The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-02-21 00:00:00

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BANQUET TO MR. ROEBUCK.

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On Montortherdon • banquet was given In Sheffield at
Ito ewers' Otto Mr. Roebuck, to congratulate him on the
return at the recent election. There was a very large atten4
wiles bone present, not only In the ladlea' gallery, hat
lis the body of the Ma Alderman Fisher, the enairman of
hie Itoebeth's Committee, presided Mr. Roebuck, on rising
▪ eupoed to the toast of his health, wu received with the
greatest enehnetasin, lie esid :
There are fear ithellsioue In a man's life in which such
a thing coulds,thad-octeurrel ea has just happened to
e.e. I cannot find words to express the emotion of my
reihil. That is a common-place phase, but in my I
Instance it expresses no common-plece emotion. I I
hoe to thank you not only for this beret of applause,
het for all you have done for me daring the lest fort-
night. The work at the poll and the emotion ex.
preued this evening are not the result of a mere
paving expression. They are the reward of a life
of Berries. You tell me my life has been spent in a
Tfay that you approve, and when I think from whom
that approval comes —that you represent, and represent
fay, the great bulk of the population of England,
who are my countrymen—have I not a ii.tht to
be proad, and shall I be accused of egotism because on
thie occasion I speak for myself, and in obedience to
lour sporovel? We have net met here to-night, 111
often happened in this hall, upon an occasion when
we
political sentiments may be expreued. We have
owe hero to express political opinions. These I shall
express to-eight frankly and fearlessly, and I hope the
expression of them may not be unplething to you, and
may not be unfavonrab'y received by my fellow.
countrymen. (Cheers.) I fully understand what I
▪ wing, What I am saying now is not confined
to these four walk, but it is to go forth on the
wens of the wind to the world's end, Ind every
one will hear what I now say. Although they will
sot hear It in the voice they will hear it in the
spirit. We are here to celebrate a great triumph in
this town—a triumph in which lam concerned most
deeply; but we are here upon an occasion which it is
mid that the Liberal Party have sustained a great
defeat. No doubt we all of us have feelings of regret
for those who have been defeated, such as they
deserve (leughter), but I hope that those feelings
may not be so powerful BS to render a. downcast
on this occasion'. Why has this great change been
effected, and to what will It lead? Why has this
ehenge occurred during the pest fortnight' I have
feed in every newspaper of every shade of opinion
seine attempt to explain It—some to gratify a
pillion of victory, some to soothe the sorrows of
defeat ; but I think upon the whole we may derive
from it a lesson, and really understand wny this re-
action moms It has resulted from the feeling of in-
security created in the great body of my countrymen
by • reckfies, hasty, petuiant course of action.
((beers) Ido not mean to say that much good has
not been done, but we ask, and the country has raked,
why it has been done, and upon what motive It has
been done. There is no man but must feel that
the answer to that question satisfies the whole matter.
When • man in his early life and through his man.
hood has sustains:l steadily and boldly a set of
opiaions, we believe those to te the result of his
maimed thought and of his honest conviction, and if
upon a sudden we find that, like a weathercock, the
wan has turned round, and that the turn follows his
own private interest., then we say that the change
of opinion is not an honest change, and we say
that the man who acts upon them is cot a nian to be
trusted, and that is what the people of England have
said. (Cheers.) It hue been said that hasty change
has been hastily performed, that it has been done in a
reckless spirit, and that it his endangered every !settled
, Interest in this country, and I felt assured when the
I last appeal was made to my countrymen what would
be their answer. I have known my countrymen new
for a period of upwards of 50 years. and, although
they may be sometimes hasty, and I have reason to
know they sometimee make erroneous judgments, yet
time brings them round. They are a careful. well-
jedgil at, and steadfast i eople when a great evil has to
be dealt with. Then, let a great reform be made,
but let not it be presumed to remit—for the Minieter
ought to be, like Caesar's wife, "above suspicion "
let it not be presumed that it results from a desire
of office, and to clutch the proceeds from office. Well,
that is my belief of the cause of this change. That
remarkable and celebrated j urnal The Tama says that
every elan who reforms abuses must nneessarily make
enemies. That is true; tut as necessarily he makes
more friends. (Cheers.) That is, when toe reform Is
made, if more people are offended than pleased by it
you may depend upon it it is no beneficial reform.
