Ireland's first Home Rule Bill was introduced on 8 April 1886 by Liberal Prime Minister William Gladstone. This bill, like his Land Act 1870 , was very much his own and had not been thought out in a Cabinet meeting. Its main points were:

• A parliament would be established, consisting of 103 peers elected for a ten year term, while there would be 204 MPs in the lower house.
• All Irish peers and MPs would be excluded from Westminster altogether.
• Britain would still retain control over a range of issues including peace, war, defence, treaties with foreign states, trade and coinage.
• Ulster was considered a part of Ireland and would have a minority voice in the parliament.
• Britain would retain control of the Royal Irish Constabulary until it deemed it safe for control to pass to Dublin.

When the bill was introduced Charles Stewart Parnell had mixed reactions, he said that it had great faults but was prepared to vote for it. The vote took place after two months of debating and, on 8 June 1886, 341 voted against it (including 93 Liberals) while 311 voted for it. Parliament was dissolved on 26 June and the UK general election, 1886 was called.

See also

• Charles Stewart Parnell
• Irish Home Rule Bill 1893
• Home Rule Act 1914
• Government of Ireland Act 1920
• History of Ireland (1801–1922)

Further reading

• Robert Kee, The Green Flag: A History of Irish Nationalism (2000 edition, first published 1972), ISBN 0140291652.