Constituency : Birmingham 1847-67
William was the son of an iron manufacturer , merchant and banker whose father had been one of the first Birmingham MPs in 1832. William spent some time in Canada and the States before returning to Birmingham in 1837 to work in his father's business. He became involved in municipal politics as Birmingham became a borough and in 1839 he was chosen as first mayor of the city. He was involved with the Birmingham Political Union and therefore sympathetic to the Chartists. In 1844 his father died and William was invited to contest the by-election to replace him. He was defeated by the Conservatives but came in at the 1847 election despite the refusal of the sitting Radical MP Charles Muntz to do anything to support him.
William was regarded as a radical who supported the extension of the franchise , free trade and religious liberty. He opposed the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill. In 1856 he chaired a select committee on food adulteration following the work of Birmingham scientist John Postgate. The following year he introduced a bill requiring food analysts to be appointed by local councils with powers to fine but it offended laissez-faire principles and had to be withdrawn.
In 1859 William disappointed fellow radicals by disavowing the fierce criticisms of the current parliamentary establishment made by Bright on his great reform tour. Cobden described him as a "good natured weakling".
He died of heart failure in 1867 aged 57.
No comments:
Post a Comment