Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell and Isaac Butt had similar motives for their support of Irish Home Rule. Parnell like Butt, seemed an unlikely candidate for leading the Home Rule Campaign. He was a Conservative, Protestant landlord, but he pushed for Home Rule as a way to secure the position of Protestant landlords as the governing class [1]. Unlike Butt, Parnell was much more radical in his support for Home Rule, and he embraced radical Fenianism which was characterized by violence and had led to several murders [2]. He rejected the 1881 Land Act because it did not address those tenants who had already been evicted from their farms, and he did not want to admit to any legislation being satisfactory until Home Rule was achieved [3]. Parnell began to stir up dissension among the Irish tenants and called for more land reforms. In order to curb the violent uprisings and keep the peace in Ireland, Parliament enacted the Coercion Act of 1881, which suspended the writ of habeas corpus in Ireland. Under the Coercion Act, Parnell was imprisoned until 1882, when he finally agreed to support the Land Act of 1881 [4].
In 1885, Parnell acting as the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, persuaded the Irish MP's to use their votes in parliament to vote against Gladstone and the Liberal Party. The purpose of this was to manipulated the Conservative Tory Prime Minister Lord Salisbury to promote Home Rule in exchange for their political backing by securing him the government [5]. The practice of Irish Home Rule campaigners using their votes to coerce the English parties into acceding to Irish demands was a common practice in nineteenth century British politics [6]. By voting Tory, the Irish hoped to manipulate the Tory government to legislate for Home Rule. Under a Tory government, Home Rule would have a better chance of passing through the Tory dominated House of Lords. However, When it came out that Gladstone officially supported Home Rule, the Irish Parliamentary Party gave their votes to Gladstone, and the Liberals secured the government [7].
In 1885, Parnell acting as the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, persuaded the Irish MP's to use their votes in parliament to vote against Gladstone and the Liberal Party. The purpose of this was to manipulated the Conservative Tory Prime Minister Lord Salisbury to promote Home Rule in exchange for their political backing by securing him the government [5]. The practice of Irish Home Rule campaigners using their votes to coerce the English parties into acceding to Irish demands was a common practice in nineteenth century British politics [6]. By voting Tory, the Irish hoped to manipulate the Tory government to legislate for Home Rule. Under a Tory government, Home Rule would have a better chance of passing through the Tory dominated House of Lords. However, When it came out that Gladstone officially supported Home Rule, the Irish Parliamentary Party gave their votes to Gladstone, and the Liberals secured the government [7].
[1] Thomas Bartlett, Ireland: A History, New York, New York: Cambridge University Press. 2010, 345.
[2] Ibid., 316-317
[3] Lawrence J. McCaffrey, The Irish Question: 1800-1922, Lexington, Kentucky: University of Kentucky Press. 1968,115.
[4] Peter Stansky, Gladstone, A Progress in Politics, Boston, Toronto: Little Brown & Company Limited. 1979,154.
[5] David W. Bebbington, William Ewart Gladstone: Faith & Politics in Victorian Britain, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1993, 210.
[6] Patrick O'Farrell, England and Ireland Since 1800, London, England: Oxford University Press, 1975, 91.
[7] Stansky 157.
*Image found in Wikimedia Commons via U.S. Library of Congress Public Domain.
[2] Ibid., 316-317
[3] Lawrence J. McCaffrey, The Irish Question: 1800-1922, Lexington, Kentucky: University of Kentucky Press. 1968,115.
[4] Peter Stansky, Gladstone, A Progress in Politics, Boston, Toronto: Little Brown & Company Limited. 1979,154.
[5] David W. Bebbington, William Ewart Gladstone: Faith & Politics in Victorian Britain, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1993, 210.
[6] Patrick O'Farrell, England and Ireland Since 1800, London, England: Oxford University Press, 1975, 91.
[7] Stansky 157.
*Image found in Wikimedia Commons via U.S. Library of Congress Public Domain.