Parnell 3 - Land Act and Kilmainham Treaty

Parnell and the 1881 Land Act

On April 7, 1881, Gladstone introduced a significant land reform measure. The Land Law (Ireland) Bill addressed the concerns of tenants. Gladstone hoped that the reform would divide the Land League and weaken Parnell.

Granted tenants the 'Three Fs' – free sale, fixity of tenure, and fair rent – and formally legalised the Ulster Custom.
Recognized tenants' interest in the land. They would now be compensated for any improvements they made to their holdings and receive payment from incoming tenants. Provided for Land Courts to fix fair rents for 15 years.
Catholic Church leaders and larger tenant farmers widely welcomed the reform. This meant that the moderates in the Land League wanted to support the bill.
The 1881 Land Act presented Parnell with the greatest test of his leadership to date. The radicals within the Land League wanted to oppose the reform because it did not apply to those in arrears or leasehold tenants until their lease was up.
If Parnell accepted the reform, he could lose the support of the radicals, who had been vital in his rise to power. However, if he rejected the reform, he could lose the support of the moderates he needed for his future development of the Home Rule movement.
Parnell did nothing to threaten the bill's passage through parliament, but he publicly criticised its weaknesses, maintaining the support of both radicals and moderates.
However, his criticism of the reform led Gladstone to believe that Parnell was trying to undermine its success. Gladstone's patience was wearing thin. Speaking in the House of Commons in September 1881, he stated that:

"The time has come when the Government must firmly resist the obstruction offered by those who are resolved to reject this measure."

A few days later, at a meeting in Wexford, Parnell responded that Gladstone was "prepared to carry fire and sword into your homesteads."
He stated that the Union failed and that "Irishmen have established the right to govern Ireland by laws made by themselves on Irish soil."
To Gladstone, it seemed that Parnell was encouraging violence. Parnell, along with other Land League leaders, was arrested on October 13, 1881, and placed in Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin.

The arrest of Parnell ignited the most violent phase of the Land War. On October 18, Parnell gave in to radical demands and agreed to a 'No Rent Manifesto', which called on tenants to withhold their rent.
The Land League was banned. Parnell was relieved that he had been arrested in private, as it saved him from the difficult task of holding the Land League together. Shortly after his arrest, Parnell wrote the following in a letter to his partner, Katharine O'Shea:

"I am determined to use my influence to put an end to violence, but only if the Government deals with the grievances of the tenants."

On January 31, 1881, Parnell's sisters, Anna and Fanny, established the Ladies' Land League. They continued the work of the now-banned Land League.
As violence worsened, the government seemed to be losing control of law and order in Ireland. By the spring of 1882, both Parnell and Gladstone sought a compromise.
After weeks of secret talks in which Captain William O'Shea, Katharine's husband, acted as a messenger, an agreement was reached. Under the terms of the Kilmainham Treaty, Parnell was to be released on the condition that he used his influence to end all violence.
In return, the government promised to deal with the weaknesses of the 1881 Land Act by allowing leaseholders and tenants in arrears to take advantage of it.
Calling the Kilmainham agreement a treaty is misleading, as no documents were signed. Nonetheless, it ranks as a remarkable achievement in Parnell's career. The British government was forced to compromise with a political figure that it had jailed, indicating just how powerful Parnell had become.
The treaty laid the basis for further cooperation between Parnell and Gladstone. On May 2, 1882, Parnell and the other League leaders were released. Chief Secretary Forster resigned in protest. He was replaced by Lord Frederick Cavendish, the husband of Gladstone's niece.

The 1881 Land Act and the Kilmainham Treaty of 1882 were pivotal in Irish history, significantly impacting tenant rights and British-Irish relations.
The Land Act addressed the grievances of Irish tenants by legalising the 'Three Fs'—free sale, fixity of tenure, and fair rent. This reform aimed to reduce agrarian unrest and provided a legal framework for fairer landlord-tenant relations, reflecting a shift towards acknowledging tenant rights.
The Kilmainham Treaty followed the heightened tensions and Parnell's imprisonment. It marked a compromise where Parnell agreed to use his influence to reduce violence in exchange for government concessions on the Land Act, particularly aiding tenants in arrears.
This treaty highlighted Parnell's political power and ability to negotiate directly with the British government. Together, these events illustrated the growing influence of Irish leaders and set a precedent for future negotiations, moving Ireland closer to achieving Home Rule.