The Third Home Rule Bill

What Was the Home Rule Crisis?

• The Home Rule Crisis was, in short, a political conflict in Ireland and Britain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It centred around Ireland's demand for self-government. Home Rule was the idea that Ireland should have its own parliament to manage domestic affairs while remaining part of the United Kingdom.
• This movement gained significant momentum after the Great Famine (1845-1852), which highlighted the shortcomings of British governance in Ireland. By the 1880s, the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP), led by Charles Stewart Parnell, was pushing for Home Rule.

• The crisis began in earnest with the introduction of the first Home Rule Bill in 1886, sparking widespread debate.
• Unionists in the north of Ireland, particularly in Ulster, feared that Home Rule would lead to domination by the predominantly Catholic and nationalist southern Ireland.
• They worried about losing their British identity and the economic benefits of being part of the United Kingdom. The crisis deepened as successive attempts to pass Home Rule legislation failed, leading to increased tension between nationalists and unionists.
• By the time of the Third Home Rule Bill in 1912, Ireland was on the brink of civil war, with both sides forming paramilitary groups—the Nationalist Irish Volunteers and the Unionist Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)—to defend their positions.

"Home Rule is Rome Rule" - Unionist slogan, reflecting their fear of Catholic domination.

Why Was Home Rule So Important for Ireland?

• Home Rule was crucial for Ireland because it represented the potential for political autonomy and the ability to address local issues independently of the British Parliament.
• For many Irish nationalists, Home Rule was seen as a path to greater self-determination after centuries of British rule that often neglected Irish needs and interests.
• The Irish population wanted control over key areas such as education, agriculture, and infrastructure, which they believed would be better managed by an Irish parliament.
• The significance of Home Rule also lay in its symbolic value. It was not just about governance but about Irish identity and the desire to restore a sense of national pride. Nationalists viewed it as the first step towards full independence.
• On the other hand, Unionists, particularly in Ulster, saw Home Rule as a threat to their British identity and their economic interests.
• They were concerned that an Irish Parliament would be dominated by Catholic interests, leading to the erosion of Protestant rights and privileges.
• The struggle for Home Rule also fuelled a broader conversation about the nature of the British Empire and the rights of its constituent nations.
• Success in achieving Home Rule would have signalled a shift in the power dynamics within the United Kingdom, potentially inspiring other movements within the empire.
• This would obviously have been bad news for Britain, and so there was opposition to it.

Quote: "We are not seeking for our country the gift of self-government. We demand it as a right." - Charles Stewart Parnell

Why Did the First and Second Home Rule Bills Fail?

• The first two Home Rule Bills introduced in 1886 and 1893, respectively, failed primarily due to opposition within Britain, particularly from the House of Lords and from Unionists in Ireland.

• The First Home Rule Bill (1886), introduced by William Gladstone, was defeated in the House of Commons, largely because of fears among British MPs that granting Ireland self-government would weaken the United Kingdom and encourage separatism in other parts of the empire.
• There was also concern about the economic impact on Britain, as Ireland was an important trading partner. Additionally, there was a deep-seated mistrust of Irish nationalists, and many feared that Home Rule would lead to the disintegration of law and order in Ireland.
• The Second Home Rule Bill (1893) passed the House of Commons but was vetoed by the House of Lords, which had a strong Unionist majority.
• The Lords were even more adamant in their opposition than the Commons, viewing Home Rule as a direct threat to the unity of the United Kingdom.
• They also shared the concerns of Irish Unionists about the potential domination of Protestants by Catholics in a self-governing Ireland.
• The failures of these bills were also due to the lack of widespread political support and the absence of a strong alliance between Irish nationalists and the British political elite.

"We have to fight, and fight in the Commons, Lords, and in the country against this bill" - Lord Salisbury on the First Home Rule Bill.

What Was the Third Home Rule Bill?

