The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-22 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 22, 1861.

AIR. ROEBUCK ON OUR FOREIGN
RELLTION.

SHEFFIELD, WZDNEMDAT EVIIIING.

The Mayor and Corporation dined together this
evening in the Free Library. The borough members, Mr.
J. A. Roebuck sad Mr G. Hadfield, and the principal in-
habitants of the neighbourhood were present.
'ffise Maeoit (Mr. H. Vickers) proposed in succession the
meal loyal and patriotic toasts.
The toast of "The Borough Members" was proposed by
Alderman H. E. llootg, in responding to which,
Mr. Ror.arct, after some complimentary remarks,
and— It is evident to my mind that you, Mr. Mayor.
have not called us together merely out of com-
pliment, but to learn something from us of
the great questions of the day ; and, sir, I now
accept my owe suggestion, and will address myself to this
assembly, always remembering that lam not now speaking
to the House of Commons. There are many thing to
restrain and excite which are not here. Let not the present
company think that 1 bind my colleague to all I say. That
which I now say I may on my own responsibility. lam
about to take upon myself the duty of explaining what are
the chief points which now occupy attention. Whatever
may be the restrictions at such a meeting as this I believe
we are now going to talk about polities, and without politica
there is nothing in me. The boa. putleman then preaseaded
ts my, that he should range over the whole world, and that
should talk about France, about Austria, and about Ame-
lia', and in so doing he begged it to be understood that he
did ant wish to give offence to any one. Two great countries
bad bees attempting to come closer together by commas,
dal mates, sad that mainly by the attempts and labours at
Mr. Cobdsa. Between the people of France and the people
of raglans) an alliance could not be too intimate. Great
they were both, and mighty in their influence upon the
world. He honoured France and her people, and be be-
lieved that anything which would unite us to them would
he a bees& to both, and • benefit to mankind at large. I.
Whether the attempt would be successful be would not
presume to say. For himself, he was an ardent admirer of
Mr. Cobden, but be feared the commercial treaty would
not bear the fruits that gentleman anticipated. He hoped
he might be mistaken. (Hear, hear.) Nobody would feel
more than be did the advantages which were anticipated in
the treaty with France. If this commercial treaty was
the only circumstance of unison with France
he should say nothing more about it; but his boa.
colleague (Mr. Hadfield) would have to say why it
was that in a time of peace we in England were taxed
as if it were • time of war. The person who now headed
the great country of France was not able to follow all the
amicable desires that we had in our minds at present. He
would not allude to the circumstances which placed him
upon the throne of France, but those circumstances made
him, be would not say the slave, but they made him the
eervant of the army of France. (Hear, hear.) That army
now amounted to 600,000 wee, and there was a great fleet
around the coast. Why were they there ? (Hear, bear.)
They were there to threaten England, and he as an
Englishman was not born to be threatened with
impunity. (Applause.) The volunteers bad stetted
up— (hear, bear)—and we were now safe. And besides
this there was at the head of the administration—he said it
in the heating of men who did not believe in that adminis-
tration—there was at the head of the administration now clue
who cared for the honour and the safety of England. (Hear,
hear.) And so long as we had him there we were wife. (Loud
applause.) He had said that he was not great in the lan-
guage of compliment, but this he ssid from his very heart.
He felt the danger in which England was placed, and he
looked to him for the safety of the country ; and depend
upon it as soon as we got rid of that man we should got
rid of one of our great defences. He (Mr. Roebuck) had
never been a party man—all the world knew that. He
had, be believed, done his utmost on one occasion to turn
this very man out of office—(hear, tsar)—and he
thought he had succeeded—(laughter)—brat still be
said that Lord John Russell on making his fare-
well speech to the House of Commons made use of
words which ought to sink deep into the hearts of English-
men. Lord John said there were things in the conduct of
the Emperor of the French that created great doubt and
suspicion in the minds of the people of England. (Hear,
hear.) He (Mr. Roebuck) would one make known • secret.
He knew there had been a compact entered into with the
King of Italy that the Emperor of the French abould have
the Island of Sardinia so soon as he withdrew from Rome.
(Cries of "Shame.") He was stating a fact, not what lie
thought but what he knew, and he knew also that the peo-
ple of England would not allow that. (" Hear," and cheers.)
There was hanging over us now • cloud threatening wars
and that man at the head of the administration was ready
to battle against such aggrandisement on the part of France.
What he bad said would be verified before many months
elapsed. Such was the condition of England with rapid to
France ; and in such • position should we not look abroad
Forwhat means of defence was there against the Emperor of
the French making the Mediterranean a French lake?
I (Hem, hear.) Where were we to expect him to stop! He
knew he should be met with all aorta of imputatiose—("No.
no ")—but he said we must look to Austria. There
had been a remarkable article on the subject la the
Times, that great forerunner of opinion in Eng-
land, for it took its gauge from what was going
on, and sailed its articles to meet coming wants,
(Laughter.) The Times, then, had expounded its views
with regard to Austria ; and many of his hearers had so
' doubt read the article. Mr. Roebuck then went on to
say what Austria was doing, and be milked his hearers to
bear with him for • short time, because at the present mo-
ment penny papers and peony trumpeter—(laughter)—were
playing against him fur what he had said. Taught by ad-
versity and by experience the Emperor of Austria was ea-
deavouring to make his hitherto despotically ruled demi.
Moos a constitutional government. (Hear, hear.) Now,

