3.2 British Reaction: from resistance to acceptance Flashcards
The Irish Parliament gains greater legislative powers
- late c18th, greatest threat to GB = American war (began 1776, to gain independence from GB rule)
- effectively fighting for the same principles the Irish harboured
- GB was well aware of further trouble in Ireland
- loss of USA = GB aware they couldn’t lose another colony
- new Whig gov saw anxiousness to soothe Irish opposition
= Constitution of 1782
Constituion of 1782`
- GB only had the power of veto
- Ireland was granted its own mutiny act - giving greater control to the armed forces over the country
- it was hopeful for dissfusal of growing demand for reform among Ireland
Catholic Relief Act
1793
- loss of USA = loss of GB confidence and pride, didn’t want to lose another colony
- French Rev, 1789 - Ireland sought greater powers
- growth of United Irishmen and the efforts of the Catholic Commmittee is seeking to redress the Penal Laws - raised the issuress of reform afain, GB gov willing to conciliate
- Catholic Committee sent a delagatgion to Lonfon in 1793, speak directly to PM William Pitt the Younger - about reform the anti-Catholic Penal Laws
- Catholic Committee’s requests had been opposed by the Lord Chancellor of Ireand - felt than any changes to the Protestant Ascendency would = GB’s re;ationsuip with Ireland being severed
- Pitt and his administration content to calm Irish sentiment
= encouraged the Irish Parliament to pass the Relief Act in 1793, removing the majority of barriers to Catholics except the right to hold public office
= motivation = inspired by the impending war with the new French republic, and this wish to call upon Irish troops to support this campaign, and to avoid Irish Catholics making allainces with France - GB policy towards Ireland was largely dictated by external circumstances rather than popular sympathy
The Act of Union
1801
- United Irishmen = uprising in 1798, devastating outcome
ACT OF UNION - Irish Parliament was removed
- GB parliament took control of Irish affairs
- Irish representatives were permitted 100 seats in this legislative body
- response to demands?
- GB politicians reacting to a direct threat?
- Cornwallis negotiation peace with France = Treaty of Amiens in 1802
- Empire = fundamental to GB identity
- GB determined to maintain a strong Anglo-Irish relationship
- William Pitt, willing to amend the Oath of Supremacy
- George III onjected
- Pitt resigned from office in March 1801
The Maynooth Grant
1845
- PM Robert Peel sought to improve relationship with Ireland following downfall of Repeal Movement
- concession designed to calm Irish spirts - supposed to rehabiliatate Anglo-Irish relations
- increase of gov spending in Catholic Seminary
- something GB had to pay for following Act of Union
- increased fro £8,000 to £26,000, plus an extra £30,000 to pay for repairs
- Peel hoped it would be a goodwill gesture towards Ireland
- Also hoped to detach moderate Catholics from the repeal association
- actually = ill-feeling amongst GB Protestant communities
- about securing a better reputation with the moderate Irish classes
The Irish Coercion Act
1881
- since Act of Union = greater awareness amongst
• Britain became more responsible for the problems that developed there – after the Union
• Irish People raised resistance to a long rooted problem of landownership and rents
• Seeking to address this problem the British Government showed awareness of Irish needs but with determination to maintain full order over them
1879 Protests
- Protests began in County Mayo and quickly spread to the north in Ulster by 1880
- Discontent was the result of economic stress coupled with general feeling of resentment from Catholic farmers to land owners
- Between 1879and 1882 this was known as the land war – this was co-ordinated by the land league – an organisation created to direct mass movement
- Given the extent of the Land war the 1880 general election was fought in Ireland over the land issue
- The IPP won 63 out of 100 seats – giving them and influential voice in the new British parliament
- The victory Parnell and his party achieved encouraged Gladstone’s government to consider the land question
Gladtone’s solution to the 1879 protests
- Designed to reduce immediate dangers in Ireland
- He felt it was right to address the question of inequality in Ireland
- The growing parliamentary influence of the IPP could have also resulted in this softer approach
- The land league was using ostracism (blocking, or boycotting) to ignore rent collections
The Protection of Person and Property Act 1881 (Coercion Act)
- Allowed authorities in Ireland to arrest and detain without the need for evidence or trial
- Leader of the land league – Michael Davitt was charged
- Introduction to this legislation not entirely new – in 1881 it was introduced reluctantly
- It was driven to being passed because of Irish action
- Also the failure to pass the disturbance bill- This was a temporary measure introduced to reduce the suffering in Ireland but rejected because of its potential impact for landlords
The Coercion Act can be seen as a reluctant last resort rather than a first response
– A shift which marked a more sympathetic attitude from Britain towards problems in Ireland
William Gladstone
- Prime Minister from 1868-1894 (4 different chunks)
