The Land League had initially sought reforms…

The Land League had initially sought reforms including the "Three Fs"—Fair rent, Fixity of tenure and Free sale—, which have been conceded, then enacted by the British Government between 1870 and 1881.

With Charles Stewart Parnell, leader of mainstream Irish nationalism and the Irish Parliamentary Party as its President, it includes other agrarian agitators and activists William O'Brien, John Dillon, Timothy Healy and Willie Redmond.

Rents are paid in full to League organizers or local parish priests, who then try to negotiate a discount with the landlord in settlement of the rents owed.

In 1876, when the Eastern question was looming large, MP William Edward Forster had visited Serbia and Turkey, and his subsequent speeches on the subject were marked by moderation.

On Gladstone's return to office in 1880, Forster had been made Chief Secretary for Ireland.

He had carried the Compensation for Disturbance Bill through the Commons, only to see it thrown out in the Lords.

To deal with the growth of the Land League in Ireland, on January 24, 1881, Forster introduces his Coercion Bill, which temporarily suspends habeas corpus, enabling the Irish government to arrest without trial persons "reasonably suspected" of crime and conspiracy.

The Irish party uses every opportunity to oppose this act, and Forster is kept constantly on the move between Dublin and London, conducting his campaign and defending it in the House of Commons.

In the course of his speech, Forster declares it to be "the most painful duty" he has ever had to perform.

The bill goes through a long debate before it is accepted on February 2.

Forster is nicknamed "Buckshot" by the Nationalist press, on the supposition that he had ordered its use by the police when firing on a crowd.