Peel and the Irish Problem

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Peel and the Irish Problem

• www.educationforum.co.uk

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Peel and Ireland

• Peel had plenty of experience in Irish Affairs
  when he came to power in 1841.
• He had been Chief Sec. for Ireland 1812-18 and
  was Home secretary in Wellingtons government
  when Catholic Emancipation was passed in 1829
• The Irish nationalist Daniel OConnell possibly
  unfairly nicknamed Peel Orange Peel
  associating him with protestant opinion in Ireland

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OConnells Repeal Movement

• On coming to power Peel was faced with a movement
  for the repeal of the 1800 Act of Union between
  England and Ireland which had made Ireland part
  of the UK.
• This was led by the ageing Irish nationalist
  Daniel OConnell.
• OConnell was an peaceful protestor however
  there was also a growing Young Ireland
  movement committed to independence for Ireland
  using any means. Some historians have suggested
  that Peels policy in Ireland indirectly resulted
  in the growth of such Fenianism (militant Irish
  nationalism)

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How Effectively did peel deal with the Repeal
Movement?

• OConnell and his supporters hoped that Chartism
  would provide a distraction for the British
  whilst their campaign progressed
• Peel showed he had no intention of being
  distracted when in 1843 ne passed a Coercion Act
  which banned OConnells proposed mass meeting
  for repeal at Clontarf
• OConnell was arrested on a charge of conspiracy
  and Peel turned his attention to the Irish Problem

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Consequences of Clontarf

• Irish nationalism started to move away from
  OConnells peaceful constitutional means towards
  more violent means the British government had
  shown its colours!
• Peel introduced a number of measure in an attempt
  to appeal to moderate opinion in Ireland and
  improve the lot of Irish peasant farmers

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Economic Problems

• Except for a few in the North there were no
  industries in Ireland and very few raw materials
• Population was rising quickly and the vast
  majority had to live off the land (5 million to
  8.25 million 1800-1845)
• Most of the land was owned by the English or
  Anglo Irish protestants the Irish had to rent
  land to farm it at excessive rents and with short
  and unextendable leases.
• Farming was unprogressive and almost medieval
  tiny small holdings, no crop rotation, highly
  labour intensive
• Living conditions were just about the worst in
  Europe. The majority of the population lived in
  single room huts (constructed of mud) and the
  staple diet was the potato as this was all that
  could be grown in sufficient bulk to feed the
  population this single crop reliance meant that
  when the potato blight of 1845 arrived a famine
  occurred which killed over 1 million Irish
  peasants

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Peels Policy Pre-Famine

• Peel as a Conservative wanted to conserve or
  keep the Union between England and Ireland.
• To achieve this he introduce measures to
• Improve the lives of ordinary Irish peasant
• Win over moderate Catholic opinion
• Resist by coercive measures if necessary
  movements for Irish nationalism violent or
  peaceful

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The Devon Commission 1843

• In 1843 Peel appointed Lord Devon to set up a
  committee to investigate the problem of land
  tenure in Ireland with the intention of
  legislating on his recommendations
• Devon identified 3 main problems
• Leases British landlords leased the land to the
  Irish peasants on very unfavourable terms high
  rents, short leases there was therefore no
  incentive for those who farmed the land to make
  improvements in their methods
• Low Prices - Irish agriculture had been in
  recession since 1815 prices were low and much
  farming little more than subsistence
• Population growth and lack on industry meant that
  a rapidly growing population had to be sustained
  by the land
• Small holdings, high rents, insecure leases, low
  prices and rising population all led the Irish to
  a reliance on the crop which could sustain life
  the easiest the potato

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Peels Defeat over Devon Commission

• In the light of the Devon Commission Peel
  attempted to pass a law which whilst leaving the
  terms of existing leases intact would offer
  financial incentives to tenant farmers who either
  innovated in farming methods or introduced
  improvements on their farms.
• The Bill was rejected overwhelmingly by the Tory
  Lords

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Governance for Ireland

• Peels next policy was to introduce a form of
  separate administration for Ireland he hoped
  that this would be more responsive to Irish needs
• Lord Heytesbury was appointed Lord Lieutenant of
  Ireland and given considerable local powers over
  infrastructure, transport, the administration of
  the Poor Law etc.
• Heytesbury was instructed to listen to and grant
  concessions to moderate Catholic opinion a
  partial success and certainly an improvement on
  what went before

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Irish (Provincial) Colleges Bill 1844

• Peels idea was to improve relations between
  Catholics and Protestants by introducing non
  sectarian approach to education.
• He introduced 3 new Colleges fore Queens College
  which were to be open to all Irishmen regardless
  of religion. These were set up in Belfast, Cork
  and Galway.
• The measure was resisted furiously by both sides
  of the divide Anglicans and ultra Tories saw it
  as a betrayal and OConnell and the Catholics
  labelled them as Godless Colleges

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The Maynooth Grant 1845

• This was a further attempt by peel to win over
  moderate catholic opinion.
• Maynooth College was the place where Irish
  catholic priests were trained.
• In 1845 Peel granted them an extra 30,000 pounds
• This was clever peel saw the crucial role the
  priesthood had in Ireland
• Despite a rebellion of 149 Tory M.Ps the bill
  was passed and the grant given
• Peel was again subject to accusations of betrayal
  by Anglicans and Tories

13
The Famine

• The greatest human tragedy of the 19th century
  I million dies and 0.5 million emigrated
• The famine pushed Peel into repealing the Corn
  Laws during the struggle for which he argued that
  no human foodstuff should be taxed in such
  circumstances.
• The repeal of the CLs had little impact on
  famine, the causes of which were structural and
  based on the settlement of Ireland in the 16th
  century by the English, the appropriation of all
  the land, the short leases and high rents, rising
  population and ultimate reliance on one crop.
• Arguably as a direct result of the Famine and the
  inadequate response to it by the British, Irish
  nationalism moved away from the peaceful
  constitutional approach permanently indeed
  there followed a period of violent revolts in
  Ireland and terrorist attacks in England between
  1865-7 called the Fenian Outrages

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Coercion Bill and Peels resignation

• Post the Repeal of the CLs Peels last act as PM
  was an attempt to restore order in Ireland by
  introducing a Coercion Bill which would have
  allowed for emergency special powers in Ireland.
• The Bill was defeated by an alliance of ultra
  Tories still smarting from the CLs, the whigs and
  the Irish M.P.s and Peel resigned.