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The southern Irish unionists, the Irish question, and British politics, 1906–141
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 July 2016
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The period 1906–14 is often regarded as one of continual disagreement and turmoil in British politics. This may be true; but it is important to understand why. In fact, British politics between 1906 and 1914 were marked by a strong desire to avoid extremes. Developments on the fringe of politics, socialism, syndicalism and suffragism, made a deep impression upon the moderate elements of both major parties and their desire to contain such signs of disturbance was epitomised in the constitutional conference held in 1910. Yet the Irish question frustrated attempts at moderation, embittered politics and hindered the development of a more representative, democratic and social stage in the United Kingdom.
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2 Until a fusion in 1912 the opposition party after 1906 comprised two wings, the members of the conservative and constitutional associations and those of the liberal unionist organisation, the former being the predominant partners. Although the term unionist was generally applied to this alliance in the early twentieth century, it comprised three broad geographical sections : the British section, primarily conservative, the southern Irish section whose overriding concern was the maintenance of the legislative union between Great Britain and Ireland; and the northern Irish section whose main political interest was also the maintenance of the union. The varied interests of members of these different sections meant that at times the distinction was not clear–cut; but, for the purposes of this paper, the term conservative will apply to the British, the predominant section of the opposition; the term southern unionist to that section of the party with major interests in the three southern provinces of Ireland; and the term Ulster unionist to that section with interests in the northern province of Ireland. When the opposition party as a whole is meant, the epithet unionist will be applied; the term Irish unionist will apply to the two Irish sections taken together.
3 These points have been argued in Buckland, ch. 7 Though often assumed by historians, the dominance of the Irish question at the constitutional conference has never hitherto been adequately documented. However, a meeting–by–meeting account of the conference recorded by Austen Chamberlain, one of the opposition delegates, and his daily letters to his wife in which he gives his impressions of the final meetings of the conference, do confirm that the Irish question prevented effective discussion of the other issues before the conference and obviated the agreement reached on other matters, such as finance. Chamberlain’s account and a supplementary one by Lord Lansdowne, another opposition delegate, are in the Austen Chamberlain papers, AG 10/2/35–65. These accounts resolve an apparent conflict of evidence that has perturbed MrJenkins, R. (in Mr Balfour’s poodle (1954), p. 103)Google Scholar and led him to doubt whether there was any chance of agreement at the conference. Contrary to Mr Jenkins’s suspicion, the substantial liberal concession over finance was made after the summer recess at the fourteenth and fifteenth sittings, i.e. on 11 and 12 October. For Chamberlain’s letters to his wife in November 1910, see AC 6/1/81–3. An attempt to reconstruct the conference has been made in Buckland, pp. 667–95.
4 Buckland, ch. 8.
5 Duchess of Somerset to Sir Edward Carson, 13 Jan. [1914?], Carson papers, P.R.O.N.I.
6 See e.g. the changing views of Lord Lansdowne in Official report (house of lords), series 5, ix, 10 Aug. 1911, col. 888, and in Lansdowne to A[rthur] J[ames] B[alfour], 6 Mar. 1914, B.M., Add. MS 49730, ff. 268–9.
7 Lord Willoughby de Broke to Carson, 17 Nov. 1913, enclosing a letter from William Nightingale (the Birmingham agent of the British League for the Support of Ulster and the Union) to de Broke, 13 Nov. 1913, Carson papers, P.R.O.N.I.
8 These points are discussed in Buckland, ch. 1–3.
9 Buckland, ch. 2. Most helpful for an understanding of the liberal Irish policy are Wollaston, E. P. M., ‘The Irish nationalist movement in Great Britain ’, London M.A. thesis (1958)Google Scholar and McCready, H. W., ‘Home rule and the liberal party, 1899–1906’, in I.H.S., 13. 316–48Google Scholar (Sept. 1963).
10 The emphasis to be placed by the opposition on the Irish question in this period was indicated in a speech by Balfour, the opposition leader, during the 1906 election campaign, The Times, 6 Jan. 1906.
11 See e.g. Lord Lansdowne (opposition leader in the lords) to A(usten) C(hamberlain), 24 Nov. 1913, AG 11/1/50. For the fears of the leadership in 1906 and 1910 see below.
