He was a devoted follower and admirer of Benjamin Disraeli, and they struck up a close friendship. On 29 April 1869 he delivered his maiden speech on the Irish Church Bill, which disestablished the Church of Ireland. In his reply, the Liberal prime minister, William Ewart Gladstone, spoke of "the sense of pleasure when I hear...an able, and at the same time frank, ingenuous, and manly statement of opinion, and one of such a character as to show me that the man who makes it is a real addition to the intellectual and moral worth and strength of Parliament". Despite their political differences, Chaplin retained Gladstone's friendship and respect until the end of his life.