But the present Coercion Bill erred precisely in the same direction that the other had done, because it was not aimed solely at outrage, but was directed at honourable members sitting opposite. In fact he (Mr. Labouchere) could see the trail of the honourable member for Bradford (Mr. W. E. Forster) and of his policy in this measure. The Government ought to try to get the majority of the Irish people on their side to fight with them against outrage. Was this Bill likely to enlist the sympathies of the Irish members? Mr. Labouchere expressed the principle of his objection to the Bill by saying that as long as political and criminal elements were mixed up in the Bill he could not vote for it. He objected particularly to the following features. The "intimidation clause" went too far, being directed against boycotting, which, although it had its bad features, was, as a system of exclusive trading, legitimate. He considered it "monstrous" that the authorities should have power to detain any person out after sunset. He objected to the clause dealing with the press, and he thought that three years was too long a period for the Bill to remain in force. Who could say who might be Lord-Lieutenant in three years? He could not imagine anything more horrible than that, say, the right honourable gentleman the member for North Lincolnshire (Mr. J. Lowther) should be invested with the powers of the Bill. The consequence would perhaps be, that if the Prime Minister went over to Ireland, he would be arrested and put into prison. His admiration for the Prime Minister was increasing, but all his colleagues were not as well minded as himself. There seemed to be two currents in the cabinet-- some members who desired to do all they could for Ireland being baulked by those of their colleagues called Whigs.[7] {177} Mr. Labouchere worked out of Parliament, as well as in, for the improvement of the Bill. He was incessantly negotiating both with the Government and the Irish leaders to defeat what he felt to be its impossible features and to modify the remaining ones in the direction of conciliation. He had written two days before the speech just mentioned to Mr. Chamberlain as follows: 10 QUEEN ANNE'S GATE, May 16, 1882. DEAR CHAMBERLAIN,--I enclose Bill with Healy's amendments. He says that what he means in the suggested changes in the Intimidation Clause is, that only a person who actually threatens a person with injury should come under the provisions of the Bill. What he objects to is constructive intimidation.