief is, that the end will be dreadful." This just goes to show that people could see what was before them and things needed to change.

Child Labor:
      Children would have to work in the factory for 12 hour days with little breaks, in horrible conditions. The people started to realize that this was unsafe for the young kids so they decided to try and enforce a bill restricting child labor. In 1831 John Hobhouse decided to introduce a bill restricting child labor. Hobhouse proposed that: (a) no child should work in a factory before the age of 9; (b) no one between the ages of 9 and 18 should work for more than twelve hours; (c) no one aged between the ages of 9 and 18 should work for more than 66 hours a week; (d) no one under 18 should be allowed to do night work. After details of Hobhouse's Bill was published, workers in spontaneously started forming what became known as Short Time Committees in an effort to help promote its passage through Parliament. The first Short Time Committees were formed by textile workers in Huddersfield and Leeds. Within a few months Short Time Committees were established in most of the major textile towns. These groups realize that the child labor laws currently were out of control and begged for change. If that change did not occur faster who is to say it wouldn’t have gotten as bad as the swing riots.

Carly:

  1. One event that connects to McCaulay’s quote on experience is the swing riots. The swing riots occurred because the wages of the working class people of England were decreasing and they were starting to be replaced by threshing machines. This made the workers very unhappy. They decided to express their anger and unhappiness by creating riots. These went around towns all over England destroying threshing machines and burning down barns. The workers also sent threatening letters to the farmers, and signed the letters from Captain Swing, a fictional person. It is clear from his speech that McCaulay knew something like this was bound to happen. In fact, he was shocked that it was possible that other gentlemen had not seen the signs. He questioned, “Would they have us wait that the numbers of the discontented party may become larger, its demands higher, its feelings more acrimonious, its organization more complete?” This is exactly what happened with the swing riots. More and more people became upset that their wages were being decreased and that they were being replaced by machines. As the group of unhappy riots grew larger and larger, their demands became higher. This is why they began writing letters to the farmers and began destroying barns and threshing machines. As the group of riots increased, their organization became more complete like McCaulay predicted.
  2. Another event that connects to McCaulay’s quote on experience is the New Poor Law. The New Poor Law was passed in 1834 in order to reduce the poor rates. It replaced the previous systems of poor relief such as the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601. The New Poor Law was created because the cost of taking care of the poor was rising every year, and the middle and upper classes, who were the ones that paid for this, were sick of paying all this money for people whom they believed were just lazy.  They believed that with the New Poor Law the cost of taking care of the poor would be reduced and the poor people would be encouraged to work hard to earn a living and support themselves. McCaulay most likely would not have been surprised to see this. After all, the middle and upper classes were not benefiting in any way from paying for the poor. McCaulay questioned, “Would they have us wait merely that we may show to all the world how little we have profited by our own recent experience?” Before the New Poor Law, the middle and upper classes were not profiting from having to pay for the poor. The truly poor people also were not profiting. The New Poor Law, however, caused both the wealthy and the poor to profit. The middle and upper classes no longer had to pay so much money, and the poor people were offered a place to stay and an opportunity to work. 

Dylan:
    In his speech, Macaulay challenges the politicians by asking “Is it possible that gentlemen long versed in high political affairs cannot read these signs?” So what exactly are these signs that Macaulay is speaking of and what is their significance? He insists that the political system of England will not last very long as it is and there are plenty of reasons to believe this. There is one quote in particular that seems to reference the Swing Riots: “Would they have us wait that the numbers of the discontented party may become larger, its demands higher, its feelings more acrimonious, its organisation more complete?” The Swing Riots are in fact a major sign of impeding complications. What says “discontented party” more than angry mobs composed of the poor and unemployed looting from the farmers and destroying the machines that forced them out of work? Considering the impact this has on agriculture, the fear it instills among the people, and the amount of angry rioters; how can this not lead to drastic change?
     One can also look at where Macaulay writes: “If the labourers of England were in that state in which I, from my soul, wish to see them-if employment were always plentiful, wages always high, food always cheap…” This directly associates with the implications of the Poor Law. Employment is not plentiful therefore there is a great deal of people in need of assistance. At the same time, the people giving this assistance have low wages and are at the mercy of high food costs. This forces people who are hardly supporting themselves to pay high taxes to support the poor and jobless. This too will bring upon the great change Macaulay tells us of.

Maciej:
"... I support this measure as a measure of reform; but I support it still more as a measure of conservation. That we may exclude those whom it is necessary to exclude, we must admit those whom it may be safe to admit..."

This comment shows that if a group of people is not granted audience in a representative government, it is beneficial to allow one portion of the group to be allowed access in order to split the opposition. If you split up the opposition, then the remaining faction will not have enough support in order to be effective and the portion that was let in will most likely defend its newly acquired position in the social order.

"Would they have us wait that the numbers of the discontented party may become larger, its demands higher, its feelings more acrimonious, its organization more complete?"

This comment backs up the previous statement, and it is in reference to what would happen if the outcries of the unrepresented people went unheeded. If Parliament ignored the outbursts (like they did to the Catholics) then the unrepresented people (middle class and working class) would have a chance to increase their support, organize their "battle" tactics, and become larger than the classes already being represented, thus potentially taking over entirely.