The Express.
London, England, 1868-01-27 00:00:00

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

MR.. ROEBUCK has never more than one subject.
He calls it politics, but it is really himself.
Speaking on Friday to a trading corporation, he
stated that as everything which affects the
minutest portion of human existence has an effect
upon commerce, so almost any subject might be
brought within the programme of commercial
transactions. This excuse might have prefaced
a lecture on the novels of Sir WALTER Seorr, the
origin of species, or the differential calculus. " All
" things, by a law Divine, in one another's
" being mingle ;" and everything is influenced
by everything else. Whatever topic Mr.
Roenuce might have selected in virtue of this
comprehensive principle of association, we know
how it would have ended—in Mr. Rozarre. But
the need of these methods of approaching his great
theme is not obvious. If the smallest thing which
affects the minutest portion of human existence
has an effect upon commerce, Mr. ROEBUCK
is not wholly without influence on commerce.
Mr. Itoimuce on Himself would have been a topic
sublime in its simplicity. Ho modestly pre-
ferred, however, to call his subject politics. The
difference is ono of words, and not of things.
Politics, to the member for Sheffield, means Mr.
ROEBUCK.
There has been much dispute as to the real
author of the Reform Act of last session. The
rival claims of Mr. DISRAELI, Mr. GLADSTONE, and
Mr. Bitteirr have been warmly set forth. Even
Mr. BKALEs has not wanted backers. Mr. Roe-
Duce brings forward a new candidate for this dis-
tinction. It is, of PRIMO, Mr. Ro►aaru:K. When
the present Government came into office the
member for Sheffield determined on his course.
" I made a resolution to myself, having got Lord
" Deaur once again into power, that I would, if
" possible, screw out of him a real Reform of
" Parliament." Everyone knows the result. Mr.
Roenrce has published, though the world bas for-
gotten the fact, a " History of the Whig Mi•
" nistry of 1830," in which he professes to give
the secret history of the Reform Act of 1832,
distinguishing its real from its putative author,
disclosing who made and who marred it, bringing
to light this man's jealousy and that man's
patriotism, in a very circumstantial narrative,
which lacks no element of value and interest but
evidence and probability. His speech at Sheffield
contains the outlines of a history of the Act of
1867. Its author, as we have seen, was Mr.
Itozeuee. Its first conception was in his fixed
resolve to screw a real Reform out of Lord Dauer.
The gestation was long and the delivery painful ;
but there was its beginning. Mr. Roenuee'sl
retrospect aloes nut commence here. The reason
of the failure of the previous measure of 1866
is slightly adverted to by him. H we are to
judge from some enigmatic hints, the secret in-
trigues of the PRIME MINISTER against his own
colleagues were the real cause of the mis-
carriage. Lord PALMERSTON died "without
" carrying a Reform Bill "—Mr. ROEDUIIi
having neglected to make a resolution to screw
one out of him—" leaving the Government to
" Lord RUSSELL and his coadjutor, Mr. GLAD-
" arose. The moment they came into power
" Mr. GLADSTONE proposed a Reform Bill. That,
" sir, was too great a thing for Lord RUSSELL
" ever to forget and forgive ; but I will not
" say forgive." Mr. ROEBUCK, having thrown
out this dark hint, breaks off. He refuses to
complete his revelation. Did Lord RUSSELL
desire, bursting through the trammels of the
Peerage, to come down to the House of Com-
mons and propose the Reform Bill himself
Was Mr. Lowe acting at his instigation and
under his instruction in the celebrated negotia-
tions with the Tory Opposition which, backed
by the want of temper which Mr. Ramiro:
deplores in Mr. GLADSTONE, ended in the with-
drawal at once of the measure and of the Ministry?
Tho opposing forces must have been strong, since
Mr. ROEBUCK'S " steady support" of Mr. GLAD-
STONE was unable to overcome them ; just as in
1859, to quote his modest confession, "I was
" unequal to the work of keeping Lord DERBY in
" power." The graceful humility of these acknow-
ledgments will imprimis every one. Even Mr.
Rozeree is not politically omnipotent. The per-
versity of human nature and the violence of fac-
tion are sometimes too much for him. But the
achievement of last year remains. The " resole-
" tion" which Mr. Itoeeues " made to himself "
did what the thirteen resolutions which Mr.
DISRAELI proposed to the House of Commons
were unable to effect. Like all great men, how-
ever, Mr. ROEBUCK hiss had experience of popular
ingratitude. His conduct last session was received
" with a yell of disapprobation," which Mr. ROE-
BUCK rebukes in a burst of dignified moral do-
quence which we cannot refrain from quoting :
I was lectured—oh, dear ! one would have fancied that
I had been a child—(laughter)--to be taught by everybody
who wielded a pen, whether in a provincial newspaper or
elsewhere. (Laughter.) Oh, I was to be treated as a child,
and it was thought that I did not know my duty. It was
said to me that I was opposing my friends, that I was
giving great offence, that I did not know what I was
doing. Oh, dear! poor creatures. (Laughter.) Having
passed so long a life in public business, I did not know
what I was doing. Time went on, and I was celled epee
to resign my seat by certain people in this town calling
themselves reformers. Oh, wretched people, to teach oe !
(" Hear, hear," and laughter.)
In sarcastic and ejaculatory eloquence the com-
bined powers of Mias Mum, Mrs. MAcSTINOER,