he did not believe that experience made fooL wiser, but he
did believe that it made wise men weer, and experience
acting upon the young Emperor of Austria made him
determine to translate his government into a con.
atitutional government. (Hear, bear.) Some documents
had been given to hint from which he had made a few ex-
tracts. The Emperor of Austria bad endeavoured to make
the constitution of that country as nearly like that of Eng-
land as possible ; he had made a /louse of Lords and a Howie
of Commons, and had even gone beyond our constitution i
be bad given every distinct nation in his country a could-
tutional and a municipal government ; and when it is said
that the Emperor of Austria has only yielded to preemie,
be (Mr. Roebuck) knew what we yielded to when we gave
catholic emancipation. He recollected that fierce deem-
gegustYConnell declaiming against the union, and what said
oar great man on that occasion—the Duke of Wellington
(Hear, hear.) He said—" I will not face civil war, because
I know the miseries which war brings upon a people."
Catholic emancipation wee granted, and Las been acted epode
and are you not now • united people ! (Hear, hear.)
Again, who mule the aristocracy give up the corn laws!
Why, Mr. Cobden. He made • proposition to the landed
interest, of the country, and he dragged from the blade of
Sir R. Peel the emancipation of the country front the donti-
nice of the corn laws. (Applause.) Should it now be said
that the Emperor of Austria, taught widen) by Solferino,
was about to go from his word, after having givens coesti-
' tution to his people! Looking to the past, then—looking
to the future, and looking to ourselves, we ought to believe
1 that he, as an honest and as a wise man, would act up to his
word. (Hoer, bear.) The constitution of Austria would
eimeist of • House of Commune and • House of lards, that
wee like ourselves. The members of the House of Lords
would consist of princes of the imperial houses—that was
like ourselves ; the lauded hereditary nobility, and those
archbishops and bishops whose 'obis rank entitled them to
a seat—these also were like ourselves. The Emperor also
ordain that he shall call up those persona to life peereges
who have distinguished themselves by their abilities either
he eltureb, elate, literature, or arts. This was not like our-
selves. (Haar, bear.) The House of Commons would eon-
obi of 343 members, taken from the following places :
Sugary, 85 members; Bohemia, sf; Lombardy, 20;
Debealia,s ; Croatia and Sclavonie,9; Galicia, Lodoeria, the
Nay of Auschintu sad &too, and the Duchy of Cracow
38 : upper Austria, 18 ; Lower Austria, 10 ; Duchy of Salts-
,l
burg, 3; Maisano& 13; Ooriethie, 5; Urea, 6; Emlowina, 5;
Ekivisbereee, 36 ; Notevis Mabne, 22 ; Tyrol. 12 ; lair*
containing Sin °mamba 'ad City of Matte, 8; in all 343.
am, Oise, it will be asked can newsy he sped by

