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58-584: The inaugural conference of the National Liberal Federation (NLF) was held in Bingley Hall , Birmingham , on 31 May 1877, with the objective of promoting Liberalism , encouraging the formation of new associations and the strengthening and democratising of existing local Liberal parties. The conference was chaired by Joseph Chamberlain and addressed by Liberal leader William Ewart Gladstone . New associations quickly formed throughout

116-665: A book on his father-in-law, Frederick Locker-Lampson . He died in London on 20 November 1933, aged eighty-three. His autobiography, Things Past Redress , was published posthumously. The main collection of Birrell's papers, those dealing with his period as Chief Secretary, are deposited in the Bodleian Library . The Bodleian also contains collections of Birrell's public correspondence with political figures of his day, Asquith, Lewis Harcourt and others. Birrell's correspondence with Campbell-Bannerman and Herbert Gladstone are in

174-534: A characteristic humour which became known as birrelling . After unsuccessfully contesting parliamentary seats in Liverpool, Walton in 1885 and Widnes in 1886 , Birrell was elected to parliament for West Fife at a by-election in 1889, as a Liberal . He retained his seat in the general elections of 1892 and 1895, but in the general election of 1900 he stood in Manchester North East and

232-634: A co-ordinated programme of policies for radical reform springing from the grass-roots of the party – a manifesto for the next general election. Organisationally the NLF was the pillar of the Liberal Party. Under the presidency of Augustine Birrell it played an important role in the Liberal landslide election victory of 1906 . It was active in promoting the Free Trade campaign after 1903 and through

290-703: A cycle track used for competitions. It was used as a huge meeting space. Gladstone held a political meeting in November 1888, following Joseph Chamberlain 's split from the Liberal Party over Irish Home Rule , and spoke for two hours. The speech was recorded by the journal Political World on an Edison phonograph shipped from New York – the first political speech recorded. Chamberlain himself spoke there before an audience of some 10,000 people in November 1903, during his campaign for fiscal reform. On 17 September 1909, Charlotte Marsh and Mary Leigh climbed onto

348-473: A members' association to that of a Liberal Whips' Office. It put local Liberal Associations in touch with potential candidates and made grants of money to help with elections. It had no policy role but supporters of various factions within the party did try to capture the offices of the LCA from time to time, most notably in the dissensions in the party over imperialism . The likelihood of a clash between LCA and NLF

406-548: A minister. Birrell did not defend his seat in the 1918 general election , nor did he ever return to Ireland. In 1929, he accepted an honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland , but storms in the Irish Sea prevented him from making the crossing and he had to receive his degree in absentia . He returned to literature with a further volume of essays and book reviews, More Obiter Dicta (1920) and

464-497: A newspaper article, has described him as "the arch hypocrite" because of his public criticisms of such exclusion proposals, but private acceptance of same. The proposal was rejected by both Unionists and Nationalists and Birrell stayed on. In fact, by that stage Lloyd George had effectively replaced Birrell as the Liberal government's negotiator in the Home Rule discussions. The crisis continued through 1913 and into 1914. The bill

522-511: A private army, the Ulster Volunteers , to resist enforcement of the act, and Carson proposed an amendment excluding Ulster from the scope of the bill. Birrell was opposed to the exclusion of any part of the country and when David Lloyd George proposed a compromise involving the exclusion of six of the nine counties of Ulster for a period of five to six years Birrell responded by offering his resignation. Historian Ronan Fanning , in

580-607: A result Lloyd George had to keep his own National Liberal organisation in place between 1918 and 1922. When Lloyd George became party leader in 1926, Hudson, who was by then NLF Treasurer, resigned. The NLF continued in being until 1936 when an internal review of party organisation under Lord Meston recommended its replacement with a body with a different remit, the Liberal Party Organisation. ... Bingley Hall Bingley Hall in Birmingham

638-603: A site of its own and built a drill hall at Thorp Street . The hall was used repeatedly for meetings and conversions by various non-conformist religions, including the Elim Pentecostal Church in 1930, led by George Jeffreys . The hall was damaged by fire at the Midland Caravan, Camping and Leisure Exhibition in January 1984 and subsequently demolished, its functionality having been replaced by

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696-406: A strong indication of thinking and feeling in the mass party which the leadership ignored at its peril. For example, in 1914 the NLF came out in support of women's suffrage, and H. H. Asquith (who was personally opposed to the measure) decided it should receive government support. The NLF's early associations were with the city of Birmingham . Its structure – which became known as the " Caucus " –