- 1868-1874
- 1880-1885
- Feb 1886- July 1886
- 1892-1894
- Part of the Liberal Party (used to be called Whigs)
- Changes party, was original part of the conservative party – served under Roberts peel
- Keen on free trade
- Likes Laisifare faire techniques (policy of leaving things to establish their own course)
Gladstone’s concersion to home ruke
1885
- After 1885 he adopted the cause of the home rule bill – this remained his primary focus for the duration of his political life
- Since 1868 Gladstone was determined to improve the relationship between Britain and Ireland – something that would happen if the home rule bill was passed
- His belief was further cemented after election success of the IPP
- Engrained Gladstone’s beliefs that this is what the nation wanted (86 out of 103 seats to the IPP)
- People began the accept that reform in Ireland was necessary as they had as much power over British affairs as they did with Irish affairs
The 1st and 2nd Home Rule Bills
1886- first attempt at legislation offered a devolved Irish parliament which would recognise Ireland’s claim to nationhood
• Also renounces Britain’s right to legislate for Irish affairs (exception of defence, trade, coinage and foreign treaties)
• Daily business would be conducted be Lord Lieutenant who would be the monarchs representative
• Basically a return to the arrangement that existed before 1801
• The IPP agreed to the proposal, although wanting more they thought it was a good starting point
• The conservative party saw the bill as a betrayal of the empire
• This saw much opposition from all conservatives and some liberals
• The bill was defeated by 30 votes
1893- Second bill introduced
• Differed only by allowing MP’s to continue to vote in Westminster parliament on issues of Irish Taxation
• Passed in the house of commons
• Defeated by overwhelming majority in the house of lords (419 votes to 41)
• At 84, Gladstone did not have the strength for a third attempt
Home Rule Bill of 1914
- Defeat of the second home rule bill saw it fade from political limelight
- Conservatives achieved office in 1895 and other problems took hold (Parnell’s affair)
- Because of this, political; affairs of Ireland were left
- Not until 1906 when a new Liberal government formed, prospects of further discussion were considered
- Opportunity for home rule emerged after the re-election of the liberal party in 1910
- Although support was there, it needed the support from John Redmond and his reunited Irish Parliamentary Party
- Holding the balance of power, this gave Redmond the advantage for achieving home rule
- The Liberal prime minister – Herbert Asquith was prepared to consider home rule
Third Bill - Asquith
- Introduced in the house of commons 11 April 1912
- Opposition from conservatives was overcome in the commons with support of the IPP
- Conservative unionists in Ulster adapted a more aggressive stance and threatened violence
- Prime minister able to secure Redmond’s agreement that the northern opponents to home rule should be excluded from legislation in attempt to reduce their threats - although this would split Ireland
- Redmond took this reasoning that it would take one step at a time
- The bill passed the House of commons wit 10 votes
- Defeated by house of lords – where conservatives remained majority
- Bill Failed by 326 votes to 69
- Being proposed in 1911 the house of lords only had the power to reject delay legislation for 2 years and the bill would then come into effect after this time
The Irish Free State Constitution Act, 1922
• Home rule was a central part of the Liberal policy and became a political necessity to ensure power as the IPP held the balance of power
• The passage of home rule bill in 1914 was not the end of all Irish problems
• The suspensory act passed immediately after the home rule passage generated significant ill feeling amongst Irish Nationalists
• This was proof to the Irish people that Britain was never going to grant Ireland greater powers
• After 1914 they began prepping an uprising (Easter rising 1916)
• The harsh reaction of Britain – something that was not necessary given war time pressure just allowed the nationalist to stir up public feeling against Britain
• Resulted in Bitter conflict developed after 1919 until 1921 which ended with the Anglo-Irish Treaty
What the Treaty consisted of
• Basis of official Irish Free State Constitution act
• Reasonable compromise that was expected to bring an end to conflict
• Granted on 5th December 1922
• Ireland would legislate for itself, but as a nation with in the British Empire
• Ireland would have fiscal autonomy (money)
• The Country would share the British Monarch and swear an oath of allegiance
• Northern Ireland could chose to secede and return to Britain if it wanted to
• Short of what they republican nationalists demanded – not a complete break
• Would split Ireland in two as unionists in the north would vote to return to Britain
• The Act was a sense of recognition hat Ireland must have greater autonomy
• What emerged after 1922 was a structured separation that eased both sides into new roles
Early agitation and rebellion in Ireland
- Ireland was susceptible to global influences
- This allowed British to manifest their decision based on what they were scared Ireland would do
- The most significant were the two revolutions – America 1775 and then France in 1782