• The Third Home Rule Bill was introduced by Herbert Asquith's Liberal government in 1912. Unlike the previous bills, this one had a greater chance of success due to changes in the political landscape.
• The Parliament Act of 1911 had reduced the power of the House of Lords, meaning they could only delay legislation for two years instead of vetoing it outright. This change made it more difficult for Unionists to block the bill.
• The Third Home Rule Bill proposed the establishment of an Irish Parliament in Dublin, which would have control over domestic affairs such as education, agriculture, and justice, while foreign policy and defence would remain under British control.
• The bill was a compromise—while it granted Ireland self-governance, it kept Ireland within the United Kingdom, and the British Parliament retained significant powers.
• The introduction of this bill reignited tensions in Ireland, especially among Unionists in the north, who were vehemently opposed to any form of Home Rule.
• They feared that it would lead to "Rome Rule" and threaten their civil and religious liberties. The bill passed through the House of Commons and, as expected, was initially rejected by the House of Lords.
• However, under the Parliament Act, it would automatically become law after two years unless a compromise was reached.

"The government of the United Kingdom should be amended by the establishment of a Parliament for Ireland" - Third Home Rule Bill text

The Initial Unionist Reaction to the Third Home Rule Bill

• The initial reaction of Unionists to the Third Home Rule Bill was one of intense opposition. Unionists, particularly those in Ulster, feared that Home Rule would result in the domination of Protestant communities by the Catholic majority in the rest of Ireland.

• This fear was encapsulated in the slogan "Home Rule is Rome Rule." Unionists believed that a Dublin-based parliament would favour Catholic interests and undermine their civil and religious freedoms.

• In response to the bill, Unionists organised massive demonstrations and formed the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in 1913, a paramilitary group dedicated to resisting Home Rule by force if necessary.

• They were led by figures like Sir Edward Carson and James Craig, who became prominent leaders of the Unionist movement.

  • The signing of the Ulster Covenant in 1912, in which nearly half a million men pledged to resist Home Rule, marked a significant moment in the Unionist campaign.
  • Unionists also sought support from Britain, particularly from the Conservative Party, which sympathised with their cause.

• The Unionist reaction to the Third Home Rule Bill set the stage for the violent conflict that would eventually lead to the partition of Ireland and the creation of Northern Ireland.

"Ulster will fight, and Ulster will be right." - Sir Edward Carson

A Closer Look at Key Terms/People

• Great Famine (1845-1852): A devastating period of mass starvation, disease, and emigration in Ireland, caused primarily by potato blight, which led to significant loss of life and a lasting impact on Irish society.

• Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP): A political party in Ireland founded in the 19th century, led by Charles Stewart Parnell, which aimed to achieve Home Rule and self-governance for Ireland within the United Kingdom.
• Ulster: A province in the north of Ireland, where a significant portion of the population was Protestant and strongly opposed to Home Rule, fearing dominance by the Catholic majority.
• Irish Volunteers: A nationalist paramilitary organisation formed in 1913 to support Home Rule and resist Unionist opposition, later playing a key role in the fight for Irish independence.
• Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF): A Unionist paramilitary group established in 1913 to oppose Home Rule and defend the interests of the Protestant community in Ulster, willing to use force if necessary.
• William Gladstone: A British Liberal Prime Minister who introduced the First Home Rule Bill in 1886, aiming to grant Ireland self-governance within the United Kingdom.
• House of Commons: The lower house of the British Parliament, where elected representatives debate and vote on proposed legislation, including the Home Rule Bills.
• House of Lords: The upper house of the British Parliament, composed of appointed members and hereditary peers, which had the power to veto or delay legislation before the Parliament Act of 1911.
• Herbert Asquith: A British Liberal Prime Minister who introduced the Third Home Rule Bill in 1912, which aimed to establish a self-governing Irish Parliament while keeping Ireland within the United Kingdom.
• Parliament Act of 1911: A law that reduced the power of the House of Lords, preventing it from vetoing bills passed by the House of Commons and allowing the Third Home Rule Bill to eventually pass.
• Ulster Covenant: A document signed by nearly half a million Unionists in 1912, pledging to resist the implementation of Home Rule in Ireland by any means necessary.
• Sir Edward Carson: A leading Unionist politician and barrister who played a central role in the opposition to Home Rule, leading the formation of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the signing of the Ulster Covenant.
• James Craig: A prominent Unionist leader in Ulster, who worked alongside Sir Edward Carson in organising opposition to Home Rule and later became the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.