754-587: A temporary hall on the corner of Lower Essex Street and Kent Street, but the following year the 2nd shows were held in the new Bingley Hall . Bingley Hall was built by Messrs Branson and Gwyther (architect J. A. Chatwin ), for £6,000 in six weeks in 1850, using steel columns surplus to the construction of Euston railway station . It was built in the Roman Doric style using red and blue bricks (the Staffordshire blue bricks being diverted from building

812-675: The Education Act 1902 . The bill passed the Liberal-dominated House of Commons comfortably, but the House of Lords , with a Conservative majority, passed wrecking amendments which undermined its meaning, and the government dropped it. This use of dilatory parliamentary procedures and wrecking amendments over the education bill began a period of political tension between the Commons and Lords which ultimately concluded with

870-892: The Land Commission of large areas of land for the relief of congestion, through a hostile House of Lords. After the passing, with the support of the Irish Parliamentary Party , of the Parliament Act 1911 , which restricted the power of the Lords to veto bills, Prime Minister H. H. Asquith introduced the Third Home Rule Bill on 16 April 1912. The Unionists, led in Ireland by Edward Carson and in Britain by Tory leader Bonar Law , formed

928-577: The Land Purchase (Ireland) Act 1903 . MacDonnell was a well-known advocate for Home Rule. MacDonnell's proposals for what was called " devolution " – the transfer of local powers to Ireland under a central authority – adopted by the Irish Reform Association 's - had encountered strong opposition from Unionists , leading eventually to Wyndham's resignation. This proposal ultimately passed from Sir James Bryce with Birrell inheriting

986-533: The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) just outside the city in Solihull . The International Convention Centre stands in its place. 52°28′44.40″N 1°54′38.84″W  /  52.4790000°N 1.9107889°W  / 52.4790000; -1.9107889 Augustine Birrell Augustine Birrell KC (19 January 1850 – 20 November 1933) was a British Liberal Party politician, who

1044-713: The National University of Ireland and Queen's University Belfast and dissolved the Royal University of Ireland . It solved the sectarian problem in higher education by dividing the Protestant and Catholic traditions into their own separate spheres and ensured Catholic, Nationalist scholars had access to university education. Contemporaries also praised his achievement in carrying the Land Purchase (Ireland) Act (1909), which though falling far short in its financial provisions allowed for compulsory purchase by

1102-508: The Nationalist Party was losing ground in the country and that extreme nationalists, often referred to as Sinn Féiners , were gaining support. Nathan took measures such as suppressing newspapers and forcing Irish Volunteer organisers to leave the country. The Irish Party leaders, Redmond and Dillon, cautioned against taking direct action against the 'Sinn Féiners' and the administration kept to that policy. Birrell himself felt that

1160-469: The House of Commons, he was set upon by a group of about twenty suffragettes who had recognised him. While he did not believe there was any serious attempt to injure him, in trying to escape he twisted his knee and "slipped the knee-cap". C. P. Scott wrote in his diary that Birrell feared he might require an operation to remove his kneecap and joked that, if he did, he would remain "a weak-kneed politician" to

1218-655: The LCA in 1874 and re-modelled its structure and purpose to become the "central medium of communication with and between the Party throughout the whole kingdom in aid of and in connection with local organization". The chairman of the LCA was originally the Leader of the Liberal MPs but by the end of the 19th century it was the Liberal Chief Whip . As the 19th century wore on, the role of the LCA changed from that of

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1276-619: The Lords' rejection of the People's Budget of 1909, sparking the Constitutional Crises of 1909–11. Birrell had been seen as a poor advocate for the bill, although he complained privately that it was mainly Lloyd George's work, and that he himself had had little say over its contents. The defeat of the bill made it impossible for Birrell to continue in his post, and in January 1907 he was appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland , to replace James Bryce who had been made Ambassador to

1334-585: The NLF conference tended to take the Radical approach, most clearly in its support of the Newcastle Programme in 1891 (see below). Here it endorsed the extension of the Factory Acts , the introduction of universal male suffrage , an end to plural voting and the reform of the House of Lords . This brought conflict with Gladstone until his retirement from politics in 1894. However, by 1900

