I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 29

The Hidden Power of the British Empire 29

Seismic Shift

Though the Tory party was loudly proclaiming its discovery of young politicians, it was, frankly, just a smokescreen.

Immediately after the election, talk of hope and the future was understandable.

However, as the parliamentary session approached, the stark difference in seats would become painfully obvious.

The results of the 1832 general election, which would form the cabinet of 1833, were as follows:

The ruling Whig party:

Increased from 370 seats to 439, a gain of 69 seats.

The opposition Tory party:

Decreased from 235 seats to 177, a loss of 58 seats.

Furthermore, the new party founded by Irish politician Daniel O’Connell remarkably secured 42 seats.

Although all 42 seats came from Ireland, this was not a number to be taken lightly.

It was a signal that Ireland, too large for England to simply swallow, was beginning to assert its presence.

Amidst this sense of crisis, the British Conservative party was showing signs of division, blaming each other.

“Our party had 428 seats seven years ago, then 250 three years ago, and now only 177! We’ve failed to secure even 30% of the seats, let alone a majority!”

“This is a crisis! A crisis for us conservatives!”

“Someone has to take responsibility for this.”

“No, still, it’s not all the Duke’s fault. It’s because everything we pushed for as the party line was overturned.”

The Duke of Wellington seemed increasingly weary of the recent series of events.

Sometimes, he even felt that the battlefield was preferable, as politics caused so many headaches.

Even fighting Napoleon hadn’t been as frustrating, which was quite remarkable.

Initially, he had ambitions to make his mark on the nation’s politics as the leader of the Tory party, but those desires had now faded.

Perhaps this was a sign of aging, or perhaps politics simply wasn’t his forte.

A simple reflection suggested that it was likely both.

Fortunately, it seemed his second son was born with a different talent.

Observing the election process, it was clear that he was far more skilled as a politician than Wellington, even if he was a capable soldier.

He had also planted seeds to somehow deal with the Irish forces led by Daniel O’Connell.

Judging from the information continuously provided by the second son of the Duke of Rutland, Killian Gore was a talent who could greatly assist them.

His academic performance alone was outstanding among the freshmen, and his reputation among the teachers was also excellent.

Moreover, he had become acquainted with excellent graduates like Gladstone and was close to his own son, Charles.

‘If Charles can control Killian well in the future and suppress Irish discontent, he could become a great politician.’

Even if the current situation was pessimistic, the future might not be so bleak.

The Duke of Wellington quietly addressed the still-arguing members.

“Enough. Whatever we say, the fact remains that we lost, and in war, the defeated must take responsibility. I will step down as party leader and continue to dedicate myself to the interests of our party in the House of Lords.”

“Then, the next leader will be…?”

“Yes. We have Robert Peel in our party. With him, I can step down with peace of mind.”

A rising star of the next generation of conservatives who, as Home Secretary, successfully reformed London’s security system by establishing the Metropolitan Police Service.

Within the Tory party, it was generally agreed that there was no one else who could succeed the Duke of Wellington as leader, so there were no objections.

“No matter how hard the Whigs try in the House of Commons, we still hold the House of Lords. Without our cooperation, they can’t do anything. Don’t be too shaken by the party’s crisis, and let’s focus on refreshing our outdated image.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Your Grace! Thank you for your hard work!”

Not only the members who sided with him but also those who had hinted that he should step down now wiped their mouths clean and bowed their heads.

That’s just how politics is.

The Duke of Wellington let out a sighing laugh and rose from his seat.

He suddenly thought that his long-time rival, who had passed away some time ago, must have found politics much easier.

Of course, considering that his end was death on Saint Helena [the island where Napoleon was exiled and died], he wasn’t envious at all.

* * *

As the general election ended in a landslide victory for the Whig party, and a new force called the Irish party gained prominence, many discussions naturally took place at Eton [a prestigious boarding school for boys].

Perhaps this was a natural reaction, given that these were elites destined to enter key positions in society.

“I think the Tory party is finished. It’s the era of the Whigs. Why don’t you just switch sides?”

“Bullshit. They’ve only won a few elections. The House of Lords is still dominated by conservatives, and they can’t do anything if we exercise our veto power, right?”

“Don’t you even realize that constantly exercising the veto will make public opinion turn against you and lead to further ruin? That’s why the conservatives are in this state!”

“Ah, let’s see in a few years. I bet 1 pound [British currency] that the conservatives will be back in control by the time we graduate.”

Wherever you went after class, political debates never ceased.

Even ordinary people tend to get overly involved when politics are discussed, so how much more would it be here, where most are actually involved?

Although it didn’t escalate to fistfights, raised voices and swearing were common.

But it was all a distant matter for me.

As the saying goes, no flower blooms for ten days; the Whig party may seem dominant now, but power will inevitably rotate.

Otherwise, Disraeli, a Conservative, wouldn’t have been Prime Minister in my memory.

Even without going as far as Disraeli, the time would come when Robert Peel, who succeeded the Duke of Wellington, would regain the premiership.

If my memory was correct, Robert Peel was the politician who abolished the infamous Corn Laws [tariffs on imported grain in Britain].

So, instead of being overjoyed or disheartened by the current results, it was best to quietly gather ammunition in the background.

The time when I came of age and entered politics in earnest would be a scene of utter chaos.

This was by no means an exaggeration.

If the 1830s, in which I currently lived, were described as a turbulent period, the upcoming 1840s could be called a period of utter madness.

