Home Rule
[home n. B. 3.]
Government of a country, colony, province, etc., by its own citizens; the political principle or theory, according to which a country or province manages its own affairs; used spec. in British politics with reference to the movement, begun about 1870, to obtain for Ireland self-government through the agency of a national parliament.
The phrase ‘Home Rule’ had been used incidentally in 1860. But at the meeting for the local autonomy of Ireland held on 19 May, 1870, the phrase ‘Home Government’ was adopted, though ‘Home Rule’ is said to have been suggested, and became almost immediately the popular phrase.
| 1860 A. M. Sullivan in Nation (Dublin) 28 July, (Heading of National Petition to the Queen) The National Petition taking England at her word. The Vote for Home Rule. [1870 in O'Connor Parnell Movem. (1886) 225 On May 19, 1870..A new organisation was founded..‘The Home Government Association of Ireland’..Ireland to be exclusively mistress of Irish affairs.] 1871 Brodrick in Macm. Mag. May 42 Beyond this I am not prepared to go in the direction of what is called ‘home-rule’ in Ireland. 1871 J. F. Maguire Sp. Ho. Com. 26 June in Hansard CCVII. 634 There is at present a wonderful amount of misconception in the minds of Englishmen with respect to what is termed ‘Home Rule’. I am myself a Nationalist, and in favour of Home Rule, but at the same time I am a loyal subject of Her Majesty. 1871 Punch 29 July 41/2 What used to be called ‘Repeal’ is now denominated ‘Home Rule’. 1871 Times 9 Oct. 5/5 Home Rule is still the topic of the day. The country rings with the cry. 1886 Observer 28 Feb. 4/4 Home Rule for London, then, rather than police reform, ought to have been the chief question. 1890 Echo 6 Dec. 1/4 Prof. Galbraith was present at the first meeting..which was held at Bilton's Hotel, Dublin, on the 19th May, 1870, and was chosen one of the hon. secretaries. He it was who coined the expression Home Rule. |
b. attrib. (also home-rule).
| 1871 Times 9 Oct. 5/6 Home Rule Association. 1880 M{supc}Carthy Own Times lxii. IV. 380 Home Rule agitation. 1886 Morn. Post 17 Apr. 5/3 The Home Rule members speak confidently as to the prospect of legislation. 1886 Carnegie Triumph. Democr. 16 The Republic has solved the problem..by adopting the federal, or home-rule system. 1893 Tennyson in A. Tennyson Mem. (1897) II. 462, I love Gladstone, but I hate his Home-rule policy. |
Hence Home-ˈRuler, one who advocates or practises Home Rule. Also Home-ˈRule v. trans., to govern by Home Rule. Home-ˈRuling ppl. a., advocating or practising Home Rule.
| 1880 M{supc}Carthy Own Times lxii. IV. 382 Several Irish elections..were fought out on the question for or against Home Rule; and the Home Rulers were successful. 1886 Pall Mall G. 2 June 2/1 To detach from Home-Ruled Ireland..the counties of Down and Antrim. 1891 Sir C. G. Duffy Ibid. 7 Apr. 2/1 An eminent English Home Ruler last year said to an Irish friend that the greatest impediment to Home Rule was the Home Rulers. 1894 Westm. Gaz. 11 June 1/2 ‘We have changed all that now’, the Home Ruling Liberals will say. |