Representation of the People (Ireland) Act 1868

Last updated

Representation of the People (Ireland) Act 1868 [1]
Act of Parliament
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (variant 1, 1952-2022).svg
Long title An Act to amend the Representation of the People in Ireland.
Citation 31 & 32 Vict. c. 49
Dates
Royal assent 13 July 1868
Results of the 1868 election, with the new boundaries. Constituencies are coloured yellow for Liberal, blue for Conservative. United Kingdom general election 1868 in Ireland.svg
Results of the 1868 election, with the new boundaries. Constituencies are coloured yellow for Liberal, blue for Conservative.

The Representation of the People (Ireland) Act 1868 (31 & 32 Vict. c. 49) was an act of Parliament in the United Kingdom.

Contents

The act did not alter the overall distribution of parliamentary seats in Ireland. [2] It was originally proposed to merge twelve smaller boroughs into six pairs on the model of Scottish district of burghs and Welsh contributory boroughs, with the freed-up seats being transferred to the six most populous county constituencies. This was rejected by Parliament, although the act as passed did alter the boundaries of those parliamentary boroughs which were also municipal boroughs, extending the parliamentary boundary to include all the municipal boundary. [3]

Of Ireland's 33 parliamentary boroughs, 11 were also municipal boroughs under the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reform Act 1867</span> United Kingdom law reforming the electoral system in England and Wales

The Representation of the People Act 1867, known as the Reform Act 1867 or the Second Reform Act, is an act of the British Parliament that enfranchised part of the urban male working class in England and Wales for the first time. It took effect in stages over the next two years, culminating in full commencement on 1 January 1869.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windsor (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliament constituency in the United Kingdom 1801-1974 and 1997 onwards

Windsor (/ˈwɪnzə/) is a constituency in Berkshire represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Adam Afriyie of the Conservative Party. It was re-created for the 1997 general election after it was abolished following the 1970 general election and replaced by the Windsor and Maidenhead constituency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redistribution of Seats Act 1885</span> United Kingdom law reforming the electoral system

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally populated constituencies, a concept in the broader global context termed equal apportionment, in an attempt to equalise representation across the UK. It was associated with, but not part of, the Representation of the People Act 1884.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dublin Harbour (UK Parliament constituency)</span> UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland, 1885–1922

Dublin Harbour, a division of Dublin, was a borough parliamentary constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1922. From 1918 to 1921, it was also used as a constituency for Dáil Éireann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dublin St Patrick's (UK Parliament constituency)</span> UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland, 1885–1922

Dublin St Patrick's, a division of Dublin, was a borough constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the United Kingdom House of Commons from 1885 until 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accrington (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1983

Accrington was a parliamentary constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election.

Belfast was an Irish borough constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Comprising the city of Belfast, it elected one Member of Parliament (MP) from 1801 to 1832, and then two MPs from 1832 until the constituency was divided by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 before the 1885 general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Westminster constituencies</span> Scottish constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain

Scottish Westminster constituencies were Scottish constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain, normally at the Palace of Westminster, from 1708 to 1801, and have been constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, also at Westminster, since 1801. Constituency boundaries have changed on various occasions, and are now subject to both periodical and ad hoc reviews of the Boundary Commission for Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackney North (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1950

Hackney North was a parliamentary constituency in "The Metropolis". It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868</span> United Kingdom law reforming the electoral system in Scotland

The Representation of the People (Scotland) Act 1868 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It carried on from the Representation of the People Act 1867, and created seven additional Scottish seats in the House of Commons at the expense of seven English borough constituencies, which were disenfranchised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brixton (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885–1974

Brixton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Brixton district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post system.

Wolverhampton West was a borough constituency in the town of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of England. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1832–1885

North Lancashire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was represented by two Members of Parliament. The constituency was created by the Great Reform Act of 1832 by the splitting of Lancashire constituency into Northern and Southern divisions.

North East Lancashire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency was created by the Reform Act of 1867 and replaced the North Lancashire Parliamentary constituency, a county division with two seats.

Manchester Clayton was a parliamentary constituency in the city of Manchester. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 redefined the boundaries of English, Scottish and Welsh constituencies of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and the new boundaries were first used in the 1885 general election. The boundaries of Irish constituencies were not affected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliamentary Elections Act 1868</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Parliamentary Elections Act 1868, sometimes known as the Election Petitions and Corrupt Practices at Elections Act or simply the Corrupt Practices Act 1868, is an act of the United Kingdom Parliament, since repealed. The effect of the act was to transfer responsibility for trying election petitions from the House of Commons to the judges of the High Court of Justice. The act was designed to, and did, provide a more effective measure for preventing corruption and fraud in parliamentary elections.

The ceremonial county of Cheshire, which comprises the unitary authorities of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington, has returned 11 MPs to the UK Parliament since 1997.

The county of Northumberland has returned four MPs to the UK Parliament since 1983. Under the Local Government Act 1972, which came into effect on 1 April 1974, the boundaries of the historic/administrative county were significantly altered with the south-east of the county, comprising more than half the electorate, being transferred to the new metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear. These changes were reflected in the following redistribution of parliamentary seats which did not come into effect until the 1983 general election, resulting in a reduction in the county's representation from 10 to 4 MPs.

References

Sources

Citations

  1. This short title was conferred on this Act by section 1 of this Act.
  2. Moore's Almanack improved: or Will's farmer's and countryman's calendar for the year 1869. Joseph Greenhill, London, 1869
  3. Representation of the People (Ireland) Act 1868 §9

Further reading