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Irish home-rule finance: a neglected dimension of the Irish question, 1910–14

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

Patricia Jalland
Patricia Jalland*
Affiliation:
Western Australian Institute of Technology
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Extract

‘Home rule’, complained Augustine Birrell, ‘is the most unlucky cause mortal man was ever associated with. Its path is strewn with ghosts and skeletons — wine, women and money. Now it is money. … Sentiment is easily kept alive, from one generation to another; it costs nothing but a harp and a song. But cash — where is that to come from?’ The problem of finance proved to be an insurmountable obstacle to any compromise over Irish home rule at the abortive Irish Convention of 1917–18. By contrast, the struggle over the third home-rule bill from 1912 to 1914 was dominated by the question of Ulster and not finance. The bill was ultimately wrecked by the opposition of the Ulster protestants to any home-rule bill for a united Ireland. Home-rule finance has been overlooked by most historians because it seemed less important and no doubt also because it was immensely complicated. But the problem of finance was a very real difficulty which still confronted politicians even if the objections of the Ulster protestants could be overcome. More important, the complex relationship between Ireland and Britain cannot be fully understood unless the financial dimension is taken into account.

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Articles
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 23 , Issue 91 , May 1983 , pp. 233 - 253
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 1983

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References

1 Birrell to Lloyd George, 13 Apr. 1914 (H.L.R.O., Lloyd George papers, C/3/8/3). I wish to thank Professor Trevor Lloyd for his numerous helpful and detailed suggestions on an earlier draft of this article.

2 But see McDowell, R. B., The Irish Convention, 1917-18 (London, 1970)Google Scholar, for an excellent examination of the discussions on finance at the convention.

3 Pease diary, 20 Jan. 1911 (Nuffield College, Oxford, Gainford papers, Pease diary, vol. i, f. 137); C. P. Scott diary, 2 Feb. 1911 (B.L., Add. MS 50901, ff 1–2); The Times, 4 Mar. 1911; Nation, 15 Apr. 1911.

4 Emmott diary, 1 Sept. 1911 (Nuffield College, Oxford, Emmott diary, vol. ii, f. 35); Newcastle Chronicle, 19 Jan. 1912; Morley to Carnegie, 25 Oct. 1911 (Bodl., MS film 569).

5 O’Brien to Asquith, 4 Nov. 1911 (Bodl., MS Asquith 36, f. 9); T. G. Bowles to Bonar Law, 16 Nov. 1911 (H.L.R.O., Bonar Law papers, 24/3/42).

6 Fanning, Ronan, The Irish department of finance, 1922-58 (Dublin, 1978), p. 4 Google Scholar; Travers, Pauric, ‘The last years of Dublin Castle: the administration of Ireland, 1890-1921’ (unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Australian National University, 1981)Google Scholar, passim.

7 Pease diary, 20 Jan. and 1 Mar. 1911 (Gainford papers).

8 Hansard 5 (commons), xxiii, 2418 (6 Apr. 1911); xxix, 2000–01 (16 Aug. 1911); The Times, 4 Mar. 1911.

8 Report of the committee on Irish finance (hereafter cited as Primrose report), [Cd. 6153], H.C. 1912–13, xxxiv, 5–40; Minutes of evidence taken by the committee on Irish finance, [Cd. 6799], H.C. 1913, xxx, 1–252. See also cabinet paper dated 17 Oct. 1911 (P.R.O., Cab. 37/108/132).

10 Morley, John, The life of William Ewart Gladstone (3 vols, London, 1903), iii, 306.Google Scholar

11 Government of Ireland bill, 13 Apr. 1886, pp 6–12 (H.L.R.O., Lloyd George papers, C/19/1).

12 Ibid.; Gladstone’s memorandum to Morley, 29 Mar. 1886 (B.L., Gladstone papers, Add. MS 44647); Cabinet paper on ‘Ireland: finance’ (P.R.O., Cab. 37/18/33).

13 Childers to Gladstone, 18 Mar. 1886 (B.L., Gladstone papers, Add. MS 44132); Irish finance committee report, 1 Apr. 1886 (ibid., Add. MS 44647).

