The Protection of Person and Property Act 1881 was one of more than 100 Coercion Acts passed by the Parliament of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....

 between 1801 and 1922, in an attempt to establish law and order in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. The 1881 Act was passed by parliament

Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...

  and introduced by Gladstone

William Ewart Gladstone

William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...

. It allowed for persons to be imprisoned without trial. On 13 October 1881, the Act was used to arrest Charles Parnell

Charles Stewart Parnell

Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...

  after his newspaper, the United Ireland, had attacked the Land Act:

An Act for the better Protection of Person and Property in Ireland

Copy warrant to arrest

Whereas by an order of the Lord-Lieutenant

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland

The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...

... by virtue of the Act... and of every power and authority in this behalf... the county of the city of Dublin should become a prescribed district and Charles Stewart Parnell ...suspected... guilty, as principal

Principal (criminal law)

Under criminal law, a principal is any actor who is primarily responsible for a criminal offense. Such an actor is distinguished from others who may also be subject to criminal liability as accomplices, accessories or conspirators....

, of... inciting other[s] to intimidate divers persons to abstain from...namely to pay rents lawfully due...Command... to arrest said Charles Stewart Parnell...and lodge him in Kilmainham

Kilmainham

Kilmainham is a suburb of Dublin south of the River Liffey and west of the city centre, in the Dublin 8 postal district.-History:In the Viking era, the monastery was home to the first Norse base in Ireland....

...during the continuance of the said Act unless sooner discharged or tried by our direction.

Coercion Act 1881

On Gladstone

William Ewart Gladstone

William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...

's return to office in 1880, William Edward Forster

William Edward Forster

William Edward Forster PC, FRS was an English industrialist, philanthropist and Liberal Party statesman.-Early life:...

 was made Chief Secretary for Ireland

Chief Secretary for Ireland

The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant, from the late 18th century until the end of British rule he was effectively the government minister with responsibility for governing Ireland; usually...

. He carried the Compensation for Disturbance Bill

Compensation for Disturbance Bill

The Compensation for Disturbance Bill , under pressure from John O'Connor Power, member for Mayo, was introduced by Ireland's Chief Secretary, W.E...

 through the Commons, only to see it thrown out in the Lords. On 24 January 1881, he introduced a new Coercion Bill in the House of Commons, to deal with the growth of the Irish National Land League

Irish National Land League

The Irish Land League was an Irish political organization of the late 19th century which sought to help poor tenant farmers. Its primary aim was to abolish landlordism in Ireland and enable tenant farmers to own the land they worked on...

. Despite a 41-hour long fillibuster in the House by the Irish Parliamentary Party

Irish Parliamentary Party

The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...

, the bill passed, among its provisions being one enabling the British government in Ireland to arrest without trial persons "reasonably suspected" of crime and conspiracy.

Coercion legislation in Ireland

Over 100 such acts were passed, some of the more notable of which were "An Act for the more effectual Suppression of Local Disturbances and Dangerous Associations in Ireland", "The Protection of Life and Property in Certain Parts of Ireland Act", and the "Protection of Person and Property Act 1881".

An Irish Coercion Bill was proposed by Sir Robert Peel

Robert Peel

Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...

 to calm the increasing difficult situation in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 as a result of the Great Famine 1844–47. The Bill was blocked and this led, in part, to Peel's retirement as Prime Minister. Later attempts to introduce Irish coercion acts were blocked by the filibustering of Joseph Biggar

Joseph Biggar

Joseph Gillis Biggar , commonly known as Joe Biggar or J. G. Biggar, was an Irish nationalist politician from Belfast...

.

As a response to the Plan of Campaign

Plan of Campaign

The Plan of Campaign was a stratagem adopted in Ireland between 1886 and 1891, co-ordinated by Irish politicians for the benefit of tenant farmers, against mainly absentee and rack-rent landlords. It was launched to counter agricultural distress caused by the continual depression in prices of dairy...

 of the mid 1880s the new Chief Secretary for Ireland

Chief Secretary for Ireland

The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant, from the late 18th century until the end of British rule he was effectively the government minister with responsibility for governing Ireland; usually...

  Arthur Balfour

Arthur Balfour

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...

 secured a tough Perpetual Crimes Act (1887) (or Coercion Act) aimed at the prevention of boycott

Boycott

A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...

ing, intimidation

Intimidation

Intimidation is intentional behavior "which would cause a person of ordinary sensibilities" fear of injury or harm. It's not necessary to prove that the behavior was so violent as to cause terror or that the victim was actually frightened.Criminal threatening is the crime of intentionally or...

