Parnell, Gladstone and the First Home Rule Bill.

1. Parnell, Gladstone and the First Home Rule Bill.

2. Parnell • Irish nationalist who led the fight for Irish home rule in 1880s • Born 27th June 1826 in Wicklow into family of anglo-protestant landowners • Elected into parliament 1875 – member of the home rule league • 1879 – elected president of national land league • 1880 – Parnell supported Gladstone's liberal government and their land act - 1881 land act fell short of expectations and Parnell joined the opposition • What he did • 1880 – travelled to America to gain funding and support for the land reform • 1880 – Parnell supported Gladstone's liberal government and their land act - 1881 land act fell short of expectations and Parnell joined the opposition • Encouraged boycotting, therefore he was sent to kilmainham prison. - from the prison he called upon the peasants to stop paying rent - 1882 Parnell negotiated a peace treaty with Gladstone 'the kilmainham treaty' - this treaty urged his followers to avoid violence, however, later in the year two senior British officials were murdered in phoenix park in Dublin by members of an Irish terrorist group, these murders were condemned by Parnell. • 1886 – Parnell joined liberals to defeat Lord Salisbury's conservative government.

3. Gladstone and the First Home Rule Bill • The key aspects of the Bill • Ireland would have its own parliament • No Irish M.Ps would sit in the Westminster parliament • Irish parliament would control all internal affairs but trade, foreign affairs and defence would be under British control Who was it for • The hole of Ireland due to Gladstone feeling it would reduce the violence in Ireland but also for Britain because their was a chance that it would spread to England • Leading officials who thought that it would be the only why for Ireland to have consistent government Was the Bill successful • It was unsuccessful • Their was opposition in the House of Commons form the Conservatives • In June the Bill was defeated by 343 votes to 313, this means that 93 Liberals also voted against the Bill

4. Moral: Gladstone came to believe that Home Rule was the only solution to pacify Ireland and complete his 1868 ‘mission’. over the summer of 1885 Gladstone came to the conclusion that the Union had been unjust to the Irish. Opportunistic: Gladstone thought that the issue of Ireland would re-unite an obviously fragmenting Liberal party. Chamberlain had become a radical leader, with the publication of a Radical Programme and general speeches in an ‘unauthorised programme’. The liberals were a split party, and Gladstone needed to reassert his authority. Gaining Parnell’s support would give Gladstone a huge majority even if Hartington and Chamberlain became opponents. In fact, this may benefit Gladstone as clear leader of the Liberals. Consequently, he made an error of judgement over Irish Home Rule. Chamberlain and the Whigs gathered enough support to beat Gladstone. Subsequently, at the election in June 1886, the electorate voted in the Conservative Unionists. Why did Gladstone convert to home Rule?

5. The Fall of Parnell • December 1889, William O'shea, one of Parnell's most loyal supporters, filed for divorce from his wife Katherine on grounds of her adultery with Parnell. • Katherine had been Parnell's mistress for many years and he was father to her three children. • The Roman Catholic church turned against him and 44 of the Nationalist Mps deserted him. • The scandal provoked a split in the party and Parnell was replaced as leader. • He was politically sidelined and died in Brighton on 6 october 1891.

6. http://historyatwoodlands.wikispaces.com www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic.../parnell_charles.shtml http:/www.historylearningsite.co.uk/charles_stewart_parell.html Further Reading