Peel's other repeal: the Test and Corporation Acts, 1828

Gaunt, Richard A. (2014) Peel's other repeal: the Test and Corporation Acts, 1828. Parliamentary History, 33 (1). pp. 243-262. ISSN 1750-0206

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Abstract

This article considers Robert Peel’s role in the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts in 1828. Traditionally overshadowed by the larger campaign to secure catholic emancipation in 1829, the repeal legislation assumes importance in Peel’s political career for three reasons. It was Peel’s first major challenge as leader of the house of commons in Wellington’s ministry; his handling of the issue revealed all his strengths and weaknesses in the role. Peel’s insistence on the active participation of the anglican Church hierarchy in passing repeal with appropriate safeguards (through a declaration to be taken by the majority of officeholders) foreshadowed his later tactics in settling contentious Church issues by negotiation with the Church’s leaders (leading to the formation of the Ecclesiastical Commission in 1835). The success of Russell’s original repeal motion challenged the expectation (shared by Peel) that repeal would follow, rather than precede, emancipation. The necessity of confronting repeal head-on formed a backdrop to that ‘ripening’ of Peel’s views which commentators and historians have detected during this period.

Item Type: Article
RIS ID: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/996972
Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Gaunt, R. A. (2014), Peel's Other Repeal: The Test and Corporation Acts, 1828. Parliamentary History, 33: 243–262, which has been published in final form at doi: 10.1111/1750-0206.12096. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
Keywords: Robert Peel; Test Acts; Corporation Act; catholic emancipation; dissenters; toryism; Anglicanism
Schools/Departments: University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Arts > School of Humanities > Department of History
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-0206.12096
Depositing User: Gaunt, Richard
Date Deposited: 11 Feb 2016 15:05
Last Modified: 04 May 2020 20:15
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/31450

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