Transcript Gladstone and Ireland

Gladstone and Ireland
Why was he converted to Home
Rule ?
Evidence that Parnell was the
reason for Gladstone`s conversion
• He was determined to make the Parliamentary
Party a force in Westminster.
• He secured the backing of the Catholic Church.
• He imposed discipline.
• He manipulated his position by courting Libs &
Conservatives.
• He held the balance of power in the 1885
election.
Evidence that Gladstone changed
his mind without Parnell
• 1885 Summer he became convinced
Home Rule was necessary.
• On moral grounds he could not oppose
what the majority of Irish wanted.
• He believed it was his destiny to bring
Home Rule to Ireland.
• He believed in nationality – all peoples had
a right to freedom & independence.
Gladstone
• He was amazed at the scale of the
election victory
• He realised he had failed to bring justice to
Ireland
• He began to believe the Union was a
mistake.
• Thought revolution was inevitable.
Was it High Politics ?
• Gladstone would get Irish support
• He would survive as leader of the Libs.
• He could leave Hartington & Chamberlain
stranded
• He could bring in a bolder vision – he was
“ an old man in a hurry”.
Was it opportunism ?
• Gladstone would give in to Home Rule in
order to gain 86 votes & re-unite the party.
• It would mean he could destroy the
ambitions of Chamberlain.
What did the Home Rule Bill say ?
• It was not a bill for independence !
• A parliament was to be set up in Dublin to
have considerable powers; but defence,
foreign affairs, customs and excise & trade
were all left to Westminster. Ireland would
have no representation in Westminster.
• Ireland was expected to contribute one
fifteenth to the Imperial Treasury.
• Home Rule was accompanied by a Land
Purchase Bill so tenants could buy out landlords
on generous terms (with loans from the
treasury); the total cost of this was £50 million!
This would prove irresistible to landowners;
Gladstone wanted to neutralise the landowning
class.
• Gladstone wanted to give the new legislature a
fresh start without the problems of land to deal
with. This part of the Bill was later abandoned.
Why did the Home Rule Bill fail ?
• Money – one fifteenth of the exchequer !
• Chamberlain & Hartington led the rebels.
• Fear that the Irish would see Home Rule
as a stage towards independence.
• Fear that Protestant Ulster would rebel &
not accept rule by Dublin. Would Home
Rule mean Rome Rule ?
• Whigs were fearful of a Catholic Ireland.
• Imperialism was important; Chamberlain
believed the Empire was at risk if Britain
gave in to the Irish.
• Separation might mean the Irish would ally
with a power on the continent.
Chamberlain (Radicals)
• He was convinced Home Rule would lose
votes.
• He knew it would spoil his plans for
Domestic Reforms.
• He wanted to be apart from the crisis.
• He wanted to be leader.
Hartington (Whigs)
• He wanted to be leader
• He wanted coercion first & concession
second.
• He believed Catholics did not deserve
Home Rule.
• He expected Home Rule to be rejected.
The Voting
• Class tensions came to the surface; Whigs
moved towards the Conservatives.
• But – the Whigs did not split along left/right
lines. Many moderates stayed with
Gladstone & 30 Radicals sided with the
Conservatives & the Whigs.
• Chamberlain & Hartington were fed up
with Gladstone`s leadership.
• The Bill was voted out; 93 Libs against it.