DILLON (Dr. John, 1851-1927, M.P., Chairman of the Irish Nationalist Party, 1918)

Autograph Letter Signed to 'Dear Sir', asking him to "convey to your Council my best thanks. I cannot, however, accept their invitation ... of Hon. Vice-President. I am myself a qualified member of the Medical Profession - And while I strongly hold the views - which I expressed on the second reading of Land Purchase Bill - I should probably find myself in disagreement with your Council on some points", 2 sides 8vo, The Bath Club, 34 Dover Street, W., 27th April two neat filing holes in blank margin

Dillon entered Parliament in 1880 for Tipperary, and was at first an ardent supporter of Parnell. He was one of the prime movers in the campaign in which the tenant paid his rent to the National League instead of the landlord, which led to Dillon's imprisonment. He withdrew his support from Parnell in 1890, though a formal reconciliation of the various sections took place in 1900, under John Redmond's leadership.
In November 1902, Dillon joined in a conference in Dublin between certain landlords, presided over by Lord Dunraven. It was agreed to recommend a great extension of the Land Purchase system, and in 1903 Dillon helped forward Wyndham's Land Purchase Bill, passed that year. Though he spoke at the meeting in Dublin at the beginning of the Great War, when Redmond joined the Prime Minister in urging Ireland to support the Allies against Germany, he was generally critical of the war effort in Parliament. In July 1918 he succeeded Redmond as the leader of the Parliamentary Nationalists, but thanks to Sinn Fein he and most of the others lost their seats in the December general election.

Item Date:  1917

Stock No:  17063      £150

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