Rotten borough
The term rotten borough ( English rotten / spoiled district ), stands for constituencies in the Kingdom of England (before 1707), the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707-1801), the Kingdom of Ireland (1541-1801), and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ( from 1801 until the electoral reform in 1832), which had so few inhabitants that they were considered over-represented in parliament , as each constituency was entitled to two seats at that time. A pocket borough (from English in the pocket, so: in the pocket) was a constituency or a municipality ( English borough ) with so few voters that one or very few powerful landowners could control the seats in parliament.
This came about because constituencies were not adapted to population trends for centuries. The term did not appear until the 18th century because it was not previously seen as a serious problem. The best known and most notorious of these rotten boroughs was Old Sarum , which sent two MPs to Parliament with seven eligible voters, none of whom were resident there.
Rotten boroughs
Because the size and layout of the constituencies were not adapted to the population development, it could happen that a member of parliament represented only very few residents, as a result of which the constituency was strongly overrepresented. This also made it easy to buy all the votes for the election of members of parliament, or to intimidate the voters as the election was not secret, but public.
Among the most notorious rotten boroughs - here the known minimum is mentioned - were Gatton, Surrey with two eligible voters and 23 houses, only six of which were definitely in the constituency; Old Sarum in Wiltshire with seven eligible voters and three houses, all non-resident landowners; Newtown, on the Isle of Wight, with 23 eligible voters and 14 houses; Lostwithiel in Cornwall with 24 eligible voters; and Dunwich in Suffolk with 32 eligible voters and 44 houses. Each of these constituencies could send two MPs. Many of these rotten boroughs were controlled by aristocrats who “bequeathed” the seat to their sons. So it could happen that the father sat in the House of Lords and the son in the House of Commons . Rotten boroughs were mostly places that had once played an important economic or political role, but had lost their importance. For example, Old Sarum was a thriving cathedral city during the 12th century, and its residents moved to New Sarum, now Salisbury .
Cities like Manchester , which had grown rapidly during industrialization , did not have their own representatives, but were represented by members of the county (in this case Lancashire ).
In the general election of 1831 , a total of 406 MPs were elected in England's 204 constituencies. 76 of those constituencies with 152 elected MPs had fewer than 100 voters, and 44 constituencies with 88 elected MPs had fewer than 50 voters.
Pocket boroughs
In the pocket boroughs , parliamentary representation was controlled by only one or very few landowners. They were able to develop their power by nominating candidates they liked, by granting civil rights or by paying bribes. In some cases, a rich person could even control several constituencies. The Duke of Newcastle was said to have had seven boroughs "in his pocket".
The end of the rotten boroughs
In the 19th century numerous steps were taken to abolish the rotten boroughs and bring about a more balanced representation. With the Reform Act 1832 , 57 rotten boroughs disappeared . The weight shifted from the overrepresented rural south to the industrial cities of the north. However, many of the pocket boroughs remained until the Reform Act 1867 , in which it was decided to distribute the seats in principle according to the population. Subsequent laws increased the electorate and created the Boundary Commission , which periodically reviewed and adjusted the size of the constituencies.
The introduction of electoral secrecy in 1872 made it impossible for the patrons to control the vote of an individual voter. For the first time ever, voters were free to choose and did not have to take into account the wishes of the land or house owner. At the same time, “courting” the electorate through gifts of money or fancy entertainment was banned.
Modern use
Today the term rotten borough is rarely and ironically used for a constituency in which a certain political party enjoys such high support through gerrymandering that the candidate is elected with virtually no competition worth mentioning. This must be of the "more secure fit" ( safe seat ) can be distinguished where one party has an advantage without manipulation.
Sometimes the term is also used to refer to a person or family who has represented the same area for a long time. Even with a change of party, the voters of such constituencies remained loyal to their MPs. As rotten boroughs and departments of city government are called, which are allegedly or demonstrably corrupt.
Individual evidence
- ^ W. Carpenter: The people's book; comprising their chartered rights and practical wrongs. London, 1831, p. 406 Google digitized version
literature
- Jackson J. Spielvogel, Western Civilization: Volume II: Since 1500. Page 493. Wadsworth Pub Co, 2002 (5th edition), ISBN 0-534-60008-5