12 The best account is in Blake, R., The unknown prime minister (1955), ch. 7, 9–13.Google Scholar
13 See e.g. leader in The Times, 18 May 1914.
14 See e.g. Asquith’s memorandum to H.M., quoted in Jenkins, R., Asquith (1964), pp. 276–7.Google Scholar
15 See below.
16 Buckland, pp. 240–59.
17 See below.
18 Midleton, Earl of, Records and reactions, 1856–1939 (1939), pp. 226–7.Google Scholar
19 I.L.P.U– manifesto in The Times, 16 Oct. 1885; I.L.P.U. Prospectus (1886), copy in Bodleian Library; I.L.P.U., Annual report 188’7, pp. 1–2, P.R.O.N.I., D 989/46.
20 Irish Times, 9 Jan. 1886 for report of the first annual general meeting of the I.L.P.U., 8 Jan. 1886.
21 I.L.P.U., Executive council minute book, 1886–9, passim, P.R.O. N.I., D 989/1; I.U.A., Annual reports, 1901–13, appendices, D 989/36 and 12a/2.
22 Executive council minute book, 1889–1920.
23 Balfour’s letter to the organisers of a unionist demonstration in Dublin, April 1893, copy in I.U.A., Executive council minute book, 1893–4, 10 Apr. 1893, P.R.O.N.I., D 989/2; ibid., 24 Nov. 1893, for a resolution from the Liberal Union of Ireland to I.U.A., suggesting a Dublin demonstration to be addressed by Joseph Chamberlain. The unionists of the nine counties of Ulster in the main had little to do with the southern unionist association whose branches in the north were invariably weak, depending on the energy of one or two individuals. Only after the exclusion of six counties of Ulster had become by 1918 the definite policy of the Ulster Unionist Council, did the unionists of the other three counties of Ulster, whose social and religious structure was similar to that of the counties in the southern provinces, throw in their lot wholeheartedly with unionists of the south. In 1919, for instance, the Monaghan Unionist Association was affiliated as a branch of the souhern unionist association. See Montgomery papers, P.R.O.N.I., DOD 627/435 and I.U.A., Annual report, 1919–20, P.R.O.N.I., D 989/12a/2.
24 Midleton to A.J.B., 5 Oct. 1911, B.M., Add. MS 49721, ff. 291–2, complaining of Carsonism and Carson’s aggressive language and concluding ‘ it is of course as impossible to refute Carson publicly as to controvert his silly proposals to march upon Cork etc.’; ‘ cadet of one of the old Irish Catholic families’ writing to The Times, 14 Oct. 1912.
25 I.U.A. resolutions, D.D.E., 30 Aug. 1906, 27 Apr. 1912.
26 I.U.A., Annual report, 1912–13, appendix A, giving the officials and representatives of the local branches of the I.U.A. on the supreme governing body of the association.
27 See e.g. the diminishing ambitions of the successive constitutions of the association, Executive council minute book, 1889–1920, P.R.O.N.I., D 110/Mie; and compare the numerical strength of the branches of the I.U.A. indicated by Annual report, 1912–13, appendix A, with the religious professions of the inhabitants in each county given in Census of Ireland for the year 1911, preliminary report, Cd. 5691 (1911), pp. 6–7.
28 For the qualities that a southern unionist lady required of other southern unionists see Mary ffolliott to H. de F Montgomery, 14 Mar. 1918, Montgomery papers, P.R.O.N.I., Dod 627/432.
29 Probate will of Sir Thomas Pierce Butler granted 8 Mar. 1909, P.R.O.I., no. 6034; Notes from Ireland, passim.
30 I.U.A., Annual reports, 1901–13, appendices; minute book of the Joint Committee of the Unionist Associations of Ireland, passim, P.R.O. N.I., D 1327/2/1; Burke’s peerage (1911), p. 1767.
31 See e.g. the personal diaries and journals of Lady Alice Mary Howard of Shelton Abbey, Bray, in N.L.I., no. 3621.
32 I.U.A. pamphlet entitled ‘The Irish Unionist Alliance : its work and organisation ’ (1893); I.U.A. Subscription book, 1907–14, P.R.O.N.I., D 989/4/3.
