516 
Jones — Chartism. 
PERIOD OF SUSPENSE. 
So long as the Whigs pushed the Reform Bills vigorously the 
forces of Chartism were content to remain an unorganized ele¬ 
ment in their following. But the time came when the leaders 
of the party thought they had gone far enough. The majority 
of their constituencies abided by their decision, but the unen¬ 
franchised classes, an element untutored in the art of party 
compromise and never before dealt with by English politicians, 
were not so docile. However, they stayed action for a time to 
see what the effects of the new measures would be. The Parlia¬ 
ments returned under the new franchise law were liberal in 
their tendencies and accomplished many things in the next few 
years, though they were such things as did not bring immediate 
and tangible results to the wage-earning classes. Some abuses 
connected with the church were corrected; the privileges of the 
East India Company were removed, and slavery was abolished 
in the British Empire. Liberal grants were made for educa¬ 
tional purposes; the poor laws were amended and many indus¬ 
trial restrictions were removed. The agitation for the freedom 
of the press was at this time fought through. The people 
waited for the material results of these reforms. There was a 
short breathing spell. But they were at no time entirely satis¬ 
fied with what had been done and they waited in distrust. It 
was still complained that but one man in seven had the right of 
suffrage. The Whig leaders were pressed to carry forward the 
work begun. The cry of “traitor!” was raised when they de¬ 
clared that they would go no further. A writer in Blackwoods 
Magazine , discussing the discontent of the period said: “ What 
is the prevailing cry of the Chartists and universal suffrage 
men? It is that they have not obtained the fruits of reform; 
that they have been misled and deceived by their Whig leaders; 
that all the real and practical grievances of which they formerly 
complained are still in existence; that wages are as low, pro¬ 
visions as high, taxes as heavy as ever, that the sway of the 
middle classes has proved more oppressive than ever that of the 
old borough-mongers; and that the new poor-law has deprived 
them of their rights of birthright inheritance in a way which 
