Coercion Act facts for kids

A Coercion Act was a special law passed by Parliament that gave the government more power to stop public protests and unrest. These laws were often used in Ireland from the 1700s to the early 1900s. They were passed by the Irish, British, and later the Northern Irish parliaments.

Coercion Acts in Britain

In December 1816, a large public meeting happened at Spa Fields near London. This meeting led to the passing of the Coercion Act of 1817. This law temporarily stopped habeas corpus, which is a right that protects people from being held in prison without a good reason. It also made existing laws against large, rebellious gatherings in Britain even stricter.

Coercion Acts in Ireland

Many "Coercion Acts" were passed specifically for Ireland. Some historians say there were over 100 such laws between 1801 and 1921. One politician, John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer, noted that 87 acts were passed between 1801 and 1887, which is about one every year.

Important Irish Coercion Acts

Some of the more well-known Coercion Acts for Ireland included the Local Disturbances, etc. (Ireland) Act of 1833. Others were the Protection of Life and Property in Certain Parts of Ireland Act 1871 and the Protection of Person and Property Act 1881.

In 1846, Robert Peel, who was the Prime Minister, tried to pass another Irish Coercion Bill. This was during the terrible famine in Ireland. The bill was meant to help calm the difficult situation. However, it was blocked by other politicians, and this was one reason why Peel resigned as Prime Minister.

Later, from 1874, attempts to pass more Irish Coercion Acts were stopped. This happened because of a tactic called filibustering, used by a politician named Joseph Biggar. Filibustering is when a politician delays a vote on a bill by making very long speeches.

The 1881 Protection Act

The Protection of Persons and Property (Ireland) Act 1881 was a significant law. It allowed the government to imprison people without a trial. This was done if they were suspected of being involved in the Land War in Ireland. The Land War was a period of conflict over land ownership and rents.

About 953 people were held under this act. Many of them were active in the Irish National Land League, a group that fought for farmers' rights. Being part of this group was often enough for the government to have "reasonable suspicion." For example, on October 13, 1881, Charles Stewart Parnell, a major Irish political leader, was arrested. This happened after his newspaper, United Ireland, criticized another land law.

The 1887 Crimes Act

In the mid-1880s, a new law was passed called the Criminal Law and Procedure (Ireland) Act 1887. It was also known as the "Perpetual Crimes Act." This Coercion Act aimed to stop boycotts, intimidation, and illegal gatherings. It also targeted groups that planned not to pay agreed rents.

This act led to hundreds of people being imprisoned, including more than twenty MPs. The act was controversial because it became a permanent law. This meant it did not need to be renewed by Parliament every year. Under this act, trial by jury was also removed for certain cases.

Many important politicians and activists were imprisoned under these acts. Some well-known figures included Michael Davitt, John Dillon, William O'Brien, and Charles Stewart Parnell.

The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) strongly opposed these acts. They tried to block the 1881 Act by filibustering for 41 hours. Eventually, the Speaker of the House of Commons had to take unusual steps to allow the vote to happen.