KEY POINTS LAND

3 Fs
Free sale selling interest in a holding to the next tenant, tenant was also
compensated for any improvements made
Fair rent in reality meant a low rent fixed by tribunal rather than by the
landlord
Fixity of tenure guaranteed tenure of land over a period of time
1870 LAND ACT
Occurred due to: the rise of Fenianism (Irish Republican Brotherhood and Fenian
Brotherhood founded 1858), tenant rights, aims of Gladstone (my mission is to
pacify Ireland, Gladstone decided the best course of action was to legalise
custom)
The tenant who was evicted due to reasons other than non-payment of
rent was entitled to compensation for any improvements made
Bright Clauses provided government loans (5% repayable over 35 years)
so tenants could buy their holdings, could borrow 2/3 of the amount
Rent was not to be exorbitant (changed by HoL from excessive)
However:

Act failed to create a tribunal system for the regulation of rent, therefore
failed to prevent the possibility of unfair rent increases
Tenants with leases longer than 31 years were not covered
Landlords responded and changed lengths and terms of agreements to put
them outside of the act
Fewer than 1000 farmers took advantage of bright clauses
Tenants still lacked protection against eviction
Rural violence continued

Although:

Act was symbolically important and set a precedence for government

intervention in th land question
By stating the tenant had a right to compensation Gladstone recognised,
at least morally, the tenants had interests in their holdings.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE 1870 LAND ACT

Led to the peace preservation act of 1870 (increased powers of repression) and
led to the introduction of the Westmeath Act (police force given powers to
arrest those suspected of people involved in secret societies)
START OF THE LAND WAR
Poor harvests recorded in 1877 and 1878.
Cheap imports from America lowered prices of agricultural goods
Butter prices fell as much as 60 %
Potato production fell by round 75 %
NATIONAL LAND LEAGUE 1879

Founded in 1879 the National Land League of Ireland had Parnell as president,
added to the already politically explosive issue of home rule. A version of the
radical agrarian agenda provided by Lalor
TACTICS OF THE LAND LEAGUE
The land league was the perfect opportunity for Parnell and the other leaders to
rally all elements of the nationalist movements it drew support from all sections
of society, while the radical tactics (described today as direct action) drew the
more revolutionary elements of the nationalist movements such as the Fenians
into the wider nationalist movement
Aim of land league and purpose of the land war was to defend the tenant
against the unregulated excess of the landlord.
Range of methods:
Posters campaigns rallies and slogans hand in hand with the threat of
violence
Rents were withheld and farms where evictions had occurred left empty
Landlord who continued to evict were ignored or even treated with
violence
Sept. 1880 landlord Lord Mountmorres was murdered
Captain Boycott event occurred
1881 LAND ACT
Irish land commission set up to decide levels of rent where there was a
dispute
Tenants had rights to free sale of holdings
Concept of statutory tenure was established; tenants were to have a
security of tenure as long as they abiding by certain conditions
However not all were satisfied:
While it resolved the 3Fs at least superficially it did not satisfy many of
the more radical members of the land league
Parnell argued that the act was inadequate and should be tested in court
Land act led to:
1881 coercion act: Parnell argued to strongly and was thrown into
Kilmainham Gaol
1882 Kilmainham treaty: an agreement between Parnell and Gladstone,
freeing of Parnell from prison agreed that those tenants who were in
arrears would have the slate wiped clean. However the treaty, by fixing
tenure and lowering rents the act supported the status quo.
ASHBOURNE PURCHASE ACT 1885
The act enhanced the policy of land purchase by providing a sum of 5
million for loans with which tenants could buy their holdings on a low
interest long term basis
National land league reconvened and launched the plan of campaign to
force rents down by the use of collective action. If landlords refused to the

agreed rent tenants would not pay their rent and would be supported by
the league and their fellow tenants.
The threat of strike was only carried out on 203 estates where the
landlords were often on debt and vulnerable
The response from the conservative government was a mix of conciliation
and coercion.
Land act of 1887 built on 1881 land act and allowed leaseholders to
participate in the rent arbitration scheme
Chief Secretary for Ireland was also willing to use force. Sept 1887: Royal
Irish constabulary opened fire in county Cork killing 3 and wounding many
Balfour strongly supported land purchase acts in 1888 and 1891 which
extended Ashbournes Purchase act of 85. 88 act provided a further 5
million for the scheme

CONCLUSIONS
THE CAMPAIGN FOR LAND REFORM HAD BECOME CLOSELY INTERTWINED WITH
THE CAUSE FOR HOME RULE AND IRISH SEPARATISM. THE FORTUNES OF
POLITICIANS MOST NOTABLY PARNELL AND GLADSTONE WERE LINKED TO THEIR
ASSOCIATION WITH THE LAND QUESTION