(THIS DAY.)

THE CONDITION OF RAILWAY PROPIRTY.
The dejected condition of the railway property
of the United Kingdom is the subject of an elaborate
article in the Daily News. It is pointed out that our rail-
way stocks, next to the public funds, have been the great
reserve of the community, and that the serious aspect of
what we are now passing through is that it is not • crisis
but • state of things arising from a gradual
extension of vices in railway practice. Warning the public
against mere mechanical and fantastic remedies, the Daily
News urges that the only security for reform is in the
intelligence and vigilance of proprietors. The closing of
the capital account, which is just now the great panacea, in
the sense of putting a atop to the practice of di-
rectors in resorting to that account for the purposes of di-
vidend, is one of the first necessities. Boat closing
the capital account in • literal and absolute sense is im-
practicable as applied to every line. Oar present system,
honestly worked, is sufficient to protect the integrity of
capital, and secure the payment of dividend, provided
only those mistakes of policy which are above and beyond
systems, and depend on the wisdom or weakness of share-
holders, be avoided. In this matter of capital and revenue,
it is a radical reform of our practice, not the revolu-
tionising of our system, that u wanted.
The Daily Neira expresses its astonishment at the
audacity of the Caledonian board in re-printing Sir C.
Wood's despatch on Indian railways, in which their own
practices are so plainly condemned. It is as though The
' Artful, taken before Sir Robert Carden for filching a
handkerchief, were to produce, not • copy of " Prondhon,"
but a pocket Bible, and read out the Eighth Command-

ment.
Describing the defence of the directors of the Cale-
donian Railway, the Times asks bow it is possible that
railway accounts can be satisfactorily kept or railway pro.
party adequately protected under conditions like theme ?
If money is to be continually borrowed, and if the revenue
of the future is to be continually charged with the interest
of these successive loans, who is to tell what the revenue
of the future will be, or what the value of a share
entitling its proprietor to a dividend from that revenue?
If railway proprietors in whose hands the case now re-
mains take in any one year more profit than has been
earned in the shape of dividend, the excess, they may be
certain, will be set down againit them in the value of their
shares.