33 Leader in D.D.E., 9 Jan. 1886.
34 See e.g. editorial comment upon the reorganisation of the I.U.A. in 1906, Notes from Ireland, June 1906.
35 Buckland, pp. 340–59. Apart from the several minute books of the I.L.P.U. and I.U.A., the other useful sources for unionist activity in the south of Ireland are Notes from Ireland (a bulletin of Irish political news published regularly by the southern unionist organisation), the Irish Times and D.D.E.
36 Shaw to Wicks (Carson’s secretary), 15 Jun. 1914, in a file of letters from the I.U.A. to Sir Edward Carson, P.R.O.N.I., D 989/12a/1.
37 For this reason he was probably singled out for a word of encouragement, since the I.U.A. hoped to persuade substantial Roman Catholics to become unionists. See e.g. Midleton writing to The Times, 21 Oct. 1912.
38 Shaw to Wicks, 15 Jun. 1914, I.U.A. to Carson, P.R.O.N.I., D 989/12a/1 ; I.U.A., Annual report, 1912–13, appendix A. The relative strength of the county Clare branch of the I.U.A. in 1913 would seem to confirm Shaw’s appreciation of McNamara’s energy.
39 Irish Times, 9 Jan. 1886.
40 Resolution of the executive committee of the I.U.A., 26 Oct. 1906 in D.D.E., 27 Oct. 1906.
41 This campaign is dealt with in some detail in Buckland, pp. 355–401 and ch. 6. Apart from newspapers the main sources were the several minute books of the I.U.A. and the minute book of the Joint Committee of the Unionist Associations of Ireland.
42 D.D.E., 29 Aug. 1908, 27 Apr. 1912.
43 Some attempt at assessing the impact of the Irish unionist campaign in G.B. has been made in Buckland, pp. 359, 364–5, 387–90, 395–6, 486–7, 493–4, 495, 501, 503–4, 504–6.
44 Although the Buckingham Palace Conference was concerned with a compromise based on the exclusion of Ulster, this does not mean that the opposition really wanted such a compromise. They would have preferred a general election and it seems likely that the opposition could not refuse to enter any sort of conference without alienating public opinion, which would have been fatal to a party hoping for an early dissolution of parliament.
45 Young, K., Arthur James Balfour (1963), pp. 119–120 Google Scholar; The Times, ι Feb. 1913; A.J.B, memo, on ’the constitutional question’, 1913, B.M., Add. MS 49869, ff. 123–32.
46 A.C. to Mary (his step–mother), 25 Feb., 23 Mar., 24 Apr., 4 May 1914, AC 4/1/1078, 1098–9, 1124, 1131; A.C. to Lansdowne, 29 Oct. 1913, AC 11/1/46.
47 Law to Carson, 18 Sept. 1913, quoted in Blake, p. 156; Law to Lansdowne, 29 Sept. 1913, ibid., p. 159; Jenkins, , Asquith, pp. 286–8.Google Scholar
48 G.E.C., The complete peerage (revised ed., London 1910–59), vii. 436–43. Especially instructive (with reservations) is the survey of estates made in 1883.
49 I.U.A. Subscription book; I.U.A., Annual report, 1912–13, appendix A.
50 Blake, pp. 157–8.
51 Law to Stamfordham, n.d., in Blake, p. 159.
52 See e.g. Sir Petrie, Charles, Walter Long and his times (1936), p.176.Google Scholar
53 Law to Lansdowne, 8 Oct. 1913, copy in B.M., Add. MS 49693, ff. 62–4.
54 Blake, pp. 160–1.
55 Blake, pp. 161–7; for A.C.’s comments upon Law’s performance, see A.C. to Mary, 11 Feb. 1914, AC 4/1 /1069.
56 Blake, pp. 161–7.
57 To judge from the ease with which the U.U.G. at a later date accepted and defended the exclusion of only six counties.
58 Law, ‘Notes on conversation with the P.M.’, 15 Oct. 1913, quoted in Blake, pp. 161–2.
59 J. K. P. Newman to Redmond, 3 Jan. 1913, Redmond papers, N.L.I., PC 262 (vi).
60 Comparison of appendices in I.U.A., Annual reports, 1906–13; and the increase in small subscriptions shown in I.U.A. Subscription book would seem to confirm assertions about increasing interest in unionism in the south made at I.U.A. a.g.m., 1913 in D.D.E., 25 Apr. 1913.