- These events were fundamental in Britains changing attitudes to Ireland
- These events encourages a greater demand for legislative powers among Ireland
- The loss of American colonies after the revolution in 1783 highlighted to Ireland what could be done if the nation acted
- The aftermath saw the British government being replaced by a Whig government
- They were anxious to conciliate Irish nationalist opinion
- After the emergence of the Irish volunteers demand for greater legislative powers
- The acceptance of not wanting to lose anymore colonies is what created the idea of a more open policy that saw legislative reform offered to Ireland
- This was seen by the constitution of 1782
- And the catholic relief act of 1793 – after the war with the French
- These reforms were intended to placate Irish calls for political change
1801-68
- By earlier reforms hoping to calm Irish nationalistic interest
- Actually raised Irish expectations
- Even more significant following the act of union in 1801
- This gave Irish political figures a spear head for change
- It presented the potential opportunity for Irish MP’s to hold the balance of power
- After the union Irish affairs became widely known
- More people began to become more sympathetic towards Catholics
- When O’Connell’s catholic association came about in 1823 it exposed many anti-Catholic opinions in Britain
- The question of emancipation dived the tory party but it was able to become law because of the Catholic Associations agitation
- Though unable to sit in parliament /Catholics could vote in the 1826 general election
- Which saw four counties replace their supporters for Catholics
- When O’Connell began to push for repeal od the union with Britain they remained opposed to this idea
- As they believed it would began the dismemberment of its empire
- The British Parliament stood firm and banned one of its meeting in Clontarf in October 1843
- The repeals movement highlighted the line where the British would not cross
Growing sympathy for Ireland and Unionism, 1868-1922
- The emergence of home rule became a political issue
- British politicians were mindful of stirring discontent that might result in rebellion
- This discontent had been showed in the 1848 Young Ireland uprising and in the 1867 Fenian rising
- Following this came a more thoughtful response in trying to improve relationships with Ireland
- This was initiated by Gladstone
- Conciliation came to the for front of British thinking
- However conservatives/ unionists began becoming increasingly of the risings of the IPP and the IRB
- Especially after 1885 when the IPP won 85 seats at the expense of the liberals
- Issue of home rule became divisive
- Liberals who accepted the policy and needed the political support for the IPP
- Conservative and hard- line liberals sought to retain Ireland
- A conservative party formed of the opposition to home rule
- This complemented the unionist party In ulster
William Pitt the Younger, 1793-1802
• Introduced the idea of a closer union with GB
• Considered CE
• After Constitution of 1782, he promoted further reforms
• Sent a message to I nationalists change could be brought about if they were determined
• Intention in Ireland was to prevent further losses to the empire after USA defeat
• The IV and the threat they caused amplified due to GB establishment being vulnerable because of the loss
• Pitt’s actions are better understood as damage limitation
• Following the reforms, any Irish nationalists were significantly happier with GB control – and he had arguably strengthened Britain’s connections with Ireland
THE CATHOLIC RELIEF ACT, 1793
• Pitt tried to readdress Irish difficulties
• Reducing controversial discrimination towards IC
• Won much support from Protestant Irish nationalists from reforms in the 1780s (constitution act)
• Looked to improve Catholic experiences
• Pitt reasoned that to deny IC greater rights might motivate them to support the new French republic – a country GB was soon to be at war with
• Act granted rights that had previously been denied – right to vote, right to hold civil and military positions
ACT OF UNION
• Showed the extent of Pitt’s desire to maintain Ireland with the empire
• Following the UI uprising in 1798
• In the 1780’s, tried to improve economic relations – but rejected by Tories who proffered to keep British economic dominance
• Solution – union between GB and Ireland
• Pitt believed problems in Ireland could be overcome if they were given the opportunity to improve themselves
• A closer relationship would encourage investment from GB capitalists – hopefully raise the living standards in Ireland
• Pitt felt it would then be possible to address the issue of Catholic emancipation
• Resigned in Feb 1801 – after King George III refused to include catholic emancipation
William Gladstone, 1868-1894
• Sympathetic supporter for Irish affairs
THE IRISH CHURCH ACT, 1869
• Protestants made up less than 1/8 of the population
• Problem with church – required both Protestant and catholic Irish men/women to pay a tithe for the church’s upkeep
• Resented by Catholics whose own church was ignored
• Gov policies had often been discriminated the C ever since the P first settled there
• To address the religious issue, Gladstone disestablished the church and gave it the same standing as the C church, so no preference existed
