Parnell did allot with the Irish National League, he visited America in 1880 and raised £70,000 to be used in famine relief and when he returned he held meetings and demonstrations around Ireland encouraging people to join but always advising people to act within the law. .
When Parnell was arrested in 1881, from prison he told people to resist rent and eviction and the Irish National Land League became outlawed. After Parnell got out, he founded the Irish National League in August 1882. This time the primary aim was Home Rule and afterwards land reform would follow. Davitt didn't like this idea and left politics for a period of time. By 1886 there were 1,200 branches of the National League set-up around Ireland. Before an election, representatives met in convention to select the local Home Rule candidate in each constituency. The league organised all the public relations work as well. This was a huge success. For the first time ever in Ireland the country had an organised nationalist association. The reason for the success was because the National League took every day people, farmers and labourers and taught them how to "play politics" and beat Britain at their own game. No other country had ever attempted something like this.
W.E. Gladstone's first land act hadn't done much to improve the country but it was still a step forward to before. In April 1881 Gladstone introduced his second land act to the House of Commons. Basically it was a land court which fixed fair rents for 15 years. Tenants would be compensated if they moved after improving their holdings. The banks issued 75% of the money to buy out the holdings at 5% interest over 35 years. This satisfied some aspects of the Land League's 'Three Fs' which were: Fair rent, fixity of tenure and free sale. Unfortunately this put Parnell in a difficult position. It satisfied allot of people and most of the League's demands. However the radical wing didn't like it, it excluded leaseholders and tenants in arrears and did not abolish Landlordism completely.
