GILL MP TO WILLIAM O’BRIEN, MP CORK NORTH-EAST
2 January 1891:
John Redmond and I have been trying to call you up by the telephone but failed to get a response … NB: Depend upon it, from this stage forward it is necessary to have Jack R [Redmond] present at everything.3
***
The outcome of the Boulogne negotiations was an agreement to a set of proposals that it was hoped would smooth the way to a voluntary retirement by Parnell. Central to these was the production by the Liberal leaders of ‘assurances’ regarding their intentions as to the next Home Rule Bill. Officially these would be presented to Justin McCarthy, the newly elected party leader. In reality, they would be assessed by Parnell. If Parnell judged them satisfactory, he would retire, to be replaced by Dillon. The assurances were delivered on 28 January.
FROM C.S. PARNELL MP
London, telegram Sat. 24 January 1891:
Kindly wire Euston Hotel any prospect settlement Parnell.4
TO T.P. GILL MP
Dublin, telegram Mon. 26 January 1891:
Just starting for Avondale will bear your wire in mind don’t think he [Parnell] can see you London till Wednesday will wire early tomorrow Redmond.5
TO T.P. GILL MP
Dublin, telegram Tue. 27 January 1891:
Parnell entirely agrees he crosses tonight wishes to see you Westminster Palace Hotel tomorrow morning as early as possible Redmond.6
TO WILLIAM O’BRIEN MP
Dublin, telegram [fragment] Tue. 27 January 1891:
… he entirely agrees he goes London tonight meets Gill there tomorrow he will write you have no anxiety about bona fides Redmond.7
MEMORANDUM CONTAINING THE LIBERAL LEADERS’ ASSURANCES REGARDING THE POLICE AND LAND QUESTIONS,
28 January 1891:
Police.
Mr. Gladstone expressly said in introducing the HR Bill in 1886 that he and his colleagues ‘had no desire to exempt the police of Ireland in its final form from the ultimate control of the Irish legislative body’. The complete organisation [… missing] police by the Irish Government, to take the place of the [… missing] not require [… missing] (subject, of course, to a strict observance of all engagements made by the Imperial Government with the R.I.C.) and would, on the completion of the arrangement for a civil police, finally disappear.
Land.
It would be obviously inconsistent with the concession of HR to Ireland that the power to deal with the laws relating to land in Ireland should be permanently confined to the Imperial Parliament to the exclusion of the local Legislature. The Land question must therefore either be settled by the Imperial Parliament simultaneously with the establishment of HR or within a limited period thereafter to be specified in the HR Bill, or the power to deal with it must be committed to the local Legislature.8
***
Parnell arrived, exhausted, in Calais on 2 February to assess the Liberal assurances. While there, his discussions with Dillon were acrimonious. He demanded amendments to the assurances regarding the Home Rule powers governing the police and land questions.
‘COPY OF AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED AT CALAIS FEB. 3 [1891] BY MR. PARNELL TO MEMO OF LIBERAL ASSURANCES’:
Police.
The complete organisation of the civil police by the Irish Government to take the place of the present armed and semi-military police will (ought) not (to) require more than a moderate amount of time, say five years or less.
Provision will be made in the Home Rule Bill by which the present armed police under the control of the Lord Lieutenant shall (would) undergo a rapid reduction or transformation (subject of course to a strict observance of all engagements made by the Imperial Government with the R.I.C.) and that at the end of the interval above-named it shall finally disappear, and that the statutory powers now possessed by the Lord Lieutenant for the raising or maintenance of (such) a police force in Ireland shall thereupon cease …
[All emphases Parnell’s].9
J.J. CLANCY MP (IRISH PRESS AGENCY, LONDON) TO WILLIAM O’BRIEN MP
4 February 1891:
Redmond and I had a long conference today with Parnell … and as he (R) has had to leave this evening for Dublin (where his mother is dying), he desired me to drop you a few lines on the subject … I entreat you to have patience and not to lose heart but persevere … We believe Parnell is sincere and is acting bona fide ... 10
TO WILLIAM O’BRIEN MP
5 February 1891:
I have just returned from London where I fully discussed the situation with P. I understand there is no objection to strengthening the assurance about the Police in such a way as to satisfy him and that the only point of dispute is as to the Land Question. I do hope you will use all your influence to have this difficulty removed and I say this as one who is quite as anxious for the settlement … [missing] … made might fairly be accepted, namely, that the Land Question should be included amongst the matters over which the Irish Parliament would have power to deal but that this power should be deferred for say five years after the passing of the Act … There is not much difference between this and the proviso in the memorandum … I can quite understand the feeling of impatience on the part of Gladstone and his friends and God knows you have special reason for impatience, but so much is at stake and we have approached so near an agreement that it would be horrible if a … [missing]… we are all possessed with the belief in P’s bona fides …
Best regards to John [Dillon].11
***
Writing to Gill on 5 February, Parnell claimed to have become aware of new demands from the Liberals, aimed at excluding him from the assessment of the assurances, which would place him in a ‘humiliating disgraceful position’, and of plans to keep the full Irish representation at Westminster. A bewildered Gill immediately alerted Redmond to the danger of breakdown.
TO T.P. GILL MP
Dublin, telegram 6 February 1891:
Impossible to start this morning wire nature of immediate danger Can I do any good by telegram prevent any final decision till he consults friends reply Redmond [National] League office.12
WILLIAM O’BRIEN MP TO T. P. GILL MP, LONDON
Boulogne, telegram 7 February 1891:
Any breakdown most desirable Redmond Harrington and you should come over tonight [to Boulogne].13
TO WILLIAM O’BRIEN MP
London, 7 [misdated ‘January’] February 1891 [fragment]:
… some time with P today. He has got firmly in his mind the idea, due to something which fell from Gill, that the Liberal leaders are trying to make it a condition that you alone [should]