61 J. M. Wilson at I.U.A. a.g.m., 1913, D.D.E., 25 Apr. 1913; minute book of the Joint Committee of the Unionist Associations of Ireland, 25 Mar. 1914.
62 Ibid., 31 Jul., 5 Sept. 1913.
63 The Times, ii Oct. 1913.
64 G. F. Stewart to Carson, 8 Oct. 1913, Carson papers, P.R.O.N.I.
65 Lansdowne to Carson, n.d., in Colvin, I., The life of Lord Carson (1934), 2. 220–2Google Scholar; see also Lansdowne to A.C., 12 Dec. 1913, AC 11/1 /56.
68 Notes from Ireland (1913), p. 38.
67 Colvin, p. 247; or rather he accepted such a description.
68 Notes from Ireland (1913), p. 112.
69 I.U.A. to Carson, P.R.O.N.I., D 989/12a/1.
70 D.N.B., 1941–50, p. 108.
71 Midleton’s memo, on house of lords reform, 21 Mar. 1911, B.M., Add. MS 49721, ff. 255–62.
72 G.E.C., Complete peerage, viii. 701–706.
73 Irish Times 25 Jan. 1919.
74 Colvin, pp. 249–50; see above.
75 I.U.A. to Carson, 1914, P.R.O.N.I., D 989/123/1; Midleton’s memo, on the amending bill, 23 Jun. 1914, B.M., Add. MS 49721, ff.
76 See e.g. Lord Oranmore and Browne’s letter in The Times, 19 May 1914 protesting against a leader article which held that opposition to home rule (outside Ulster) was no longer practical politics.
77 See e.g. A.C. to Mary, 4 May 1914, AC 4/1/1131.
78 See e.g. Colvin, p. 397.
79 See e.g. Carson’s speeches in G.B., especially at Herne Hill, 5 July 1914, Colvin, pp. 402, 414–5.
80 Dugdale, B. , Arthur James Balfour (1936), 2. 25 Google Scholar; MacKenzie, R. T., British political parties (1st ed., London, 1955), p. 75 Google Scholar; SirPetrie, Charles, The life and letters of the rt. hon. Sir A. Chamberlain (1939), 1. 229 Google Scholar et seq.; Petrie, , Walter Long, pp. 171 Google Scholar ff.; Blake, p. 103; A.C. to Mary, I Mar. 1912, AC 4/1 /765.
81 Buckland, pp. 514–45.
82 Between the I.U.A. and Long there existed a mutual admiration society. See e.g. reports of I.U.A. meetings attended by Long, in D.D.E., 4 Jan., 30 Aug. 1906.
83 Blake, pp. 17–22.
84 I.U.A., Annual reports, 1906–13, appendix A; see above.
85 G.E.C., Complete peerage, vii. 436–43, viii. 701–706.
86 See above.
87 Figures based upon information in Dod’s parliamentary companion, 1914.
88 See e.g. A.C.’s comment on the death of Col. Saunderson, M.P., the leader of the Irish unionist M.P.s, in A.C. to Mary, 27 Oct. 1906, AC 4 /11111 : ‘ He is a real loss, especially at this time, as he exercised some influence over that very wild body of men, the Irish unionist M.P.s.’
89 See e.g. W. Long to A.J.B., 3 Apr. 1910, B.M., Add. MS 49777, ff. 65–7. That Balfour appreciated their importance is shown in Sandars to A.J.B., 14 Feb. 1911, B.M., Add. MS 49767, ff. 99–110.
90 Long, W., Memories (1923)Google ScholarPubMed, passim, though he exaggerates the League’s electoral work. See also Gollin, A. M., Proconsul in politics (1964), pp. 185–7Google Scholar, 190; and Buckland, pp. 456–8, 461–2.
91 Dod, 1914. There appear to have in 1914 seven British M.P.s married into southern unionist families and only two into Ulster unionist families.
