ABSTRACT
The Birmingham Radicals who regarded the minority clause of the Reform Bill of 1867 as antidemocratic, were very anxious to nullify its effect. Their idea was, that this might perhaps be accomplished by means of an electoral scheme adopted beforehand, but that formidable organization would be necessary for the purpose. In the execution of this work Mr. Joseph Chamberlain and his friends were supported in the Council by a compact and devoted majority. The authors of the Birmingham system claimed for it the power of making the Liberal party victorious and put it forward as an engine of war against the Conservatives. This was enough to make the latter look upon it with very unfavourable eyes. Lord Beaconsfield in a sarcastic attack on his opponents flung the American nickname of "Caucus" at the new organization, a word which had long been associated in the history of American parties with the intrigues and devices of unscrupulous electoral wire-pullers and with political corruption.
