The Press.
London, England, 1856-09-06 00:00:00

MR. ROEBUCK AT SHEFFIELD.

MR. ROEBUCK, M.P., has been pros- nted by his sons
stituents with a purse of 1,1(X) guineas. The pre-
sentation took place on Thursday in the Music-hall
at Sheffield. This sum is the residue of a subscrip-
tion opened some twelve months since, to provide
for Sheffield a memorial, in the shape of a portrait,
of its honourable member. The portrait will be
placed in some public hall. After the usual intro-
ductory speeches had been made, Mr. Roebuck rose
and briefly sketched his career in the House. He
claimed for himself an independent individual posi-
tion. He was neither Whig nor Tory, but had ever
advocated the good of the people :
To that rule I have adhered, and no man can say now
that lam either Whig or Tory. Other men, greater in
intellect than myself, have gone into the House of Com-
mons, but have invariably joined one party or the other.
They have won for themselves power and consideration,
but it has been by sinking the individual, and making
themselves one of a party to which they swore allegiance.
I have succumbed to neither, but have represente 1 the
people of England, and thus have won my way through the
House of Commons. Forswearing obedience both to one
party and the other, I hold it to be my greatest pride that
I have not pandered to the people, but have opposed the
popular voice whenever I have thought that voice wrong,
just as I have opposed the Whig or Tory party when I
have thought them wrong.
The hon. gentleman then imputing failure to
Government by parties, claimed enormous influence
for "the very small knot of organised men" which
he was enabled to gather " ad a party that would act
without reference to the other great parties in the
realm." It was through this party he hoped to
achieve further benefits for the countrj. Mr. Roe-
buck then alluded to his position as chairman of
the Administrative Reform Association, and declared
that the country could not be well governed until the
House of Commons was reformed. Now this
desirable end was to be attained only through the
Administrative Reform Association, which was about
to reform the electors, who would reform their repre-
sentatives, who would remember their constituents,
resist social and official temptations, and by voting
only fur the good of the country secure its better
government. Mr. Roebuck then told an anecdote or
two of the manner in which Liberal members were
caught, by social aristocratic baits, or cards for Royal
balls, and voted " for the party." The part a man
had to play in the House he admitted was very
difficult, and required a courage to resist temptation
rarely found. The most blustering orators, he mostly
found, became, the moment they got into the House,
"sucking-doves," and "the subjects and slaves of
the aristocratic element.." With respect to the future,
he thought great questions were about to arise. We
were far too quiet—like the Yankee going down the
smooth rapid river and nearing a cataract. "He d;d
not like the almighty stillness," and thought a
cataract of revolution was at hand :

I believe that we are on the very precipice of great
changes both abroad and at home. I cannot believe that
mankind, keying arrived at that point of civilisation and
education at which it has, Europe can long remain rub-
jected to the despotism which now ovetwhelma it. God
forbid that the struggles of mankind since 1789 should
issue only in the base despotism I now see overshadowing
Europe. I believe mankind will rise up, and I hope that
they will do. I hope they will rise up against the des-
potism that now weighs them down ; but in so rising they
will imperil much for themselves, and at the same time
do much for you; for be assured that no revolution can
take place in Europe but will find somewhat of an echo
and exercise an influence, in England. Not that we are
not a happy people. We are unlike the rest of Europe;
here public opinion reigns supreme. In Europe can you
find the Times newspaper? No. Can you find a plain-
speaking man? No. Should not Ibe shut up to-morrow ?
Well then, what is good for England is good for Europe.
I believe that the great mission of England is to perpe-
tuate, not only its generous inatitltions, but the opinions
of its people We are the reigning people of the Euro-
pean continent, and I will be bold to say that the opinions
we entertain, the example we set to all surrounding nations,
will have itm effect. and that they will point to England and
will say, why can't we be like Englishmen? And they
I can be so. The Italian, the Frenchman, the German,

SATURDAY,

the Hungarian, the Bohemian, the Pole—all can be like
Englishmen. 1 believe, gentlemen , that the time is coming
when the great nationalities of Europe wid rise up as one
man against the oppressive despotisms which now weigh
them down. Pe you prepared for that change. You may
set an example to the world at large by your steadfastness
in well•doing, by your obedience to the law, by your self•
government ; showing that liberty is safety, and that the
only safety for mankind is through liberty.

SELECT COMMITTEE ox TRANSPORTATION
THE resolutions of the Select Committee on Trans-
portation which sat last session, and which will be pub-
lished officially in the course of next week, report in
favcur " of the continuance of transportation," and
that every punishment by penal servitude should in-
clude—first, a certain fixed period of imprisonment
and hard labour on public works to be undergone,
at all events ; secondly, a further period which should
be capable of being abridged by the good conduct of
the convict himself :

That, with a view to give full effect to this principle,
the sentences of penal servitude prescribed by the act
should be changed and lengthened, so as to be identiehl
with the terms of transportation for which they are re•
spectively substituted.
That the hulk system, which appears by the evidence
to be already in a great measure relinquished, should be
finally abandoned with as little delay as possible ; and
that the scale of secondary punishment would he
more complete if a shorter period of penal servitude
than any now in force were enacted as an intermediate
sentence between the present term of ordinary imprison-
ment now usually inflicted and the former seuteoce of
seven years' transportation, or its equivalent.
Upon the subject of tickets of leave the committee
report that it is sound in principle, but
That the system has been too short a time in operation
in this country to enable the committee to form a clear
and decided opinion either as to the effects which it has
alrescly produced, or as to its probable ultimate working.
That there is reason to believe that the conduct of a
large proportion of the whole number of persons dia•
charged upon tickets of leave has hitherto been good,
and that in other cases persons so discharged have re•
lapsed into crime from the difficulty, arising from their
former characters becoming known, of procuring or retain-
ing honest employment in this country—a difficulty, how-
ever, which obviously applies to all persons once con•
victed, whether discharged upon tickets of leave or abso.
lutely at the expiration of their sentences.
The committee suggest—

That to render this system of good.condnet licences
adapted both for the reformation of offenders and the inte•
rests of the public, the conditions endorsed on the licence
ought to be enforced, and that every convict, on his release
with a good conduct licence, ought to be reported to the
police of the town or district to which he is sent.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE.
Tuesdny, September 2.

BANKRUPTCY ANNULLED--Joa BRosinuntsr, Langton,
Stoke-upon-Trent, earthenware manufacturer.
BANKRUPTS.—WM. BAINBRIDOE and ,--losspn JaxEs DALE
(otherwise Dele or Dell), Southwark-bridge Road, Surrey, shoe
manufacturers—J %NE ELIZA NORTON and GEORGE ZACHARIAN
WHITE, 21, Wharf, Harrow-road, Paddington, stone merchants
and whartingers—JOAN Ross, Brunswick-terrace, Commercial-
road East., Middlesex, shipowner—Joss CARPENTER, Hythe,
Hants, grocer and baker—GEORGE 11ENTON, South Audit),
street, licensed victualler Joint Comicrr. Birmingham,
licensed victualler—EDMUND BORERTS.Derbyjeweller—ALLEN
SEARELL, Furzeley-mill, near Ashburton, Devon, miIIer—BEN-
JAMIN GREENING, Manchester, wire worker and agricultural
implement maker—JAMES TAYLOR, Bottoms-hall Mill, Tottington
Lower-end, Lancaster, cotton spinner.