[Footnote:  A lame apology.]

But Mr. Hayes Fisher did not act particularly well.  It was he who had taken Mr. Logan by the collar, and therefore, it was he who had struck the first blow.  There was some execrable haggling as to whether Mr. Hayes Fisher or Mr. Logan should make the first apology—­execrable, I say, because a gentleman never ought to haggle over an apology if he feels that he has been in the wrong, and because nobody could deny that Mr. Fisher had been the original wrongdoer.  The result was that when Mr. Gladstone came into the House on July 31st, and was asked questions about the business, the Old Man, for once, found himself in a difficulty.  He had been told that apologies were going to be made; but Mr. Fisher made no sign, and, indeed, it looked very much as if he would do nothing at all.  Labby intervened at this psychological moment by reading that extract from the account in the Pall Mall Gazette which fixed Mr. Fisher’s responsibility under his own hand, and it was seen that something would have to be done.  Then—­and not till then—­did Mr. Fisher speak and make his apology.  Mr. Logan—­who had very properly refused to take the initiative—­then made a very brief but a very handsome explanation of what he had done, and after a few lofty words from Mr. Gladstone and the Speaker the matter was allowed to drop into the dark abyss of oblivion.  But we can’t forget it.

[Sidenote:  Messrs. McCorquodale & Co.]

On August 3rd there was a most instructive and important little debate on a Labour question.  It had reference to the dismissal by the firm of the McCorquodales of several trade unionists.  Suffice it to say, that the chief opposition to the claims of Labour came from Sir James Fergusson, whose remarks were ardently cheered by the Tories; and that Sir John Hibbert was finally pressed by Sir Charles Dilke into a promise which binds the Government practically to refuse contracts in future to any firm which acts like the McCorquodales.  It was a great victory for Labour—­not the less great because it was all so quietly done.

[Sidenote:  A Government defeat.]

There was a curious little incident on the following day—­nothing less than a defeat of the Government.  It arose on a small local Irish Bill.  Blackrock is a small seaside place just outside Dublin.  The Tories, who occupy a good many of the villas, have kept the whole government of the place in their hands by maintaining a high property qualification for votes for the Town Commissioners.  On this day they brought forward a Bill; but it was opposed until they had mended their ways with regard to the government of the town.  Mr. Morley, acting on the official view, urged that the Bill might be passed and this other question dealt with separately, but the Irish refused to be pacified, they went to a division, and with the aid of the Radicals they managed to defeat the Government by nine votes.  They celebrated the event by a hearty cheer.