Module 2584 : Peel 1829-46

Peel and Ireland

Early Career

• 1812 appointed as Chief Secretary for Ireland

• Made early attempts at ending discrimination

• Later seen as Protestant champion

Early Career (2)

• As early as 1814 Peel clashed with Daniel 0’Connell

• Peel resigned as Irish Secretary in 1817

• Had reputation of being determined opponent of Catholic Emancipation

The Catholic Association

• As a result of the Act of Union Ireland lost its parliament

• Laws prevented Catholics from taking public office

• O’Connell began his campaign with the formation of the Catholic Association

The Catholic Rent

• Money raised through the Penny Rent

• O’Connell had brought together number of key elements

• Now began to contest elections

The County Clare Election

• O’Connell successfully contested the seat & defeated Vesey Fitzgerald

• This now presented Peel & Wellington with a problem

Peel’s Conversion

• Peel wrote to Wellington saying that “though emancipation was a great danger, civil strife was a greater danger”.

• Wellington threatened to resign and George IV reluctantly agreed to Emancipation

Consequences of Emancipation

• Split in Tory ranks – Ultras furious

• Helped to bring about end of Wellington’s career

• Could have been the end of Peel – vilified as betrayer of Tory principles

• ‘Orange Peel’ became ‘Lemon Peel’!

What next?

• O’Connell’s place as national hero assured

• During 1830s worked with Whigs to try to get more concessions

• After 1841 planned to go on the offensive

• O’Connell being pressurised by Young Ireland

• 1843 declared as year to end Act of Union

Clontarf, 1843

• O’Connor hoped to intimidate Peel

• Meeting planned at Clontarf

• Authorities banned the meeting

• O’Connell arrested on conspiracy charges

Peel’s attempts to win Catholic support

• 1843 The Devon Commission – Failure!

• 1844 The Charitable Bequests Act – Success!

• 1845 Maynooth Grant – Success!

• 1845 The Academic Colleges Act – Failure!

The Great Famine

• Much of Ireland owned by absentee landlords

• Wheat grown for export

• Population dependent upon the potato for food

• Crop destroyed by Blight

• As people starved food ships left Ireland

• Peel forced to take action

                                                

  

The Corn Laws

• Dated from 1815• Opposition to them from

this time• Peel in 1841 was not in

favour of repeal• By 1843 had been

‘converted’ to idea of Free Trade

• Repeal of Corn Laws brought forward by Famine

The Crisis of the Corn Laws

• Protectionism was key issue in Conservative Party

• Disraeli led Conservative revolt against Peel

• Peel won but party was split

• Peel resigned 1846