MR. IROTBUCK.
The hon. member for Sheffield and his late irpoech are
referred to by several of the journals. The comments
of the Tines are such as the hon. member would
consider complimentary. He is described as one of a
class always popular amongst Englishmen. With-
out being precisely • humouriat in the old-fashioned sense
of the word, he is yet full of those sharp turns and
sudden eccentricities of expression which betoken • pecu-
liar and original individuality. He is, before and above
all things—himself. He teats on no man's authority ; be
quotes no man's words ; he is never known jurarc in verbs
magistri. What he has to say may be accurate or inac-
curate, true or false, but it is his own. As to his remarks
on Ireland. however, the Times differs from him so far
as to doubt whether some modification of the existing law
might not help for ward the improvement of the sister
Wand.
The Herald, after praising Mr. Roebuck, also expresses
the opinion that on the subject of Ireland the hon. mem-
ber goes too far in assuming that there is no scope for
immediate legislation. The government is iu advance of
Mr. Roebuck in this matter. He flatly declines to yield
an inch, while Lord Stanley admits that the principle of
granting compensation to tenants has certain claims to
consideration, provided it is not pushed to the irrational
demand that land tenants shall be converted into owners
by an of parliament. It would be neither generous nor
wise to meet any reasonable proposition■ which may be
brought forward in behalf of Ireland with the blunt rebuff
indicated in the language of Mr. Roebuck. A refusal may
be inevitable, but at least we can afford to listen to •
request before rejecting it.
Once upon a time, says the Star, the name of Mr. Roe-
buck was placed high on the list of radical reformer'.
His energy, his intrepidity, his caustic eloquence, secured
for the impracticable politician who now represents Shot-
field a foremost position in a House of Commons still
thrilling with the new political life bestowed by the first
Reform 11111. But, like some statesmen more renowned
than be could ever have hoped to become, Mr. Roebuck
was cursed with a temper which practically ostracised him
in public affairs. His tetchy humour and arrogant bear-
ing offended whigs and tories alike, and kept him aloof
from the independent politicians who followed Mr. Cobden.
So it came to pass that a great talent for business and
foe debate was buried away in the egotistic bitterness
of a disappointed ambition. For some years, therefore, Mr.
Roebuck's annual addresses to his constituents at Sheffield
have excited no stronger feeling amongst the liberals,
against whom he thin periodically raves, than a pismire
contempt.

zinninum AT THE UST MM.
The Standard discusses the proceedings at the meeting
of masters and men held in the Burdett-hall, Limehouse,
on Saturday. The question, it says, is coining to an issue.
The band of benevolence has been stretched out to help
the shipwrights and others who have been unable to find
work. It now rests with the working men of Millwall—at
least so far as a large number of them are concerned—to
help themselves. Work is offered to them, work
at their own trade, but at reduced prime ; and
if they wish for employment they must consent to
such terms as will yield • profitable balance to their em-
ployer. What those terms are has bean pretty clearly
shown by Mr. Bullivant, wbo, after asking in vain for the
men to give him a price, gave one himself. If the men
agree to the proposal, one if not two iron ships, of a thou-
sand tons each, will be forthwith commenced. Mr.
Bulli-
vont offers to pay at the rate of W. per ton upon the
weight of the finished iron work, audit is understood that
the present rate of payment is W. per ton, so that the re- '
auction is not a very alarming affair. The great practical
result of the meeting was the appointment of a conunittee
of workmen to confer with the employers. This code-
renal, it may be hoped, will remove false impressions and
end the difficulties of the case. The revival of the ship-
building industry of the Thames would be an enormous
advantage, and would remedy the distress where it has
been the keenest. The public will watch the progress of
this question with peculiar interest.

Drs. Norman Macleod and Watson arrived in
Madras on the 21st of December, on their tour of inspec-
tion of the Scotch Mission in Indi► On the morning of
the following day Dr. Watson, and in the evening Dr.
Macleod, preached at St. Andrew's Church in aid of the
funds of the Church of Scotland Indian Misrion.
Mr. JohnStuartMill,M.P., rector of St. Andrews
University, has appointed Andrew Findlater, LLD.. his
assessor in the University Court, in room of the late Dr.
Clerk, of Glasgow.
The Right Hon. Milner Gibson, M.P., has in-
timated his intention of addressing his oonstitnents at
Ashtoneuider.Lyne next Tuesday evening.
HEALTH OF THE EARL or Di/MT.—We have
pleasure in being able to state that, from inquiries made
on Saturday afternoon, the Premier, who during the past
week has been suffering from an acute attack of his old
enemy, the gout, is now rapidly recovering. The attack
was so severe that the noble sari was confined to his bed
the whole of last week ; but be was so far recovered an
Saturday as tc be able to walk about his room, and hie
present essmdesesst state Weems Ike hope and expects.
him that he will be able to leave Knowsley for London in
the coons of a week or ten days, in order to melds at tbe
Cabinet Conseil. of the sitaistry, which are aow beginning
to be held—Livered
CzYsTm. PeLecz.—The holiday amusements will
be continued daily this and oast week, except es
astsudsys.