92 Lord Cawdor to Sandars, 1 Feb. 1909, B.M., Add. MS 49709, ff. 63–4.
93 Sandars to A.J.B., 13 Jan. 1907, B.M., Add. MS 49765, ff. 5–8.
94 Ibid., 5 May 1908, ff. 148–51.
95 See e.g. letter of complaint from the secretary of the British League for the Support of Ulster and the Union, T. Gomyn Piatt to Bates (sec. of U.U.C.), 6 Apr. 1914, P.R.O.N.I., D 1327/4/2.
96 I.U.A., Annual report, 1970–8, pp. 9–10.
97 A.C. to Mary, 21, 30 Nov. 1906, 16, 18 May 1908, 17 June 1909, AC 4/1 /120, 122, 272, 273, 444.
98 Dod, 1908; Sandars to A.J.B., 10 Mar. 1910, B.M., Add. MS 49766, ff. 161–73, and 18 Jan. 1911, ibid., 49767, ff. 86–9; Blake, ch. V.
99 Blake, p. 52.
100 Gollin, A. M., The Observer and J. L. Garvin (1960), pp. 380–3.Google Scholar
101 Dod, 1914.
102 Midleton’s memo, on house of lords reform, 21 Mar. 1911, B.M., Add. MS 49721, ff. 255–62. He says that Irish peers ‘have a good organisation, a strong sense of grievance and a scant belief in protection by the front bench and by English colleagues ’.
103 McDowell, R. B., British conservatism, 1832–1914 (1959), p. 117Google Scholar
104 Selborne to Carson, 26 July 1911, Carson Papers, P.R.O.N.I.
105 Consisting of a letter from Lansdowne to Sandars relating to unionist policy and house of lords reform, 2 May 1911, B.M., Add. MS 49730, ff. 236–7.
106 Dod, 1910; D.D.E., 24 Apr. 1910; I.U.A., Annual reports, 1906–1913, appendices.
107 E.g. Midleton, whose family had long held estates in Cork and Surrey, appears to have been in touch with the Surrey M.P.s. See Midleton to Carson, 11 Nov. 1913, quoted in Colvin, pp. 249–50.
108 For state of conservative organisation see Sandars to A.J.B., n Oct. 1909, B.M., Add. MS 49766, ff. 15–6; 19, 21 Jan., 18 Mar., 24 Sept. 1910, ibid., 49766, ff. 71–4, 75–80, 186–95, 247–9; 19 Dec. 1910, ibid., 49767, ff. 44–9; Sandars to Lansdowne, 6 Nov 1909, ibid., 49730, ff. 21–6.
109 I.L.P U., Executive council minute book, 1886–9, 2 5 June, 6 Aug. 1886, 30 Sept. 1887; I.U.A., Annual report, 1906–7) pp. 16–17; I.U.A., Finance committee minute book, 2, 15 Apr. 1907, P.R.O.N.I., D 989/4/1 ; minute book of the Joint Committee of the Unionist Associations of Ireland, passim.
110 See e.g. minute book of the Joint Committee of the Unionist Associations of Ireland, 31 Dec. 1908, 19 Oct. 1911.
111 E.g. after the Joint Committee had decided to step up its campaign in 1913–14, particularly in respect of the distribution of (free) literature, the U.A.I.’s eastern agent was able to report that ‘ a good many of the Secretaries ’ of conservative clubs and reading rooms had undertaken to ‘ have prominently displayed ’ the U.A.I.’s literature and that ‘ many agents … are at present engaged in making a special anti–home rule campaign in their division ’, minute book of the Joint Committee of the Unionist Associations of Ireland, 20 Feb. 1914.
112 Bate’s report on general election work, ibid., 4 Jan. 1911.
113 Quoted in Ball’s report, ibid., 4 Jan. 1911.
114 Letter from the defeated unionist candidate in the West Lothian by–election, 1913, quoted in Bates’s Scottish report, minute book of the Joint Committee of the Unionist Associations of Ireland, 18 Nov 1913.
