Document: British Parliament, "Electoral Reform Bills" (1832, 1867, and 1884)

Source: British Statutes: 2 William IV, c. 45; 30-1 Victoria, c. 102; 48 Victoria, c. 3.

The Reform Act of 1832

An act to amend the representation of the people in England and Wales. Whereas it is expedient to take effectual measures for correcting divers abuses that have long prevailed in the choice of memebers to serve in the commons house of parliament; to deprive many inconsiderable places of the right of returning memebers; to grant such privilege to large, populous, and wealthy towns; to increase the number of knights of the shire; to extenbd the eleective franchise to many of his majestry's subjects who have not heretofore enjoyed the same; and to diminish the expense of elections: be it therefore enacted that each of the boroughts enumberated in the schedule marked A to this act annexed [56 boroughs] shall, from and after the end of this present parliament, cease to return any member or members to serve in parliament.

And be it enacted that eachof the boroughs enumberated in the schedule marked B [30 boroughs] shall return one member and no more to serve in parliament.

And be it enacted that each of the places named in the schedule marked C [22 places] shall for the purpose of this act be a borough, and shall return two members to serve in parliament.

And be it enacted that each of the places named in the schedule marked D [20 places] shall for the purpose of thi sact be a borough, and shall return one member to serve in parliament....

And be it enacted that every male person of full age and not subject to any legal incapacity who shall be seised at law or in equity of any lands or tenements of copyhold, or any other tenure whatever except freehold, for his own life or for the life of another or for any lvies whatsoever..., of the clear yearlyt value of not less than 10 pounds... shall be entitled to vote in the election of a knight or knights of the shire....

And be it enancted that every male person of full age and not sunject to any legal incapacity who sahll be entitled, either as lessee or assignee, to any lands or tenements... for the unexpired residue... of any term originally created for a period of not less than sixty years... of the clear yearly value of not less than ten pounds, or for the unexpired residure... of any term originally created for a period of not less than twenty years... of the clear yearly value of not less than fifty pounds, or wsho shall occupy as tenant and lands or tenements for which he shalloccupy as tenant any lands or tenements for which he shall be bonefide liable to a yearly rental of not less than fifty poiunds, shall be entitled to vote in the election of a knight or knights of the shire....

And be it enacted that, in every city or borough which shall return a member or members to serve in any future parliament, every male person of full age and not subject to any legal incapacity who shall occupy within such city or borough..., as owner or tenant any house... or other building... of the clear yearly value of not less than ten pounds shall, if duly registered..., be entitled to vote in the election of a member or members to serve in any future parliament fo rsuch city and borough...

Representation of the People Ace, 1867

Every man shall, in and after the year 1868, be entitled to be registered as a voter and, when registered, to vote for a member or members to serve in parliament for a borough, who is qualified as follows: that is to say, (1) is of full age, and not subject to any legal incapacity; and (2) is on the last day of July in any year and had during the preceding twelve calendar months been an inhabitant occupier, as owner or tenant, of any dwelling-house within the borough; and (3) has during the time of such occupation been rated as an ordianry occupier in respect of the premises so occupied by him within the borough to all rates, if any, made for the relief of the poor in respect of such premises; and (4) has, on or before the twentieth day of July in the same year, bone fide paid an equal amount in the pound to that payable by other ordianry occupiers in respect of all poor rates that have become payable by him in respect of the said premises up to the preceding fifth day of January. Provided, that no man shallunder this section be entitled to be registered as a voter by reason of his being a jpoint occupier of any dw3elling-house.

Every man shall, in and after the year 1868, be entitled to be registered as a voter and, when registered to vote for a member of members to serve in parliament for a borough, hwo is qualified as follows: that is to say, (1) is of full age and not subject to any legal incapacity; and (2) as a lodger has occupied in the same borough separately and as sole teneant for the twelve months preceding the last day of July in anyt year the same lodginings, such lodginings being part of one and the same dwelling-house, and of a clear yearly value, if let unfurnished, of ten poiunds or upwards; and (3) has resided in such leodgings during the twelve months immediatley preceding the last day of July, and has claimed to be registered as a voter at the next ensuing registration of voters....

Representation of the People Act, 1884

A uniform household franchise and a unifrom lodger franchise at elections shall be established in all counties and boroughs throughout the United Kingdom, and every man possessed of a household qualification or a lodger qualification shall, if the qualifying premises be situate in a couty in England or Scotland, be entitled to registered as a voter and when registered to vote at an election for such county....

Every man occuping an land or tenement in a county or borough in the United Kingdom of a clear yearly value of not less than ten pounds shall be entitled to be registered as a voter and when registered to vote at an election for such county or borough in repect of such occupation subject to the like conditions respectively as a man is, at the passing of this act, entitled to be registered as a voter and to vote at an election for such county in respect of the county occupation franchise, and at an election for such borough in respect of the borough occupation franchise....