, unlawful assembly

Unlawful assembly

Unlawful assembly is a legal term to describe a group of people with the mutual intent of deliberate disturbance of the peace. If the group are about to start the act of disturbance, it is termed a rout; if the disturbance is commenced, it is then termed a riot.- Section 144 :Section 144 is a...

 and the organisation of conspiracies against the payment of agreed rents. The Act resulted in the imprisonment of hundreds of people including over twenty MPs.

The so-called Crimes Act (or "Coercion" Act) was condemned by the Catholic hierarchy

Catholic Church hierarchy

The term Hierarchy in the Catholic Church has a variety of related usages. Literally, "holy government", the term is employed in different instances. There is a Hierarchy of Truths, which refers to the levels of solemnity of the official teaching of the faith...

 since it was to become a permanent part of the law and did not have to be renewed annually by parliament, but the Papacy issued the bull "Saepe Nos" in 1888 which was uncritical of the Acts. Trial by jury was abolished.

An influential analysis of the pros and cons of the Act was published in 1888 by W. H. Hurlbert, a Catholic Irish-American author.

Many hundreds were imprisoned at times under the Acts, including many prominent politicians and agrarian agitators, Joseph Biggar

Joseph Biggar

Joseph Gillis Biggar , commonly known as Joe Biggar or J. G. Biggar, was an Irish nationalist politician from Belfast...

, Alexander Blane

Alexander Blane

Alexander Blane was an Irish nationalist politician and Member of Parliament for South Armagh, 1885-92. He was a supporter of Charles Stewart Parnell during the Split in the Irish Parliamentary Party, and later a pioneering Socialist...

, Michael Davitt

Michael Davitt

Michael Davitt was an Irish republican and nationalist agrarian agitator, a social campaigner, labour leader, journalist, Home Rule constitutional politician and Member of Parliament , who founded the Irish National Land League.- Early years :Michael Davitt was born in Straide, County Mayo,...

, John Dillon

John Dillon

John Dillon was an Irish land reform agitator from Dublin, an Irish Home Rule activist, a nationalist politician, a Member of Parliament for over 35 years, and the last leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party....

, James Gilhooly

James Gilhooly

James Gilhooly was an Irish nationalist politician and MP. in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, from 1910 the All-for Ireland Party, who represented his constituency from 1885 for 30 years until his death, retaining...

, Patrick Guiney

Patrick Guiney

Patrick Guiney was an Irish Nationalist politician and a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland....

, Matthew Harris

Matthew Harris (politician)

Matthew Harris was an Irish Fenian, Land Leaguer, nationalist politician and MP. in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and, as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party, represented Galway East from 1885 to his death in 1890.Born in Athlone to Peter and Ann...

, John Hayden

John Patrick Hayden

John Patrick Hayden was an Irish nationalist politician and MP. in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party represented South Co. Roscommon from 1897 to 1918. He was also editor and proprietor of the Westmeath Examiner,...

, J. E. Kenny

J. E. Kenny

Joseph Edward Kenny was an Irish physician, Coroner of the City of Dublin, nationalist politician and Member of Parliament...

, Andrew Kettle

Andrew Kettle

Andrew J. Kettle : was an Irish nationalist politician, progressive farmer, agrarian agitator and founder member of the Irish Land League....

, Denis Kilbride

Denis Kilbride

Denis Kilbride was an Irish nationalist politician, who as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party represented South Kerry , and North Galway and South Kildare as an Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.He was educated at Clongowes...

, Pat O'Brien

Pat O'Brien (Irish politician)

Patrick O'Brien , generally known as Pat, was Irish Nationalist MP in the House Of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party represented North Monaghan and Kilkenny City . He was Chief Whip of the Irish Party from 1907 until his...

, William O'Brien

William O'Brien

William O'Brien was an Irish nationalist, journalist, agrarian agitator, social revolutionary, politician, party leader, newspaper publisher, author and Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...

, James O'Kelly

James Joseph O'Kelly

James Joseph O'Kelly was an Irish nationalist journalist, politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and as member of the Irish Parliamentary Party represented the Roscommon constituency between 1880 and 1916.-Background:His...

, Charles Stewart Parnell

Charles Stewart Parnell

Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...

, Douglas Pyne

Douglas Pyne

Douglas Pyne was an Irish nationalist politician from County Waterford who served as a Member of Parliament from 1885 until his unexplained death. Pyne was the fourth child of the Reverend William Masters Pyne and his wife Marian...

, Willie Redmond, Timothy Sullivan

Timothy Daniel Sullivan

Timothy Daniel Sullivan was an Irish nationalist, journalist, politician and poet who wrote the Irish national hymn "God Save Ireland", in 1867...

.