On the first night of the session Mr. Forster gave notice of the introduction of Bills for the protection of life and property in Ireland. But the Irish members had taken the phrase in the Queen's Speech that "additional powers are required by the Irish Government for the protection of life and property," as a declaration of war, and commenced the policy of obstruction of which they were afterwards to make so powerful a weapon. They succeeded in protracting the debate on the Address for eleven days. Forster's case was a very simple one. The Land League was supreme, and its power must be crippled. This could only be done by extending the range of the executive. With {167} the suspension of Habeas Corpus the authors of the outrages, who were known to the police, could be arrested and the course of justice would not be interfered with by corrupt evidence. It was the point of view of the official responsible for public order, that and nothing more. Mr. Parnell's view pierced the surface facts of the case. The League did nothing but organise and express the public opinion of Ireland. The Government's policy was simply one of coercion, that is, of violence. Although it was admitted that wrongs were endured, the Government's policy did not include any method of redressing those wrongs. Eviction of tenants who could not possibly pay their rent through no fault of their own was palpable injustice. Let that injustice be put an end to, and outrages would soon cease. It was clearly the duty of the representatives of Ireland to put every difficulty in the way of the passing of such a measure as the Chief Secretary's. At this stage of his career Mr. Labouchere was not a Home Ruler. In his first speech to his electors at Northampton,[1] he had said: "I really have not understood myself what Home Rule means. I should be exceedingly sorry to see the Union between Great Britain and Ireland done away with. I think it is absolutely necessary for the well-being of both countries, but I am myself in favour of as much local government, not only in Ireland, but in all parts of England as possible." He was voicing the views of Mr. Chamberlain, whose trumpet from the beginning had set forth no uncertain sound, for the member for Birmingham was then, and remained, unalterably opposed to the separation of the two kingdoms, and to the institution of an Independent Parliament in Dublin.