1392-576: The NLF, Chamberlain was elected its president (1877–80), Harris its chairman (1877–82), Schnadhorst its salaried secretary (1877–93), and John Skirrow Wright , another Birmingham activist, its treasurer (1877–1880). In the Liberal split over Irish Home Rule the NLF was loyal to party leader Gladstone rather than its own progenitor Joseph Chamberlain, who left the Liberal party and formed the Liberal Unionist faction and coalition with Conservatives . However, in its political orientation generally

1450-544: The Oxford Street viaduct ). Covering one and a quarter acres internally, it measured 224 feet (68 m) by 221 feet (67 m), used 11,700 feet (3,600 m) of 21-inch (530 mm) glass, and had ten entrance doors. During its life, it was used as a venue for the Birmingham Dog Show, cattle shows, chrysanthemum shows, circus, boxing, cinema, and in its later days for popular music concerts. It had

1508-607: The United States. While serving in government, Birrell supported a number of progressive measures and proposals such as expanded housing provisions, land reform, and substantial increases in education spending at both primary and secondary level. Like many of his political colleagues and members of the general public, Birrell strongly disapproved of the militancy and violence of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU; suffragettes). In November 1910, when walking alone from

1566-629: The Western Front, as advocated by the CIGS Archibald Murray . However, none of these joined Sir John Simon ( Home Secretary ) in resigning in protest at the conscription of bachelors, due to be enacted in January 1916 . However, Birrell wrote to the Prime Minister (29 December) criticizing Murray and arguing that he and Runciman agreed that finance and strategic policy were more important than conscription. Conscription

1624-574: The bill. Birrell modified MacDonnell's proposal and on 7 May 1907 introduced the Irish Council Bill . The bill was initially welcomed by Nationalist leaders John Redmond and John Dillon , and opposed, for different reasons, by unionists and by more radical nationalists who wanted nothing less than Home Rule for Ireland. At a convention of the United Irish League , opposition was so strong that Redmond changed his position;

1682-852: The blame, was the theft of the Irish Crown Jewels from Dublin Castle (where the Chief Secretary had his offices) in July 1907. Birrell had more success in areas such as Education and the Irish land question. His excellent relations with both Roman Catholic and Protestant church leaders such as Archbishop of Dublin William Walsh ensured the successful passage of the Irish Universities Bill 1908, which established

1740-740: The commission. However, the commission did understand that Birrell was confined to London due to his cabinet and parliamentary duties between 1914 and 1916. While Birrell's first phase as Chief Secretary was a clear success, the period from about 1912 onwards saw something of a decline in Birrell's career which was also mirrored in his domestic life. Birrell's second wife Eleanor had been suffering from an inoperable brain tumour and this eventually caused her to lose her sanity. This affected Birrell deeply, privately and publicly, but he did not tell his political colleagues, who were simply given to understand that she did not care for social life. There were two sons of

1798-487: The convention rejected the bill and the government was unable to proceed with it. Birrell suffered further embarrassment when he sought to discontinue the use of the Irish Crimes Act 1887 , a coercive measure introduced by Arthur Balfour to deal with agrarian crime, only to be faced with an increase in cattle-driving. Another affair, in which Birrell was not directly involved but for which he had to take part of

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1856-409: The country and affiliated to the NLF which was a coordinating body rather than one which operated a central control. The task of the NLF was "to form new Liberal Associations based on popular representation". While the NLF always insisted the policies recommended by the members at its conferences were never intended to be binding on the Liberal leadership, it was obvious that the resolutions passed were

1914-539: The danger of a bomb outrage was greater than that of an insurrection. His assessment was proved wrong when the Easter Rising began on 24 April 1916. Birrell had spent Easter in London, where Nathan had telegraphed him with news of the capture and scuttling of the arms ship the Aud and the arrest of Sir Roger Casement . He had just sent approval for the arrest of the movement's leaders on Easter Monday morning when he

1972-541: The day after the Rising ended, Asquith accepted his resignation 'with infinite regret'. This regret was also felt by both Nationalist and Unionist politicians in Parliament. While some, such as Laurence Ginnell celebrated his departure, both John Redmond and Sir Edward Carson praised the work Birrell completed during his time as chief secretary. Others, such as the Irish civil servant, Sir Henry Robinson, also praised

2030-597: The end of his life. Birrell was, however, described by the paper Votes for Women as one of a number of "Suffragist members of the Cabinet" who met with a deputation from the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), led by Millicent Fawcett , on 8 August 1913, following a similar meeting by the NUWSS with Prime Minister Asquith on the same day. According to Votes for Women , The Times reported that