14 The Times, 6 Oct. 1885 (Parnell’s Wicklow speech); Hansard 3, ccciv, 1131 (Parnell, 8 Apr. 1886).

15 Cabinet paper ‘Irish finance’, 14 Dec. 1892 (P.R.O., Cab. 37/32/51); Primrose report, p. 19.

16 Government of Ireland bill, 1 Sept. 1893, pp 6–7 (H.L.R.O., Lloyd George papers, C/19/1); Hansard 4, viii, 1476–8, xi, 237–8, (Redmond, 14 Feb. and 13 Apr. 1893); Primrose report, p. 21.

17 C. P. Scott diary, 2 Feb. 1911 (B.L., Add. MS 50901, ff 1–2).

18 First report of the royal commissioners appointed to inquire into the financial relations of Great Britain and Ireland, [C. 8262]. H.C. 1856, xxxiii.

19 Primrose report, pp 6–7, 25–6.

20 Ibid., pp 29–32, 44.

21 See e.g. Kettle, T. M., Home-rule finance (Dublin, 1911)Google Scholar; Childers, Erskine, The framework of home rule (London, 1911)Google Scholar; Lough’s letters to Nation, 30 Sept. and 11 Nov. 1911; Frank MacDermot’s letter to Nation, 11 Nov. 1911.

22 Bishop Kelly to Redmond, 16 Sept. and 6 Oct. 1911 (Gwynn, Denis, The life of John Redmond (London, 1932), pp 193-4)Google Scholar; C. P. Scott diary, July 1911 (B.L., Add. MS 50901, ff 21–2); Birrell to Churchill, 26 Aug. 1911 (Verney papers).

23 Blunt, W. S., My diaries: being a personal narrative of events, 1888-1914 (2 vols, New York, 1923), ii, 336 (28 Jan. 1911)Google Scholar; Birrell to Bryce, 4 Jan. 1912 (Bodl., Bryce papers, uncatalogued).

24 The Times, 25 Mar. 1911 (Birrell at Manchester Reform Club); Birrell to Churchill, 26 Aug. 1911 (Verney papers); Nation, 21 Oct. 1911 (Birrell at Ilfracombe).

25 The late Mrs Lucy Masterman commented that Samuel ‘was not a very good handler of the house’; he did well in the complex financial matters, not fully understood by other people, but he did not manage people well, nor was he particularly sympathetic to their feelings (interview, 3 Feb. 1974).

26 C. P. Scott diary, 7 Jan. 1912 (B.L., Add. MS 50901, ff 58–9).

27 See Samuel papers (H.L.R.O., A/41/2–4).

28 Samuel’s six memoranda on ‘Irish finance’, 6, 13, 14, 22 (two), 23 Nov. 1911 (H.L.R.O., Lloyd George papers, C/20/1/5; P.R.O., Cab. 37/108/141, 145–6); see also Samuel papers (H.L.R.O., A/41/2–4), which include Samuel’s drafts and notes.

29 See ‘Irish finance’, 4 Dec. 1911 (Bodl., MS Asquith 105, ff 223–8; P.R.O., Cab. 37/108/167).

30 This is a simplified sketch of an extremely intricate scheme. For details, see ‘Irish finance’, 4 Dec. 1911 (ibid.); ‘Government of Ireland bill’, 15 Apr. 1912 (ibid., MS 106, ff 199–222); Hansard 5 (commons), xxxvii, 62–6 (15 Apr. 1912), for Samuel’s outline of the provisions; Outline of the financial provisions of the bill, [Cd. 6154], H.C. 1912–13, lxix.

31 Memorandum by Birrell on Irish finance, 27 Nov. 1911 (P.R.O., Cab. 37/108/161; H.L.R.O., Lloyd George papers, C/20/1/4).

32 The Times, 5 Dec. 1910; C. P. Scott diary, 6–8 Sept. 1911 (B.L., Add. MS 50901, ff 37–40); Burns diary, 5 Feb. 1912 (B.L., Add. MS 46334, f. 4).

