The Express.
London, England, 1861-04-03 00:00:00

MR. ROEBUCK AND HIS CONSTITUENTS.

SHEFFIELD, TVEMDAY.

In accordance with an arrangement made the
previous day at the Temperance-hall, the adjourned meeting
for the purpose of hearing Mr. Roebuck's explanation on
his Austrian speech and other matters was held at the
Surrey Mimic-hall this morning. Long before the time
announced for the commencement of the proceedings every
approach to the hall was besieged with • large crowd of
people, and it was with the utmost difficulty that an en-
trance could be effected. Immediately the doors were
opened a tremeodons rush was made, and the stream of
people which poured through the avenues of the building
has scarcely had its parallel. The spacious and elegant hall
I was densely pecked, and there could not have been fewer
people present than upwards of 3,00.
About eleven o'clock, Mr. Medfield, M.P., was the first
to enter the platform, accompanied by his friends, and was
received with loud and continued cheeriog, which lasted for
several minutes. He was immediately followed by Mr.
Roebuck, who was eccompanied by the Mayor. Hisentrance
was the signal for • tremendous outburst of applause, which
was repeated. Silence having been restored—
The Maim, who was received with loud applause, mid,
—lie trusted, be was sure that the present would be a
much LOOM paioeful meeting, and more conducive to the
comfort of all, than the meeting that was held in the Taw
peranee-hall. He bad, therefore, simply to beg of them
to give • patient hearing to his friend and their mow
mutative, Mr. Roebuck. Let them bear what he had to
say, and after they had beard him, judge him accord-
in*. (Applause.) Mr. Roebuck never had, to his
knowledge, formed an °fission without having sufficient
reams fur so forming that opinion. They could not all
expect to agree epos every matter, and the least they could
do was to give credit to the honest opinion of everyone.
(" Hear, hem," and applause.) With respect to religion, it
was their habit to give people credit for the sincerity of
their profession. Then why should they not exercise the
same liberty in political matters? There was even a greater
degree of latitude to be allowed in political than in re-
ligious matters. He would not occupy their time any I
longer, but would make way for Mr. Roebuck to address
them. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. HolatlCE was received with loud applause, and I
mid—Mr. Mayor, I have at my first starting to ask
the nmAise to be kind enough to be quiet, for I am net
very strong, aid I want to make a really full, and
hope candid, explanation. To make that explanation
I will take Ma some time, and will task my strength, and
I my strength will not allow me to get through my teak if
you make • noise. 1 therefore ask you, an a personal
favour, to be as quiet as possible. Now, I will at mice go
into the matter in laud. I ask the question which I asked
yesterday, and which I was about to answer, but which I
was sot allowed to answer. The question was—Why am 1
here! lam here, sir, because statements have been made,
respecting my character as your representative, which I
think it my duty to answer. (Hear, War.) Aid if I could
only find my enemy to meet me to my face I should be per-'
fectly satiated ; but aoosymotte attacks, unfair insinua-
tions. and I'll add, base calumnies, have dogged
my steps through the whole of these proceedings.
('',Hear; hear," interruption, and .sheen.) Now I ask you
to be quiet, and depend upon it no man is your friend,
or my friend—but that is no matter—no man is your friend
who eadeavours to interrupt me. Mark him! because I
would point him out as your enemy, if there be such • wan
in this assembly. Now, sir, as I mid yesterday, the in.
siaeatioas or sharps spinet me are two. (A Voice: Titres.
Cris& et Or 'Tarn him out," and interruption.)
You'll have an opportunity to answer me, if you'll be quiet.
I am accustomed to an assembly where • man is allowed to
say exactly what he thinks. I hope that the peep'', of
Sheffield will not be more bigotted than the Enlists House
of Perlis:seat. In that assembly • mon can say exactly
what he likes. Therefore I homer that assembly. I will now
go on with my own divisions. I say the charges against
me are two. The first is that I voted in support of
maintain Lord Derby's administration. The next is
that Ino a speech called an Amblers speech. Now,
sir, I him myself been the servant of the people for nearly
thirty years- I commenced that service a poor man. 1
hare remained a poor man ever since: Lunso now. Well, but
the insinuation is that during the last two years of my life
I have gone back from all that for twenty-eight years I
have prised, and mold myself, body and soul, fee some
sum of mosey. C' Hear, hear," and interruption.) If I
bad sold myself 1 should, I suppose, have the money. My
answer is, I have none, and I have not spent any. Now
I should think this argument and conclusion is a care
pieta one. But I will not be satisfied with that. I
will hunt the accusation through all its windinp and
turnings. The first accusation is that If voted for Lord
Derby. Now, by the side of that accusation is an imputa-
tion, and it is thu—that the Galway Packet Company ob-
Mined • subsidy from Lord Derby's administration, and that
