“Mr. Disraeli then moved that the hon. member for Derby be requested to attend in his place on this day week—(loud cheers).
“Mr. Fawcett said that Mr. Plimsoll was at present in an extremely painful state of excitement. He had gone out to him in the lobby, and found him in the most lamentable condition. By great effort he had persuaded him to take a walk in the open air—(great laughter). At the end of a week there was little doubt that he would withdraw the violent expressions he had used—(cheers).
“Mr. Bass, as the colleague of Mr. Plimsoll, offered his grateful acknowledgments to the House for the course they had taken—(cheers).
“The matter then dropped.
“On the motion for discharging the Merchant Shipping Bill,
“Mr. Bates said that he wished, with the indulgence of the House, to make a statement with respect to what had fallen from the hon. member for Derby earlier in the sitting. All who had witnessed the extraordinary exhibition would agree with him that the hon. member for Derby was not responsible for his actions. With respect to himself it was unfortunately true that he had lost during the last two years five ships; but ships better found in every respect were never sent to sea. They were all of them iron ships, and classed A 1. To himself, personally, pecuniarily the loss was very severe, as he never insured his ships for more than one-half or two-thirds of their market value. That was not so much the matter; but he did deplore the loss of his men, and his only consolation was that, as far as human foresight could go, the ships were as good and as safe as man could make them. He felt assured that the statement of the hon. member for Derby would be looked upon by all, as he looked upon it, with pity—(cheers).
“The House shortly afterwards adjourned.”
Mr. Plimsoll subsequently apologised for his conduct to the House. But it is much to be regretted, on his own account, that he neither attempted to substantiate the charges he had brought against Mr. Bates, nor asked leave to withdraw them.
[290] When the Bill was withdrawn there stood upon the orders of the day of the House of Commons no less than 178 amendments to it, many of them on subjects of great importance and difficulty, as well as of great intricacy. See Times’ report of Mr. Disraeli’s speech at the Mansion House, 4th August, 1875.