The discussion on Mr. Plimsoll's breach of Privilege ought to
have come to an end when Mr. Plimsoll made, yesterday week, a fall apology to the Members for West- minster and Guildford, against whom he had made use of language at once unwise and unjustifiable only because they had wished to secure an adequate discussion of his Bill for securing the storage of grain in sacks in the holds of grain-vessels. Sir Stafford Northcote, however, while confess- ing that the personal apology was sufficient, moved a resolu- tion declaring that the House considered Mr. Plimsoll's con- duct in publishing these placards "calculated to interfere with the discharge of the duties of a Member," and "a breach of privilege." It was in vain shown that this was quite a depar- ture from precedent, that on former occasions the House had been advised to pass by such breaches of privilege, so soon as those who had committed them had purged them- selves of their offence ; and that a different course was now proposed apparently because the offender was a member of the minority, instead of a member of the majority. It was all of no use,—the great Conservative party thirsted for blood ; and a Government pledged to put down obstruction, found itself engaged in obstructing business for a whole evening, against all the drift of the parliamentary precedents, only to get this .condemnatory resolution passed. It was passed at last, by a strictly party majority of 66 (182 against 116).
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