115 See e.g. ibid., 18 Jan. 1911,4 Aug. 1914.
116 In England from September 1911 to the middle of July 1914 the Joint Committee of the Unionist Associations of Ireland organised over 5,000 meetings, canvassed 1,246,225 doubtful voters in over 200 constituencies and assisted at 23 contested elections. In the same period in Scotland 3,843 meetings were held, 205,654 doubtful voters were canvassed and aid was given in 10 by–elections. An estimated 6 million booklets, leaflets and pamphlets were distributed throughout Great Britain in these months. See minute book of the Joint Committee of the Unionist Associations of Ireland, passim.
117 See e.g. the speech by Chamberlain’s theorist, Professor Hewins, at I.U.A. a.g.m., 1913, D.D.E., 25 Apr. 1913.
118 Blake, p. 17–22.
119 See e.g. report of the activity of the Unionist Associations of Ireland at the Leith by–election in The Times, 26 Feb. 1914.
120 Guttsmann, W. L., ‘ The changing social structure of the British political elite, 1886–1935’, British Journal of Sociology, 2 (1951), pp. 122–4CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Guttsmann, , ‘Aristocracy and middle classes in the British political elite, 1886–1916’, ibid., v (1954), pp. 12–32 Google Scholar. For an interesting illustration of such statistical evidence see Ld. Mount–Edgecombe to A.C., 18 Jan. 1909, and A.C. to Mount–Edgecombe, 19 Jan. 1909, AC 17/3/75–6.
121 See Petrie, Walter Long, passim; Long to A.C., 6 June, 6, 7 July 1905, AC 16/3/62–3, 65, concerning the working of the 1903 land act on terms favourable to the Irish unionists.
122 Lords Ardilaun and Longford reported in D.D.E., 29 Aug. 1908, 23 Apr. 1910.
123 Thompson, F. S. L., English landed society in the nineteenth century (1963), p. 322.Google Scholar
124 Salisbury to A.C., 12 Feb. 1910, AC 8/5/10.
125 See Buckland, pp. 576–605.
126 The Times, 2 Nov. 1905; see also Londonderry to A.C., 5 Nov. 1905, AC 17/3/14, 16; Londonderry to A.J.B., 5 Nov. 1905, B.M., Add. MS 49802, ff. 101–2.
127 See e.g. the way in which Long helped Balfour to avoid fiscal amendments to the Address, A.J.B, to A.C., 9 Feb. 1907, AC 7/6/18; the way Irish unionists rallied support for Law’s leadership in 1912–13, Buckland, pp. 595–8; and the way in which Long negotiated between unionist free trade candidates and the party organisation, Long to A.J.B., 29 Dec. 1907, B.M., Add. MS 49776, ff. 229–34, and R. Cecil to A.J.B., 16, 21 Mar. 1909, ibid., 49737, ff. 90–1, 92–4.
128 The Times, 8, 12 Mar. 1913.
129 Ibid., 12 Mar. 1913.
130 See e.g. A.C. to Mary, for Jan. and Feb., but especially 8–9, 16 Mar. 1913, AC 4/1/942, 948.
131 Speech by Law (ironically) at Manchester Free Trade Hall on 18 Mar., reported in The Times, 19 Mar. 1913; also election report, ibid., 15 Mar. 1913.
132 The Times, 14, 15 Mar. 1913.
133 Irish Times, 18 Mar. 1913.
134 The Times, 20 Mar. 1913.
135 The Times, 18 Mar. 1913.
136 Ibid., 12, 13 Mar. 1913.
137 The Times, 20 Mar. 1913; minute book of the Joint Committee of the Unionist Associations of Ireland, 21 Apr. 1913.
138 Sandars to A.J.B., 23 Mar. 1913, B.M., Add. MS 49768, ff. 42–5.
139 A.C. to Mary, 16 Mar. 1913, AC 4/1/948.
140 See e.g. leader comment in The Times, 20 Mar. 1913.
141 Law, ‘ Notes on conversation with the P.M.’, 15 Oct. 1913, quoted in Blake, pp. 161–2.
142 Buckland, pp. 607–20, based mainly upon a file of letters relating to the ‘mystery’ among A.G.’s correspondence, AC7/4 passim, and Sandars to A.J.B., B.M., Add. MS 49764, passim.
143 A.J.B. to Cawdor, 7 Jan. 1909, B.M., Add. MS 49709, ff. 59–60.
144 A.J.B, to A.C., 27 Oct. 191 o, AC 10/2/10.
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