3.3 Towards Emancipation, 1774-1830 Flashcards
1
Q
Penal Laws
1695
A
- no intermarriage with Protestants
- No Catholic allowed to vote
- No Catholic could hold public office of military rank
2
Q
Protestant Ascendancy
A
- Protestants at top
- greater legal rights
- 1704 laws, disallowed Catholics from buying/renting land for 31 years (became tenants)
- Anglo-Irish controlled both houses of parliament
- 1761 and 1773, Sir Hercules Langrishe and John Monck Mason = bill that allowed Catholics to rent land for 31+ years
DEFEATED
Luke Gardiner - Catholics take leases of 999 years
DEFEATED
3
Q
Oath of Allegiance
1774
A
- nationalist sentiment - stirred by Henry Flood and Earl of Charlemont
- GB gov, more sympathetic attitude
- ALLOWED Catholics to declare loyalty to the King
- Chance to break down anti-Catholic sentiment
- requirement for further Catholic reform
- after 1774, helped facilitate such reforms
4
Q
1st Catholic Relief Act
1778
A
- Treaty of USA War of Independence = more conciliatory attitude
- gov afraid Catholics might rally with France after war declared in 1778
- pledged support for MP Luke Gardiner’s relief, Catholic Relief Bill
= proposed allowing Catholics who had taken oath to bequeath land holdings to heirs and buy land - allowed Catholics to pass land to their heirs, didn’t reduce in size
- also encouraged positive feeling towards gov, hoped for support
5
Q
Catholic Relief
1782
A
- 2nd bill introduced by Gardiner, passed in March
- granted the right to buy land - not parliamentary boroughs
- removed restrictions against Catholic education and clergy
- motivated by GB security and to isolated Irish Volunteers
- Irish Volunteers by May 1782, had 60,000 men
6
Q
French Revolution and Catholic Relief
1792-93
A
- relief only offered when there was a larger threat
- anti-Catholicism remained high (i.e. 1780 Gordon Riots, London, 700 dead)
- 1793 - French King Louis XVI executed
- Catholics seeking additional reforms through Catholic Committee, 1791, had begun petition for additional Catholic rights
= a limited act granting Catholics rights to practice law - convention in Dublin, Dec 1792
- delegation selected to travel to London and speak with PM Pitt
- growth of society of United Irishmen raised prospect of Catholic/Protestant unity
- Pitt receptive to delegation, further reforms necessary
- Pressure for another relief act
= passed 1793
= Catholics could hold military/civil posts
= Catholics could bot in local/general elections
7
Q
Henry Grattan and Catholic Emancipation
1811-14
A
- HG = Protestant, sought to propose bill to win emancipation
- Irish Catholics weren’t organised, aristocrat political activists were conservative
- Grattan wanted to introduce bill than granted emancipation but with no gov veto on church appointments - the crown could
- introduced May 1808
- middle classes saw as a betrayal of the Church and national interests
- discontent of veto - Catholic priests rejected in September 1808
- rejected in House of Commons, 281 -128
8
Q
The Catholic Board
1811-14
A
- aristocratic leaders - like HG - marginalised by a more progressive groundswell amongst emerging Catholic middle class - embodied by the Catholic Board
- intended to co-ordinate the growing Catholic demand
- wide representative base
- Leader, Daniel O’Connell
- Catholic Board maintained its opposition to any qualification for emancipation on the grounds that is was affront to their rights and that no Protestant qualification existed
- June 1812, motion passed by 255-106 for further consideration
- new PM Lord Liverpool, question free for discussion without gov interference
- Feb 1813 - bill reintroduced
- bill = demise of O’Connell’s organisation in 1814 because of internal disputes
- like 1808 bill, veto on church appointments - upset the Catholic Board
- caused split within board, aristocratic members supported the veto and thought that O’Connell’s rejection was too aggressive
- development of internal discord undermined the harmony of the Catholic Board, depended on this for unity
- spilled into public domain - spoiling the organisation’s prestige = dissolution in June 1814
- further bill introduced by HG in 1819 - retained veto, defeated by 2 votes
- HG’s successor, William Plunket = introduced 2 further bills - emancipation and for retaining the veto
= both defeated in House of Lords
9
Q
The Catholic Association
1823
A
- followed Catholic Board, pressed for emancipation
- made up of wide social base, aimed to recruit as many as possible
- members asked to pay subscription = ‘Catholic Rent’, 1p per month
= sponsored activities
= 1sr year, £1,000 a week
= 960,000p per month - publication of pamphlets and funding public meetings
- attracted additional members
- GB concerned about threat to stability
- June 1825, Association banned
- 1826, new association established
- coincided with the general election - campaigned for sympathetic emancipation candidates
- Co, Roscommon, Loth, Longford and West Meath rejected existing candidates in favour of emancipation supporters
10
Q
The County Clare Elections
1828-29
A
- by election
- PM reshuffled cabinet - any candidate given gov position had to stand re-election
- June 1828 - sitting MP, William Veasy Fitzgerald, selected by board of trade, had to participate in by-election