War, famine, electoral upheaval, labor movements, etc. Every conceivable problem would erupt.

To avoid being swept away by that massive tide and to maximize profits, no amount of money was enough.

Fortunately, even now, society was constantly fluctuating, with new opportunities repeatedly emerging and disappearing.

In a few years, a market full of bubbles would burst, providing an opportunity to sweep up a considerable amount.

Until then, the immediate goal was to increase, increase, and increase money as much as possible.

And what could give wings to that was precisely.

“Killian! The atmosphere is ominous.”

“Of course, it would be ominous. The Duke stepped down as party leader, after all.”

“No, no. That’s not it. Something big is about to happen in Parliament!”

Thus, the existence of my partners, who could rush to deliver the latest information.

In addition to Wellesley, I could also get information through Disraeli, so there was no concern about distortion due to individual judgment.

If necessary, I could even ask Gladstone for his opinion, so there was virtually no chance of making a wrong decision.

“What big thing is going to happen? Is the Whig party going to declare that they will exclude the Tory party now that their number of seats has exploded?”

“To exaggerate a bit, you could almost say that. That’s how unsettling the atmosphere is right now!”

“Really?”

No way. Hadn’t the new parliament only been in session for a few days? Were they really going to act so recklessly?

Feeling my incredulous gaze, Wellesley thumped his chest and grumbled.

“It’s true. Do you know what the Whig party is planning to do now? They announced that they would form a commission to investigate factory labor conditions under the guise of improving them!”

“…Is that so? What specifically are they planning to improve?”

“It’s obvious. They’re trying to regulate things like the working hours of laborers in factories, aren’t they? This is obviously intended to attack our party.”

As I listened nonchalantly, James, who was next to me, asked instead.

“The Tory party will naturally oppose it, and the Whig party will ignore that opposition, so this is virtually legislative dictatorship. Is that how you interpret it?”

“Of course. That’s why there’s such a commotion within the party right now! The selection of the committee is already confirmed, and an investigation is about to begin, but the committee will inevitably write a report that suits the Whig party’s tastes.”

“Are they going to apply it to all industries in general?”

“No. It seems to be limited to the textile industry for now… Of course, they won’t target all classes at once. First children, then women, and finally all adult men. Once the first button is fastened, it will inevitably proceed in this order.”

So, the time had come for a bill to regulate the working hours of children, which was why they were making such a fuss.

Well, I had expected it to be around this time, given the circumstances.

After doing some research, there were virtually no laws in England that guaranteed the working hours of laborers.

There were a few bills, but they didn’t have a system to enforce them, so they were virtually ineffective.

It was known that laborers working in mines or factories worked an average of 80 to 90 hours a week.

Even machines break down if they are run for too long, and people are no different.

Naturally, discontent would accumulate, and this would explode the moment it crossed a critical point.

“James, do you know anything about the textile factories that the committee is investigating? How many hours a week do children work?”

“No, I don’t know the details. But these days, children do similar work to adults, so wouldn’t it be around 80 hours?”

“I see. 80…”

Indeed, the romantic 19th century.

Exploiting children, not even adults, for 80 hours a week in factories was a textbook example of labor exploitation and child abuse.

Looking at it this way, it’s no wonder that communists emerged in 19th-century Europe.

It’s hard not to think, ‘I can’t stand it anymore, let’s just kill them all and divide everything equally.’

“But if James is right, when this is reported, there will naturally be a public outcry for regulation, right? It’s a bit much to make children, who are not yet physically mature, work 80 hours a week, isn’t it?”

“It used to be like that, but these days, children can handle simple machines. Business owners who run factories will absolutely oppose it.”

“Is that the Tory party’s official position now?”

“No. There are a few who agree. But the majority have already decided to oppose this bill.”

“Because capitalists will oppose it?”

“Not only that, but they also believe that government intervention in the labor market could have more severe side effects in the long run. If government intervention throws factories into chaos, industrial development will be hampered, and the current economic growth could be stalled. If left alone, the market will reach equilibrium in the optimal state anyway.”

It was a logic that perfectly represented the conservative class of this era.

If Adam Smith saw his invisible hand theory, which was completely different from his original intention, being rationalized in this way, he would jump out of his grave, but this was the reality now.

It wasn’t that they were particularly evil or stupid to make such claims.

The fact that working people to death would actually have a negative impact on the economy was an area that could only be objectively verified in modern times.

Productivity, long-term medical costs, human capital development, and social stability were all complexly linked, but there were limitations to analyzing these factors in this era.

It was also absurd to expect individual capitalists to consider the impact on the entire economy.

However, for me, who roughly knew what the future held, this was as good as it gets.

I needed a way to increase my influence within the declining Tory party and appeal to the public, and the opportunity had rolled in on its own?

This was a good opportunity for Wellesley and Disraeli to establish themselves in the Tory party.

“Wellesley, you trust me, right?”

“Of course, I trust you completely. If I were to pick the three people I trust most in this world, you would definitely be one of them.”

“Then trust me and follow me this time as well.”

“Oh, it seems like you have a plan again. I’m looking forward to hearing what you’re thinking.”

I pointed in the opposite direction of Wellesley’s expectations, who was hoping for a clever plan to defuse the investigation committee.

“Please give a speech in Parliament on why the Factory Act should be passed. I’ll recruit colleagues to support you.”

“Great! I’ll show those Whig bastards… Huh? What? A supporting speech?”

You don’t resist the flow, you ride it.