On Monday, Sir Rowland Blennerhasset cited Mr. Grattan as having
in like circumstances supported a Coercion Bill, and declared that it was not the Land League which had brought the country into its present state, so much as the disorganised land system, which had lent itself to the purposes of the Land League. Mr. Stansfeld gave a reluctant support to the Bill, at the same time resting all his hope of the pacification of Ireland on the coming land measure, with regard to which he held out prospects that the Conservative party, enlightened by the Duke of Richmond and his Land Commission, would be helpful, instead of obstructive. On Tuesday, Mr. Cowen delivered a flaming speech of the Irish type of eloquence against the Bill, declaring that this Government, which would gain the soubriquet of the " Coercion Government," loved nothing so much as coercion ; for it coerced the Turks, coerced the Basutos, coerced the Boers, coerced the Irish, coerced the constituencies with caucuses, and coerced Parliament with new rules. Sir Stafford ITorthcote would trust the Government with the powers demanded, and did not think they would abuse them, though he did doubt their using them with the requisite steadiness and foresight. The Land League had reason to complain of the Government for encouraging them before they took office, and turning round upon them afterwards. The debate of Wednesday was almost without any interest, and the second reading was carried at about five o'clock on Wednesday, by 359 to 56 votes, in a rather thin House for a division of the first importance.
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