the Duchy of Austria, seeing that Upper Austria has 18,
and Lower 10 members. Austria desires, under her present
'Emperor, to be emancipated. Foreign nations only knew
Austria as Austria. They did not know its componeat parts
like the United States. We know nothing of New Yorks
Pennsylvania, Memacbusette, but we knowabout the United
States. The Emperor of Austria wants an empire in the
midst of Europe to communicate with other maims. It
had hitherto been united by the golden link of • crown, but
be would have it united by a constitutional governmant,an
imperial parliament, a House of Lords and a Homo of
Commons, representing each and every one of the separate
nationalities composing the empire. This the Emperor coo-
sidered would enable him to meet antagonistic powers upon
• great and fair field. He (Mr. Roebuck) would ask
whether, in this, Hungary was wise to eater fale
competition with her sovereign to impede him in so gnat
a work, became it gave to each avid every one
the power of governing themselves, and of
sending their own members to parliament, of putting upon
themselves taxation, and gave them the power of enabliser
the Emperor to meet the opposition power of Europe upon
an equality which he desired, sad whisk they also desired
under such circumetaaoes ? He (Hr. Roebuck) would ash
his countrymen whether, in what he had stated, there wee
anything to condemn, and whether they believed the 80.
peror of Austria was a sham? He used the weed
because it was a favourite word wit► pawls who
talked &bait a matter they did not understand.
He (Mr. Roebuck) would ds all he meld ton
create a power in the centre of Europe- —a constitution which
would admit ea free a parliament as our owe. He had now
travelled over Europe, and for a few momenta would cross
the Atlantic, and would ask what should be the conduct at
Englishmen with regard to the great contest going on is
America. He avowed that with regard to that country his
early anticipations bad been shaken. He believed
in the great men, the Washington, the Jeer-
eons, and others of peat times—(hear, hear)-4ml that
there was about to be shown to mankind a new era is
the government of man, that this people, instructed cad
well to do in the world, many of them men of rank, would
have governed themselves as men ought to do. He had
been miserably disappointed. (Hear, hear.) If we were
to say to an American " We give you every virtue under
heaven—we believe you to be the greatest people on
the earth, but still it seems to us you don't
speak English as it should be spoken—this you speak
through the nose"—(laughter)—Fire and fury would be the
answer. He would say—" Sir, with a mighty iadigoatioa I
grant you the imputation that we snuffle in our speech"—'
(laughter),—and then all we had stated on behalf of
this nation would be forgotten because we had said
th►t they snuffled in their speech. (Oh.) That, 11D.
fortunately, he (Mr. Roebuck) believed to be a true state-
ment of the present case. The unspeakable audacity, the
overbearing insolence of Americans—(hear, hear)—bad with-
drawn from them all sympathy on the part of the people et
England. (Hear, hear.) Looking at the great contest now
going on, was there a man in this country who did not in
his heart desire that the slave, might be free? (Hear. hear.)
These are with the North, our commercial interests are
with the South, but still we have acted throughout with
complete neutrality ; and what has been the consequence
We have been visited with abuse such as was never before
heaped upon us, and we have borne it with a magna-
nimity and carelessness which showed our superiority.
We must still, however, pursue our course of strict
neutrality with regard to the affair. Our heart.
and our wishes were with the oppressed. After further
remarks upon the slave question, Mr. Roebuck rammed
his seat amid great applause.
Mr. R. N. PHILLIPM next proposed the " House of
Commons."

G. HAI:MILD, E.q., responded, sod in the COllllllO of his
remarks expressed a fervent hops that, notwithstanding
what bad been stated by Mr. Roebuck, we should be
spared a war with any of the continental states.