At all events, Mr. Disraeli, with his usual insight on
any sub- ject to which his attention has been awakened, at once accepted the apology as sufficient, and even stated that had he known a week ago the kind of excitement under which Mr. Plimsoll's
nerves had been labouring, he should have been disposed to deal much more leniently with his "overstrained sensibility" "in a great and good cause." Mr. Bentinck and Mr. Newdegate wanted to compel Mr. Plimsoll to withdraw also his personal charges against Members of the House, but no one supporting them, the order for the reprimanding of Mr. Plimsoll by the Speaker was at once discharged, and the "Plimsoll incident" was at an end. Not so, however, its results. It has provided Mr. Plimsoll with an abundance of motive-power for his campaign, and apparently it has struck the first great blow at the popularity and repute of Mr. Disraeli's Administration.