• Therefore, he thought he might see an easier relationship between GB and I
• Irish church act became the law on 26th July 1869 despite opposition from conservative party and the queen
• It addresses the religious issue and given the establishment on the churches so no preference to a church existed
THE LAND ACT 1870
• Hoped to improve the system of landownership and also education – hoped these changes would promote a harmonious union with GB
• 1870 – sought up and attempt for land reform
• Land ownership was primarily the preserve of the Protestant community
• Majority of Catholics usually tenant farmers – 500,000 tenant farmers in the country
• Issues of renting and absentee landlordism (landlords renting out land they don’t live on) resulted in violence/riots
• By 1870 there were still predominantly more P landowners – they could evict tenants from land without much legal recourse
• Tenants received few rights or protections
1870 Gladstone introduced legal rights to tenants including:
• Compensation in the event of wrongful evocation
• Right to buy the land they worked on using gov loans
• States rents should not be ‘excessive’ to reduce rack-renting —— landlords making a large profit to pay off loans
• Written to hopeful increase economic productivity
Land act was the first occasion that demonstrated a GB govs commitment to the rights of the tenants rather than landowners
• Marks the important shift in attitude amongst GB politicians to the question of land ownership in Ireland
UNIVERSITIES BILL, 1873
• Designed to reform the state of higher education in Ireland
• He felt as before it was morally right to resolve the on-going discord that existed
• Dublin Unit -Trinity Collage – founded in 1592 was originally P but started allowing C in after the relief act of 1793
• Still retained strong P ethos
• C education was undertaken at the catholic uni
• The bill G proposed was to abolish all collages and to unite them in an expanded Dublin Uni
• Designed to try and reduce religious divisions
• G hoped to promote a better religious relationship with Ireland and try to reduce discontent with in the party
• Churches openly criticised bill
• Introduced in Parl in 1873 and failed to pass by 3 votes
• Was not particularly seen as a failure due to the earlier success with the land and church act
• With successes of his earlier reforms – he was seen as determined to secure a better deal for Ireland
• Creating a more positive relationship between GB and Ireland
GLADSTONE AND HOME RULE
• Greatest legacy left was the Liberals support to Home Rule
• G fought for the home rule bills passing following the failure of the 1st in both 1886 and 1893
• Although the 2nd bill also failed, the policy had become a feature of the liberal party
Herbert Asquith
- Great significance to GB’s growing acceptance of I nationalist demands
- Introduced legislation but also re-introduced arms into Irish politics
ACCEPTING HOME RULE AND INTRODUCING A BILL
• Became PM in 1908
• As an individual acquit, wan not an immediate supporter of home rule
• Out of political necessity, he was obliged to present the home rule for Ireland
• Similar basis to previous bills in 1886 and 1893
• The action itself provided evidence the I politicians had been able to win through parliamentary methods
• Showed the shifting of attitude amongst British politicians
• Acknowledging the fact that Irish demands could not be ignored
• HofL could only delay the bill due to 1911 parliamentary act
• Most likely going to be passed in the HofC due to the IPP holding the balance of power
ASQUITH AND THE UNIONISTS
• A was aware of the IPP and its demands
• He didn’t completely understand the feeling towards the issue by the unionists in Ulster
• His initial bill didn’t address this feature – offering only a single parliament for Ireland
• Ignoring the anti-home rule sentiment in the north, A failed to realise the bill could provoke further political unrest
• The introduction of the bill was met with significant protest in Ulster – 1913, organised a parliamentary group called the Ulster Volunteer Force —- an attempt to reinforce their political power by trying to intimidate the GB gov
• Protesting C rule
• Gave the unionists the position of strength —- if A had been more sympathetic towards their demands, the first time the unionists wouldn’t have been so commanding
• In this sense, A introduced legislation but also allowed for the reintroduction of arms in Ireland
HOME RULE CRISIS, 1912-1914
• Both unionists – supported by the conservatives and more radical nationalists created paramilitary groups
• A found himself in a position of trying to mediate between both groups because he had not considered the both sides
• A thought upon the idea of granting the north a ‘get-out clause’ – a devolved power of the to the north that would be separate them from the rest of Ireland – but the IPP being in the strong position it was would not consider this
• Resulted in an increased number of tensions between 1912-14
• The PM – needing support from the Irish party – stood against the unionists
• January 1913 – Edward Carson (leader of the Unionists) proposed that a 9-county Ulster be able to remain part of GB
• This was refused by A