(Cheers.) Now reform may be toads for this end—to
gain a small number of votes. Some people are very
soisy; they impose upon the mind of a sensitive man,
and he believes that there are many more from the noise
they make, and then, being reckless of the consequences,
and not very particular as r -garde principles, he says,
"I will change." The changes he makes are what tie
noisy people desire, and they will it areforrn. So that The
Times is right--he may create enemies. He makes more
friends if he be right, but, if he be wrong, the enemies
are more numerous than the friends. The result is
just what we have seen in these elections. Now, I ask,
what may be the result of this change? People say to
me, Oh, there'is danger of reaction. Mr. Disraeli is
coming in with a host of Tories at his back. He will
override all the good that has been done heretofore; he
will bri: g us back to the old Tory days." Now, I know
too will this country of oars to believe in that. I he•
hose one party has gone that way, and the oths r party
curie, mid the difference between what we call Conser-
vative and Liberal is a Madow. (Loud cheers). I will out
it in another way. It was to the present Adruinistras
of which we are abont to see the laet laughtwe owe the
Inetituti in of the Ballot. I ask my Old Tory friends whom
I hav-i heard vehemently opposing the Ballot—they
have talked against it, raved against it, fought against
It—well, the Baliot has been passed,—l ask the most
fierce of all my Tory friends whether they would wish
to do sway with it. (Hear, bear.) I say to my Liberal
friends, "You in your ounger daye believed that the
Church of England was an institution very injurious
to the people of England." I answer, as one of these,
I did believe so; but time hair gone on, and the Church
of Log and has improved (hear), anti with her improve-
ment my opinions have changed. (I'heers.) I believe
the Liberal Party has changed. (Cneers.) I aak the
Liberal Parte now if they would have Disestablish.
meat. (A Voice.-- No.") I say "No," I don't
believe they would. (Cheers.) Now, here I bring the
two parties together the old Tory In his way and
the ltedical and Whig in his way. They have both
come to believe that this old country of ours is a
glorious old land, and that we ought to do our utmost
to maintain her institutions; to lead her on-
ward in the great tnarch of the nations of the world,
to make her hold the place we believe she has held
hitherto as a great, tree, and glorious England.
(Loud cheers.) I would eay to those who may now
have the guardianship of her destinies. Do nothing
to drive ba-kward that which has hen done. (enters.)
What has been gained against prejudice and
error, let it be gained. It may have been done
In misrepresehtasim ; it may have been done on
wridag principles; but it is done. We have gone onward;
let us not fall back. We have advanced ; let nothing
drive ra from the poet we have attained." (Loud
cheers.) I say to all thou wbo may be our goverrors
hereafter, " Maihttin us where we are." I therefore
say lam not afraid of reaction. (Lou cheers.) Ansi
If I might presume to give any advice to the great
men who may hereafter govern this country, I would
say to them, "Make new party. Forgel, on the
one eide, what is called Literal, and, on the other, the
Conservative. Make a National Party. (Cheers.)
Let England be your concern, and not par y considers-
ti ms. (Hear, bear) Ak not how this won d benefit
any party intermit, but how it would benefit my country
at this present moment. He who is about tube the
Prime Minister of England etancbt, as he must stand,
upon a high eminence, and, looking down upon abroad,
cultivated, fruitful, magnificent proep, et, he sees
before him England in her peaceful relations with
the world, increasing in riches, increasing in happiness,
Increasing in worth. I would say to him, "Look upon ,
the landscape, do you not see the straightforward path
before you, the broad clear road carrying you on to
you end? NVhy should you deviate in devious paths
of dangerous beauty, which will only lead you to serve
your merely private friends and to forget the ihbereste
of your country? (Cheers.) Go straightforward to
your end; be the leader, Oct of • party, but of the Eng-
lish people." (Cheers) He who is now about to become
Prime Minister will be placed in a position that he has
never hitherto held. Ile has been coerced and held dcwn
because he has been in a minority, but I behave in the
largenees of hie mind and in the grasp of his intellect.
Lie will be able to ego that the people of Lngland are
above every other consideration, and that party in-
terests should sink when their internists come into
competition, and I believe we shall see that. I think
so highly of the man whom I have in my eye that I
believe he will see that it would be a mistake to con-
sider party arid mere personal interest, that he has
before him the opp ritnaity of doirg great good to his
country, and by that means of creating a great glory
for himself. (Cheers.)