Above : Picture Of Lord Ashbourne

In 1885 the desired opportunity came. There had been disaster in the Soudan, culminating in the massacre of General Gordon and the English garrison at Khartoum. Justly or unjustly, the blame fell on the alleged vacillation of the Government. The Irish Party united with the Conservatives, and, in June, Gladstone’s Ministry fell. Lord Salisbury came into office as Premier.

The new allies whom Parnell had chosen did not at once or entirely disappoint his expectations. The Crimes’ Bill was not renewed ; a Land Act, known afterwards, from the name of its introducer, Lord Ashbourne, as ” The Ashbourne Act,” was passed, by which a sum of £5,000,000 was to be lent to the Irish tenants at an interest of 4 per cent. to enable them to purchase their holdings. The money was to be paid back within 49 years, both principal and interest. Parnell welcomed the benefits, but he was not satisfied. Like O’Connell, he had come to the conclusion that no gift short of the restora¬tion of her native Parliament could bring to Ireland lasting prosperity and content.

The time for a General Election was close at hand, and the leader of the Irish Party made it clear to both Conservatives and Liberals that Home Rule was the price at which the votes of has supporters could be bought. Neither Conservatives nor Liberals however, dared to risk the alienation of their constituents in England by an express promise. Parnell had, therefore, to decide between probabilities, and his ultimate choice was that the Irish support should be given to the Conservatives. These were, in the event, defeated but the Libera] majority was, owing to the force against them of the Irish vot a comparatively small one, which hampered Gladstone’s policy ar.j finally caused his downfall.
In Ireland the Home Rulers were triumphant. The lowering 0f the franchise by the Act of 1884 had greatly increased their power They held more than half the seats in Ulster, while, in the other three provinces, the adherents of the two great English parties not pledged to Home Rule captured only two out of a total of seventy.