1885-1886 Elections

The 1885/1886 elections proved to be a major landmark in Irish politics. In this essay I plan to determine their impact on the future of Irish Home rule. The most critical change leading up to the elections was the national Leagues introduction in 1882. It’s aims were “Home Rule”, Land purchase, the reform of local governments, and wider franchise. The formation was helped by Timothy Healy. It was a political party, as opposed to the Land League that was given greater chance to achieve its aims in changing Irish politics by Gladstone’s 1884 reform act which gave 500,000 votes directly to Parnell.
   
    Key to Parnell’s success was the emergence of a strong national “Home Rule” movement. This was enabled by Parnell’s leadership of the Land League up to 1881, this gave him the support of the farmers. As a result of Parnell spending most of his time in England, he left the running of the National League in the hands of his lieutenants. Timothy Harrington, secretary of the League, William O’Brien, the editor of Parnell’s newspaper United Ireland and Timothy Healy. Between 1882 and 1885 these men built a powerful, tightly disciplined political party. Another attributing factor creating a strong national movement was the Catholic priests joining local branches. Since most nationalists were Catholics, the introduction of the clergy persuaded many to join the movement. Most importantly a major turning point in the Home Rule Party and Irish politics was Gladstone’s 1884 Reform Act which enabled 500,000 people vote for the Home Rule party, giving the party approximately 20 more Mps than those in 1880.

    A change in Irish Politics occurred when Parnell’s relationship with the Liberals worsened. Parnell had tried to win Home Rule through “independent opposition”, however Parnell’s support for the Liberals fell in 1884 due to the 1881 Coercion Act. The liberals were divided over this time into right and left wing. The coercion act was never dropped and so Home Rule support drifted towards the conservatives. Conservatives shared common links on education and land, whereas Liberals differed. Due to the changes in Home Rule support, the Liberals were defeated in 1885 by the combined votes of Conservatives and Home Rulers. Salisbury formed a minority government and to keep Parnell and the Home Rulers happy, didn’t renew the Coercion Act, and appointed Lord Carnarvon, a conservative well known for his support for Home Rule. Also Lord Ashbourne brought in the first Land Purchase Act.

    These concessions were useful but Parnell was only interested in Home Rule, he needed the British Parties to agree, in order to change Irish Politics. Both Liberal and conservatives needed his votes in the commons. Parnell could also bargain for the votes of Irishmen living in Britain. Everyone believed, they would vote for the party he recommended. From June to November 1885, when the general election was due to be held, Parnell tried to get one of the British Parties to promise Home Rule.

    Parnell’s success in building a strong Home rule movement and rumours that the British parties were courting him, shocked Unionists in Ireland. Unionists fear grew for a number of reasons, they saw Catholic priests play a key role in the party branches. Home Rule was a fear that Catholic Bishops would tell Catholic Mps what to do. Would Irish Protestants lose their civil rights and religious liberty? They feared that an Irish parliament would destroy Ireland’s economy by interfering with trade between Britain and Ireland. Southern Unionists formed the Irish Loyal and Patriotic union. The revival of the Orange order occurred, it’s aim being to uphold the Protestant constitution of the United Kingdom with it’s Protestant monarch.

    21st November 1885, Parnell chooses the Conservatives. Carnarvon and Churchill may have influenced his decision but he must have also remembered that the conservatives controlled the House of Lords. In Ireland the 1885 election was a triumph for Parnell and the National League, winning 85 of the 103 Irish seats. It also won one seat in a part of Liverpool with a large Irish population. Despite the Irish vote, Liberals did well, winning 335 seats compared with 249 for the conservatives. The difference equalling 86, exactly the same number as Home Rule Mp’s, therefore he was no longer of any use to the conservatives. Gladstone on the other hand needed the Irish votes if he was to become Prime Minister again. Parnell backed the Liberals.

    Gladstone, as Prime Minister, brought in a Home Rule Bill, that was ready in April. It’s main provisions were that Ireland was to have it’s own elected parliament. This was to elect the Irish government. It would deal with all Irish affairs except the crown. Ireland would have no Irish Mp’s in Westminster, Ireland would have to pay 1/15th of the Imperial Budget. A majority of Liberal Mp’s accepted the Bill, while a minority of Liberal unionists rejected it. They united under Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain. On June 1886, the House of Commons finally voted on the bill. The split in Liberals resulted in the Bill being defeated 341, to 311. Gladstone called a general election in response with only Home Rule on the agenda.

    The significance of the 1886 election results were simple. Even though it was defeated by the British public it left its mark. It placed Home Rule firmly in the sight of British Politics. The concept of partition was introduced as Ireland was distinctly divided between north and south. Parnell lost his freedom to manoeuvre, the idea of “independent opposition” was dead. In it’s place was a “Liberal Alliance”. in Britain too, the 1886 election brought about change. For the next twenty years, up to 1906, conservatives were the dominant party, and as long as they were in power Home Rule was impossible.

    The results of the 1885/1886 elections for Irish politics were that it proved to be a major landmark. It polarised political factions, it showed the British people were not ready for self determination of Ireland, it showed a strong national movement in Ireland. It resulted in a more direct method of change. Despite not delivering Home Rule to Ireland, the 1885/1886 elections were a clear turning point in establishing Home Rule as a permanent election issue between Ireland and Britain, yet id did much to harm the future with the alienation of Ulster Unionists.