33 Birrell’s memorandum, c. Dec. 1911 (N.L.I., Redmond papers, MS 15169, seen on Bodl. MS film 1059).

35 The Times, 2 Feb. 1912.

36 Nation, 7 Dec. 1912.

36 ‘Memorandum on clauses of the home-rule bill’, 29 Jan. 1912, pp 4–6 (P.R.O., Cab. 37/109/8).

37 Bishop Kelly to Redmond (Gwynn, Redmond, p. 197); Nation, 20 Jan. 1912.

38 L. S. Amery to Bonar Law, 17 Jan. 1912 (H.L.R.O., Bonar Law papers, 25/1/33).

39 M. A. Ennis to Redmond, 17 and 20 Feb. 1912 (N.L.I., Redmond papers, MS 15254, seen on Bodl. MS film 1081).

40 Dillon to Redmond, 14 Jan. 1912 (ibid., MS 15812, seen on Bodl. MS film 1063).

41 Samuel, ‘Irish finance’, 6 Mar. 1912 (P.R.O., Cab. 37/110/39).

42 Harcourt’s pencilled notes on cabinet meeting, 14 Mar. 1912 (Bodl., Harcourt papers); Asquith’s cabinet letter, 14 Mar. 1912 (Bodl., MS Asquith 6, f. 118); Memorandum by Samuel, 27 Mar. 1912 (H.L.R.O., Samuel papers, A/41/7a).

43 ‘The home-rule bill: memorandum on certain points’ (H.L.R.O., Lloyd George papers, C/20/2/13). Samuel’s memorandum of 27 Mar. 1912 indicates that this was the joint work of Dillon, Redmond, T. P. O’Connor and J. J. Clancy written c.25 Mar. 1912 (H.L.R.O., Samuel papers, A/41/7a).

44 Birrell to Dillon, 2 Apr. 1912 (N.L.I., Redmond papers, MS 15182, seen on Bodl. MS film 1063).

45 ‘Memorandum on certain points’ (H.L.R.O., Lloyd George papers, C/20/2/13); Samuel to Redmond, 4 Apr. 1912 (Redmond papers, N.L.I. MS 15224, seen on Bodl. MS film 1071).

46 Ibid.; Samuel to his wife, 9 and 10 Apr. 1912 (H.L.R.O., Samuel papers, A/157/609–10).

47 Ibid.; Hansard 5 (commons), xxxvii, 1399–1426 (Asquith, 11 Apr. 1912); Ilbert diary, 11 Apr. 1912 (H.L.R.O.).

48 Hansard 5 (commons), xxxvii, 62–6 (Samuel, 15 Apr. 1912).

49 The Times, 30 Apr. 1912. On the general failure to understand the financial scheme, see e.g. Hansard 5 (commons), xxxvii, 269 (Lough, 16 Apr. 1912); ibid., cols 126–7, 130–31 (Walter Guinness, 15 Apr. 1912); ibid., xxxviii, 132–4 (Barnes, 6 May 1912); ibid., xlvi, 2173–4 (Horner, 15 Jan. 1913): ‘there is not one man in this house understands the finances of this bill, and … I do not believe that one man in twenty even tried to understand’.

50 Marriott, J. A. R., ‘The third edition of home rule — I: a first impression of the bill’ in Nineteenth Century, lxxi (May 1912), pp 833, 842-3.Google Scholar

51 See e.g. Amery, L. S., The case against home rule (London, 1912)Google Scholar; Hansard 5 (commons), xxxvii, 1772–85 (Amery, 30 Apr. 1912); Amery’s letter to The Times, 20 Apr. 1912.

52 See e.g. Hansard 5 (commons), xxxviii, 248–53 (Austen Chamberlain, 7 May 1912); ibid., cols 145–57 (Locker-Lampson, 6 May 1912); Anon., , ‘The home-rule bill’ in Quarterly Review, ccxvii (July 1912), esp. pp 265-74.Google Scholar

53 Hansard 5 (commons), xxxvi, 1432 (Carson, 11 Apr. 1912); ibid., xxxvii, 80–85 (Lord Hugh Cecil, 15 Apr. 1912); ibid., xxxviii, 419–34 (Wyndham, 8 May 1912).

