 Since the House of Commons regularly rejected direct challenges to the system of representation by large majorities , supporters of reform had to content themselves with more modest measures . The Whig Lord John Russell brought forward one such measure in 1820 , proposing the disfranchisement of the notoriously corrupt borough of Grampound in Cornwall . He suggested that the borough 's two seats be transferred to the city of Leeds . Tories in the House of Lords agreed to the disfranchisement of the borough , but refused to accept the precedent of directly transferring its seats to an industrial city . Instead , they modified the proposal so that two further seats were given to Yorkshire , the county in which Leeds is situated . In this form , the bill passed both houses and became law . In 1828 , Lord John Russell suggested that Parliament repeat the idea by abolishing the corrupt boroughs of Penryn and East Retford , and by transferring their seats to Manchester and Birmingham . This time , however , the House of Lords rejected his proposals . In 1830 , Russell proposed another , similar scheme : the enfranchisement of Leeds , Manchester , and Birmingham , and the disfranchisement of the next three boroughs found guilty of corruption ; again , the proposal was rejected . 