I was bought by the Galway Conemay, and tint therefore I
voted for Lord Derby. Now, I don't blink the questiou at
all, I think. (Hem, hear.) Vint hod foremost, let us take
data. When there was • doubt whether the subsidy should
be granted to the Galway Company or not I voted against
Lord Derby's government. When the subsidy was actually
granted, sad there could no longer be any doubt about it, I
voted for Lord Derby's government. do that, if I expected
anything, I went straight against my own interest. But
what was the fact? I said that the accusation was that the
Gahm Onespaay bought me. Now I have got this to say, I
was • • of the Galway Company, but very shortly
after the mummy got the subsidy loomed to have any con.
maim with tthhee company, and from that time to this 1 don't
know what they have been doing. (Cheery.) But there is
an imputatios that there were 10,0001. kept back to be ap-
propriated amongst the direetoes, and of 10,000 i. in *clap
shwas 1 received a large sum. Now that is the question.
(Hear, bear.) : have got • book here which perhaps you
are not as funnier with as I am; it is a parlianientary blue
book. I will refer to it, but I am getting rather blind,
and am obliged to wear spectacles, so I shall be obliged if
you will excuse me. (Here the honourable member
adjusted his spectacles, and reed from the blue book.)
" Mr. Edward Mike (asked this question of the chairman of
the Galway Company, who was then under examination) :
Referring to the item in the balance sheet just put in, of
' 10,0001. remuneration to promoters in paid up shares, were
any members of parliament remunerated for their services
as promoters by paid up shares!—(They thought they had
me there. laughter.)—At the present moment Ido not
know that I can answer that question, because several of the
prime who had got paid up shares have returned them to
the company actually, and others have promised to do so.
The 10,000 shares wore etre:eddy provided by the articles of
the associationasbeiog snowed to be distributed amongst
the mornoters of the company, end they were distributed ;
2,5001. were given to Mr. Lever, and 2,5001. were given
to Mr. laiscandi, making 5,0001. in all, they being the
principal parties in getting up the line ; the remaining
5,0007. were rateably distributed amongst the other mem-
bers of the board, of whom I myself am one ; but I have
returned those shares to the company for the benefit of the
company, but if any gentlemen choose to retain them, they
are perfectly at liberty to do so under the articles of
association. —Were there—(thay asked, following up the
question) any members of parliament upon the list among
whom them 5,0001. of paid-up sheave were distributed ?
Yes, Yr. Lever was one. You have just stated that 5,0001.
was divided between Mr. Lever and Mr. Lasearidi?—Yes.
That left 5,000 f. And of that 6,000 f. wee any part given
to other members of parliament'—Lad Barn, who was
the deputy-Ashram, received, I think. 70 or 71 shares of
the soicant. Anybody else? No cue else. (Hear, hear.)
Are you sure !--Quite certain. (Cheers.) [They were so
longer to be beaten about the bash, and so they sand}—l
think we should have the particulars of the last 5,0001?
I have given them. I say that the remaining 11,0001. was
proposed to be equally distributed ameept the members of
the board Mee*. Were Mr. Lever aad Lord Bury the
only members of parliament on the board?—Mr. Roebuck
ad been open the besot but be bed reeked, and be had
never received any amount of the shares whatever • bat in
order to give the fullest answer to the question, it' is right
to say that be me offered them and that he refused them.
He never had them in his ' . Sir H. Willoughby,
(who thought he would e melt the whole matter, put it
thus:) Any statement that Mr. Roebuck had received any
portion of that mosey would be untrue. [The answer is)--
Absolutely false. (Loud cheers.) Without a shadow of
foundation ?—fstithout a shadow of foundation." (('hem.)
Now, then (continued Mr. Roebuck) so far as regards
the first acemation, I think 1 have answered that. (Hear,
hear.) Now then about the vote. What was the vote but
one for reform in parliament! What was my arnament
then ! Unterraptino.) Oh, I am not accustaued to die
very easily. (laughter and cheers.) I don't mean to go
from this mestieg, if you will allow me to speak, mail I
have fully cleared myself from the imputations os my
character. (Hear, hear.) The question was, reform ia
parliament. What was my argument? It was this,
that we were in a majority—that the friends of reform in
parliament were in a majority. I was given to understand
that Lord Derby's administration, having learnt by ex.
perience, were willing to bring in • better bill than be-
fore. We said, "We can make what we like of the bill
in committee ; let 112 pass it. Lord Derby is in a ma-
jority in the Howie of Lords, and am pees it there.
We shall get a reform bill if we keep them people in, but
as sure as we turn them out we shell have so reform bill
from the swcalledliberal party." (Hear, hear.) " Oh,"
they mid, " that is one of the wild assertions in which Mr.
Roebuck deals," and then came that vary beautiful adjunct
the imputation which I have answered. They said, , De-
-1 pend upon it, if we turn out Lord Derby, and bring in a