- VF in strong position - MP for 10 years, resident landlord, sympathetic towards Catholic Emancipation
= joined gov that opposed further reforms = association keen to challenge him - Protestant Captain, William Nugent McNamara chosen to stand against him, BUT VF was a friend
- O’Connell announced candidacy on June 24th 1828
= but a Catholic couldn’t sit in parliament - oath of supremacy
= embarrassment to gov - Catholic association helps
- O’Connell won 2057 to 982 votes
- Small farmers supported O’Connell
11
Q
The Passage if the Roman Catholic Relief Act
1829
A
- emancipation at top of agenda for Tories
- PM Wellington, difficult to replace Lord Liverpool
- Tory Party vulnerable - Ireland was a considerable challenge
- Peel and Wellington aware to deny emancipation = unrest
- considering further emancipation born from self-interest
- gov needed to win over George IV to pass new legislation
- Wellington and Peel helped by Whig Party
- pushed bill through House of Lords, 1829
- Wellington threatened to resign - forced king to sign bill into law
- April 1828 - Roman Catholic Relief Act Passed
= Catholic MPs in Parliament
= Catholics could stand for public office - came at a price
= Protestants accepted more restrictive franchise, to pacify the most critical opposition by Sir Edward Knatchbull and Sir Richard Vyvyan = PASSAGE OF 2ND BILL
Parliamentary elections (Ireland) Act 1829 - increased the qualification for voting from the traditional 40-shilling freehold to a £10 owner
- reduced the amount of poorer Irish voters
= saw number of Irish votes fall - 215,901 to 39,872 - Act accepted by O’Connell, took seat July 1829 - figure of resentment amount poor Irish Catholics
- Act improvement - removed majority of penal laws - Catholics took control of their own futures
12
Q
Removing Trade restrictions
1778-82
PROBLEMS
A
- Irish economy had been subjected to GB for many years
- Navigation Act 1651
- Wool Act 1699
- Irish economy in poor state, reliant on GB support, not always forthcoming
13
Q
Removing Trade restrictions
1778-82
SITUATION AT END OF c18TH
A
- exacerbated by American War of Independence
- Ireland relied upon trade with America (e.g. beef/textiles)
- embargoes put out of place with America and France in 1764 - fell to nothing by 1780
- 40% drop in beef trade, 1722-80
14
Q
Removing Trade restrictions
1778-82
GROWING DEMANDS FOR REFORM
A
- led to many within the Irish Parliament demanding a reconsideration of existing economic agreement between GB/Ireland - because they always favoured GB
- 1779, began to consider only passing short money bill to force GB gov to consider requests
- this would mean that the Irish gov would not be able to meet all costs and need to borrow
15
Q
Removing Trade restrictions
1778-82
SUPPORT
A
- prominent figures = Grattan, Hussey, Burgh and Flood
- Protestant landowners and members of the Irish parliament formed the loose group: ‘patriot group’, demanding greater legislative independence
- drove debate for free trade, passed resolution in Dublin Parliament in Oct 1779 - to formally demand unlimited trade rights for GB
- also supported by Dublin wide boycott
- policed by Irish volunteers - published names of those breaking the boycott in local newspapers
- used intimidation
16
Q
Removing Trade restrictions
1778-82
METHODS
A
- 4th Nov 1779 - King gives non-committal response
- Irish Volunteers parade in military regalia with short money placards and canons marked ‘free trade or this!’
- persuasive - Irish vulnerable due to war
- immediately after, the Irish Parliament passed short money bill and Lord Liverpool had to accept and the Parliament needed money
17
Q
Removing Trade restrictions
1778-82
REPEAL OF TRADE RESTRICTIONS
A
- Lord North still slow to consider threat
- Dec 1779, introduced proposals to House of Commons to repeal all commercial restrictions
- Jan 1780, Ireland permitted to trade directly with other parts of the empire, if they set equal duties to the British
- March 1780, Irish allowed to import gold and silver from England
- end of 1780, Ireland effectively in same position as GB, except East India Company monopoly
18
Q
Removing Trade restrictions
1778-82
SIGNIFICANCE
A
- now encouraged campaign for greater legislatvive autonomy
- led by Grattan and patriot group in Irish Parl
- 19th April 1780, made formal declaration in the Irish Commons - backed by Catholics and Protestants and Irish Volunteers
- debate adjourned by 136-97
19
Q
Removing Trade restrictions
1778-82
CONSTITUTION OF 1782
A
- 1781 - all Ulster Volunteer’s convention in Duncannon, organised for Feb 1782
- attended by 250 delegates, represented 25,000 armed men in Northern Ireland
- discussed greater legislative autonomy led by Grattan and Flood
- raised again in Parliament - postponed 137 to 68
- New Lord Lieutenant was aware that the issue would not go way
- March 1782 - Lord North resigned, after loss in Yorktown USA
- replaced by Whigs - Marquess of Rockingham - anxious to prevent further issues in Ireland so willing to give concessions
- April 1782 - Poyning’s Law was adjusted, and the Declaratory Act repeals
- Ireland had legislative power over domestic affairs, limited due to existence of Lord Lieutenant
20
Q
Removing Trade restrictions
1778-82
MOTIVATIONS
A
- circumstances in France and USA
- skilfully exploited these circumstances - creation of Irish Volunteers