2088-425: The establishment of the new Liberal Publications Department, and these three organisations subsequently worked closely together at the administrative heart of the party. After the split between the party and Chamberlain over Home Rule, and the support the NLF offered to Gladstone, the NLF began to be more fully aware of the influence it was acquiring. This culminated with the Newcastle Programme of 1891, designed to be

2146-636: The home of banker Charles Lloyd , and visited by Samuel Taylor Coleridge ) and opened on 3 September 1849 for visitors to the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival . This exhibition was visited by Charles Darwin , and also on 12 November by Prince Albert and may have contributed to his ideas for the Great Exhibition of 1851 at the Crystal Palace . Bingley House was built about 1760 as Byngas Hall, but

2204-534: The implementation of Home Rule at any stage became moot. In the latter part of 1915 Birrell was one of those Liberal ministers (others being Reginald McKenna ( Chancellor of the Exchequer ), Walter Runciman ( President of the Board of Trade ) and Sir Edward Grey ( Foreign Secretary )) who were unhappy at the realignment of Britain's war effort towards conscription, total war and a massive commitment of troops to

2262-596: The invitation of the Cattle Show committee to Bingley Hall. This arrangement was never satisfactory, because the battalion could not use the hall for the duration of the cattle show in November and December each year. When the show committee also let the hall to a circus for three months in the spring of 1879, the battalion was temporarily housed in Mr Wiley's factory in Graham Street. The battalion then acquired

2320-485: The marriage, Francis and Anthony. The quality of his public work deteriorated and as one historian has noted the severe personal strain must have been a contributory factor in "...the uncharacteristic combination of excessive zeal and indecision which marked [Birrell's] response to the Dublin industrial agitation of 1913". Only after Eleanor died in 1915 did Birrell begin to regain some of his old energy and effectiveness as

2378-406: The ministers asked the deputation what kind of bill the NUWSS was looking for. Other ministers present included Lloyd George , John Simon , Francis Dyke Acland and Thomas McKinnon Wood . Birrell's first Under-Secretary and head of Irish Civil Service at Dublin Castle administration was Sir Antony MacDonnell , who had worked successfully with a previous Chief Secretary, George Wyndham , on

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2436-580: The poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson . They had two sons, one of whom, Frankie (1889–1935) was later a journalist and critic and associated with the Bloomsbury Group . Birrell found success as a writer with the publication of a volume of essays entitled Obiter Dicta in 1884. This was followed by a second series of Obiter Dicta in 1887 and Res Judicatae in 1892. These, despite their titles, were not concerned with law, but he also wrote books on copyright and on trusts . Birrell wrote, and spoke, with

2494-573: The role of the NLF had become merely advisory in term of policy. There was always the possibility of a clash between the NLF and the Liberal Central Association (LCA), the body (first known as the Liberal Registration Association) which had been formed on 21 February 1860 by twenty Liberal MPs to promote general co-operation between MPs and organisation in the constituencies. It changed its name to

2552-725: The roof of Bingley Hall. They were protesting at women being excluded from a political meeting where the British Prime Minister Asquith was giving a speech. Marsh and Leigh threw roof tiles at the police. They went to trial and were sent onto Winson Green Prison . In the early months after it was raised in 1859, the Birmingham Rifles (later the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment ) paraded at Beardsworth's Horse Repository, but as numbers grew it moved at

2610-485: The work Birrell completed and highlighted in his memoirs the number of Acts of Parliament Birrell was responsible for. However, The Royal Commission on the 1916 Rebellion (the Hardinge commission) was critical of Birrell and Nathan, in particular their failure to take action against the rebels in the weeks and months before the Rising. Birrell acknowledged in his memoirs that he did not stoutly defend himself in front of

2668-583: The work of Robert Hudson helped put in place a number of local pacts with the newly founded Labour Representation Committee . During the First World War, despite the opposition of many Liberals, the NLF helped to rally recruitment to the armed forces. After 1918 the NLF began to experience some financial difficulties but was able to remain solvent under the presidencies of Sir George Lunn and J. M. Robertson . They, together with secretary Robert Hudson, remained staunch supporters of H. H. Asquith and as

