The Great Charter of 1832. After decades of popular agitation for reform, Parliament finally bowed to pressure in 1832 and passed the Representation of the People Act, commonly known as the Great Reform Act. The Act granted a limited extension of the franchise, based largely on a broadening of the property qualification in the counties and the creation of a uniform franchise in the boroughs. It also redistributed electoral constituencies, increasing representation for the rapidly growing industrial towns, to begin to reflect the major population changes of the period. The Great Reform Act was presented as a new Magna Carta in popular prints and in other mass-produced items, including cordial bottles and figurines. Published soon after the Act was passed, this book, entitled The Great Charter of 1832, presents it as another Magna Carta. In the introduction, the anonymous author traces the history of constitutional reform, claiming that Magna Carta was a milestone in the advance towards fairer parliamentary representation.