54 MacCallum Scott diary, 15 May 1912.

55 See Jalland, Patricia, ‘United Kingdom devolution, 1910-14: political panacea or tactical diversion?’ in E.H.R., xciv (1979), pp 757-85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

56 The Times, 18 Oct. 1912.

57 Samuel, ‘Variation of customs duties in Ireland’, 22 Oct. 1912 (P.R.O., Cab. 37/112/116); Mottistone papers (Nuffield College, Oxford, MS 14, ff 98–9).

58 MacCallum Scott diary, 24 Oct. 1912.

59 Ibid., 28 Oct. 1912; The Times, 29 Oct. 1912.

60 The finance of home rule’ in Manchester Guardian, 4 Nov. 1912.

61 Hansard 5 (commons), xliii, 1535–7.

62 Manchester Guardian, 7, 8 Nov. 1912; The Times, 8 Nov. 1912.

63 Manchester Guardian, 8 Nov. 1912; The Times, 11 Nov. 1912.

64 See Jalland, Patricia, The liberals and Ireland (Brighton, 1980), pp 106-7.Google Scholar

65 Hansard 5 (commons), xliv, 147–9 (Cathcart Wason, 19 Nov. 1912); ibid., cols 159–60 (Munro-Ferguson, 19 Nov. 1912); The Times, 20 Nov. 1912.

66 See Hansard 5 (commons), xliv, 251–6, 443–7, for the two division lists.

67 The Times, 20 Nov. 1912.

68 Redmond to Birrell, 20 Nov. 1912 (N.L.I., Redmond papers, MS 15169, seen on Bodl. MS film 1059).

69 Birrell to Redmond, 21 Nov. 1912 (ibid.); Asquith’s cabinet letter to king, 21 Nov. 1912 (Bodl., MS Asquith 6, f. 184); Pease diary, 21 Nov. 1912 (Nuffield College, Oxford, Gainford papers, Pease diary, vol. ii, f. 57).

70 The Times, 21 Nov. 1912; Hansard 5 (commons), xliv, 1109–20 (division list on government amendment, 26 Nov. 1912).

71 Westminster Gazette, 21 Nov. 1912; Manchester Guardian, 20 Nov. 1912.

72 The Times, 25 Nov. 1912.

73 Anon., , ‘The Ulster covenant’ in Quarterly Review, ccxvii (Oct. 1912), p. 569.Google Scholar

74 The Times, 25 Nov. 1912; Morgan, J. H., ‘The home-rule bill reconsidered’ in Nineteenth Century, lxxiii (Jan. 1913), pp 213-17.Google Scholar

75 Hansard 5 (commons), xlvi, 1218–19 (L. S. Amery, 8 Jan. 1913).

76 Evening Standard, 9 Jan. 1913.

77 Samuel to his mother, 19 Jan. 1913 (H.L.R.O., Samuel papers, A/156/426).

78 Samuel, ‘A suggestion for the solution of the Ulster question’, 18 Dec. 1913 (ibid., A/41/12; P.R.O., Cab. 37/117/95).

79 See e.g. ‘Government of Ireland bill: note’, early Mar. 1914 (H.L.R.O., Lloyd George papers, C/20/2/8); Draft of white paper, 6 Mar. 1914 (Bodl., MS Asquith 110, f. 216).

80 Hansard 5 (commons), xxxix, 1108 (Newman, 13 June 1912); Marriott, ‘The third edition of home rule’, p. 841.

81 Asquith’s notes (Bodl., MS Asquith 39, ff 3–6); Samuel to Asquith, 20 Dec. 1913 (ibid., f. 60).

82 ‘Government of Ireland bill: note’, early Mar. 1914 (ibid., MS 110, ff 206–14; H.L.R.O., Lloyd George papers, C/20/2/8).

83 SirFitzroy, Almeric, Memoirs (2 vols, London, 1925), ii, 518 (15 July 1913).Google Scholar

84 McDowell, Irish Convention, pp 108, 118, 122–5, 144 et passim.