• After a defeat in the HofL in 1913, the bill was due to become law in 1914 (after the years delay the lords could put on it)
• By 1914, a parliamentary unionist group had been created – its smuggled weapons from Germany to the Northern port of Larne in hoping o defend it right to remain part of GB
• As a countermeasure, the radical I nationalists also brought in 25,000 rifles through the port of Howth and cw seemed possible
• To prevent conflict, A and George V arranged a conference between GB gov, Unionists and Irish nationalists to be held in Buck Palace
• The conference lasted 3 days and achieved nothing
• I Party were not prepared to compromise on the issue of division
• This again threatened civil war in the country
When war broke out in 1914 – the home rule crisis became overshadowed
The home rule bill was made law on Sept 18th, 1914 – postponed due to suspensory act
• The act stated that home rule would not be enacted until the end of war with Germany
• A was so dependent on the I party that it left him in a weak position with regards to the unionists so he couldn’t effectively deal with the situation
David Lloyd George
• Coalition of liberals and conservatives – due to wartime
• Already acquainted with Irish affairs before taking office
• Had been asked to resolve the difference between the Unionists and the IPP following the Easter Rising
• After being re-elected in 1918, more support was going out to the separatist nationalist party – Sinn Fein – General election 1918, Sinn Finn won 73/103 seats, undermining the IPP
THE GOV OF IRELAND ACT
• Oct 1919, set up his committee to resolve the I problem,
• Chairmanship of Walter Long
• Long was a Unionist and did not want Home Rule
• The committee formed recommendations that were out to parliament in Dec 1919 – the recommendations included;
• The creation of a 6 country N. Ireland which would have its own gov including a separate parliament
• Also, the creation of a 26-country south that would have a separate gov and parliament
• Proposals formally introduced I n Feb 1920 – became law by the end of the year
• The partition of the country was believed to be a temporary measure – would be reunited again when political tensions relaxed
• Compromise reflated Lloyd George’s realistic view of Irish politics
• Sought to sooth both Unionist fears and the domination of a C Parl within Dublin
LG AND THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE/ANGLO-IRISH WAR
• Following the rising of Sinn Fein and its electoral win in 1918, its members abstained from attending the GB Parl
• They established their own Republic of Ireland in Jan 1919 – Dail Eireann
• This was a complexly independent state – wet beyond the concept of home rule
• Resulted in the outbreak of war between GB and Ireland
• War primarily fought using guerrilla tactics and the IRA targeted members of the police force
• By the end of 1919 – 18 policemen had been killed
• In response, GB passed the Order in Ireland Act in 1920 – replacing trial by jury with court martial
• Intending to speed up conviction rate of suspected IRA members
• Also recruited ex-soldiers that were skilled at using aggressive tactics such as interrogation such and seizure – nicknamed the Black and Tans
• As the start, LG was supported in trying to restore order in Ireland
• By 1921 – public opinion began to change due to the atrocities committed by the Black and Tans (Bloody Sunday)
• LG became aware that a new approach was needed – invited the I nationalist’s leader, Eamon de Valera to peace talks in London
• Lead to the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty
• An initial meeting between LG and the Irish Nationalists failed in July 1921 because of the differences of the two parties
• LG only wanted dominion statues
• De Valera insisted on an independent Irish republic
• By autumn, de Valera was willing to talk once more
• The conference was hard for both sides as LG wold only consider giving Ireland dominion status – which would keep I as part of the GB Empire and Monarch
• De Valera’s plenipotentiaries – a negation shared his views that I should be independent or within the GB Empire with republican status
• Gradually LG was able to wear down the I negotiators and they adopted the idea of an Irish Free State within the Empire
After granting further financial powers to the proposed new Irish parliament, a treaty was signed on 6th Dec 1921
THE FINAL TERMS OF THE TREATY INCLUDED:
• Ireland was given the dominion status – complete domestic independence with limited foreign policy powers
• The GB monarch would be head of State
• An oath of loyalty would be required
• A boundary commission would be appointed to reconsider the borders of N. Ireland
• The deal was a victory for the GB – they were able to retain I within its empire and with the King as head of state
o The I saw this as a step closer to the united republic they desired
o They anticipated that the issue of Ulster would be resolved by the boundary commission in which they hoped would make the northern gov so small it would be unworkable
o Therefore, allowing it to be absorbed into a united state
o Michael Collins and Arthur Griffiths thought this was a good deal – they knew the IRA could not sustain war for much longer with their amount of ammunition
Not well received in Ireland – Irish nationalists split over the treaty and the country descended into civil war
