SECOND PERIOD. Butt died in the spring of 1879. The Home Rule Party chose as his succes sor William Shaw, whose methods it was known would be those of Butt. But Parnell was the rising man in Irish circles. In this same year. by throwing himself heart and soul into the land agitation, and assuming the presidency of the Land Length-, he became the idol of the Irish masses. During, the four succeeding years Home Rule was entirely overshadowed by the great agrarian issue. The general elections of 1550 showed an increase of the (Ionic Rule delegation in Parliament from GO to GS. But the extreme views of Parnell and his followers. on the land question tended to alienate the moderate element in the party, already disgusted with his Parlia mentary tactics. During the desperate struggle made by the Parnellites against the Coercion Bill in January, ISSI, Shaw and his followers for mally withdrew from the Home Rule l'arty in Parliament. This action was significant of a great change in the character of the party outside of Parliament. By connecting Home Rule with the land question, Parnell drew to his support a great following which Butt had never won: but he lost the Conservative and aristocratic ele• meat• which had practically inaugurated the movement. A Catholic peasantry instead of a Protestant middle class became the chief support of the party. With this absorption of the larger element one end was achieved which has been a source of about equal glory reproach to Par nell—the physical-force faction, hitherto apa thetic, was drawn into the constitutional agita tion. The Irish National League, organized Oc tober 17, 1SS2, was the formal expression of the I'arnellite policy. Its programme combined es sentially the principles of the Home Rule League and those of the recently suppressed Land League. In the elections of ISS5 the success of Parnellism was demonstrated. The Nationalists returned SG members to the House of Commons, and se emed the balance of power between the Liberals (333) and the Conservatives (•51). Of the 103 members from Ireland, S3 were followers of Par nell.
'finny PERIOD. With an absolute Liberal ma jority in Parliament, so skillful a leader as Gladstone had found it almost impossible to transact business in the face of Nationalist ob struction. Now that Parnell held the balance of power. and could displace Ministries at vvill. the conduct of the Government on any principle known to British praetiee seemed hopeless. on January 27. ISSO. tire Nationalists aided the Lib erals to overthrow Lord Salisbury's Government, just as in the preceding year they had joined the Conservatives against Mr. Gladstone. The Con servatives now made advances looking to an un derstanding between the Nationalists and them selves, but without results. On the other hand. Gladstone, after careful consideration and con sultation, decided to accept Home Rule as a Liberal principle. so on the Gth of April he brought in his famous Home Rule Bill. in it was embodied the long-sought provision for a distinet legislative body for Ireland. with powers extend ing to all subjects except those specifically re served to the Parliament at Westminster. At the same time a sweeping measure for land pur chase was announced, with the deelaration that the two should be inseparable. together forming
a complete scheme for the settlement of the Irish question. Parnell. with certain qualifications, meepted the bill on the part of the Irish Na tionalists, and his party threw themselves heart ily into alliance with the followers of Gladstone. The question of Home Rule now became one for the people of Great Britain to settle. With the adoption of the Irish demand by Gladstone, a great section of the Liberals declined to follow their old leader. Protesting against anything which looked like a step toward separation of the two islands, they took the name of Liberal Unionists, and ultimately entered into alliance with the Conservatives. tIlad-tone's bill was de feated on the second reading by 343 to 313. fel Liberals voting in the negative. Upon the ap peal to the constituencies. the adversaries of Ilome Rule gained a majority of 113 over the combined Gladstonians and Nationalists. Lord Salisbury assumed power with a policy of coer cion, with possibly some eventual measure of concession in reference to local government in Ireland. !Ionic Rule remained the most promi nent issue the four succeeding years, the Gladstonians expressing confidence in the ultimate support of a British majority, a belief which Or bye-eleetions seemed to justify, as the Liberal. gained 16 seats in 00 contests. In tire winter of IS110-Ill a (Ryon.c case in which Parnell was corespondent brought 11111(.11 odium upon him, and raised the question of his retirement from the leadership of his party. Gladstone announced that lie could not hope to hold the Liberals to the Nationalist alliance unless Parnell resigned. The latter rejected all suggestions of his own withdrawal, and by his course alienated a large section (Jf his Parliamentary followers. The r(•• suit •ri: a schism in the Irish Nationalist Party, which made the future success of the Home Rule movement exceedingly doubtful. The death of Parnell. in October, I891. only served for the moment to intensify the animosity of the Parnell ite faction toward the majority of the Home Hallo's. who accepted the leadership of Justin McCarthy (q.v.). The elections of July, 1S92, re-tilled in a Liberal majority in the House of Commons of 10. so that Gladstone again lapainc Premier, and in March. 1S113, introduced a bill granting lime Rule to Ireland. It provided fur an Irish legislative body of two houses. the men hers of the Upper House to be chosen by elector. having a property qualification. and for complete self(goverinnent in local matters. The dillieult question of Ireland's representation in the Im Parliament was first decided in favor of the 'in-and-our plan—Irish members voting on some questions. not on others—but later in favor of a reduction of its membership in the llouse of Commons from 103 to SO. giving them the same rights as to other members. The bill passed the Commons September 1st (301 to 267), but was overwhelmingly defeated in the Lords. receiving only 41 out of a total of 450. Gladstone resigned in March. 1'04, and Lord Rosebery as sumed the Premiership, professing adherence to llome Rule, but doing nothing for it during his 'Ministry, which came to an end in Juno, IS95.