2726-403: Was Chief Secretary for Ireland from 1907 to 1916. In this post, he was praised for enabling tenant farmers to own their property, and for extending university education for Catholics, but was criticised for failing to take action against the rebels before the Easter Rising , leading to his subsequent resignation. A barrister by training, he was also an author, noted for humorous essays. Birrell

2784-579: Was called to the Bar in 1875, becoming a KC in 1893 and a Bencher of the Inner Temple in 1903. From 1896 to 1899 he was Professor of Comparative Law at University College, London . In 1911 Birrell served as Lord Rector of Glasgow University . His first wife, Margaret Mirrielees, died in 1879, only a year after their marriage, and in 1888 he married Eleanor Tennyson, daughter of the poet Frederick Locker-Lampson and widow of Lionel Tennyson, son of

2842-618: Was born in Wavertree, Liverpool the son of The Rev. Charles Mitchell Birrell (1811–1880), a Scottish Baptist minister and Harriet Jane Grey (1811–1863) daughter of Rev Henry Grey of Edinburgh . He was educated at Amersham Hall school and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge , where he was made an Honorary Fellow in 1879. He joined the Sylvan Debating Club in 1872. He started work in a solicitor's office in Liverpool but

2900-412: Was defeated. In 1903 he edited Eight Years of Tory Government , a "handbook for the use of Liberals", which attacked the incumbent Conservative administration's record on issues such as housing and worker's compensation. In December 1905 Birrell was included in the cabinet of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman as President of the Board of Education , and that month he was sworn of the Privy Council . He

2958-427: Was greatly reduced when the NLF moved to London in 1886 into premises at 42 Parliament Street, next door to the LCA offices which were located at 41 Parliament Street. It also helped that Francis Schnadhorst , the efficient political organiser and secretary of the NLF was also appointed secretary of the LCA. The NLF produced some political literature early in its history. However, in 1887 the NLF and LCA collaborated in

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3016-417: Was introduced for the third time in July 1914, this time along with an amending bill allowing for the exclusion of some of the Ulster counties, but with the outbreak of World War I the bill was passed without further debate, with its implementation suspended until after the war. However, on the collapse of Asquith's Liberal-dominated government in May 1915 and its replacement with a coalition involving Carson,

3074-403: Was modelled on that of the Birmingham Liberal Association, founded in 1865, which had been so effective in building a mass membership and an efficient electioneering body in the city under the political leadership of Joseph Chamberlain, and drawing on the strategic and organisational skills of William Harris (secretary 1868–73) and Francis Schnadhorst (secretary 1873–84). At the establishment of

3132-514: Was only applied in Britain, not Ireland. A further threat to Birrell's administration had arisen with the formation in November 1913 of the Irish Volunteers , ostensibly to safeguard Home rule but in fact, under the influence of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) aiming to break the union with Britain altogether. Feelings in nationalist Ireland were further aroused by the possibility of conscription. Sir Matthew Nathan , Birrell's Under-Secretary since October 1914, told him in September 1915 that

3190-466: Was returned for Bristol North at the general election of January 1906 , in which the Liberals won a large majority. Like Campbell-Bannerman, Birrell belonged to the Radical tradition of the party. Birrell also belonged to a group called the "New Radicals" or "New Liberals", which also included H. H. Asquith , R. B. Haldane and Sir Edward Grey . Birrell introduced the Education Bill 1906, intended to address nonconformist grievances arising from

3248-431: Was shown on local maps as Bynges Hall as early as 1553, and was the home of James Farmer, whose daughter Mary married Charles Lloyd. The house and its land were bought by a railway company in order to build the railway tunnel (New Street North Tunnel) for the Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway . The house was demolished. In December 1849, the first Birmingham annual cattle show and poultry show were held in

3306-413: Was the first purpose-built exhibition hall in Great Britain . It was built in 1850 and burned down in 1984. The International Convention Centre now stands on the site. The precursor of Bingley Hall was an " Exhibition of the Manufactures of Birmingham and the Midland Counties " in a temporary wooden hall built in the grounds of, and attached to, Bingley House on Broad Street in central Birmingham (once

3364-458: Was told by Viscount French , Commander-in-Chief of the British Home Forces, that the Rising had begun. He maintained contact with Nathan by telegraph and answered questions in Parliament on Tuesday and Wednesday, then travelled by destroyer to Dublin, arriving in the early hours of Thursday morning. From there he wrote to the Prime Minister, giving him his assessment of the situation. In one of his letters he wrote that he 'couldn't go on'. On 1 May,

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