The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-05 00:00:00

411.- ROEBUCK .11 d 1141. COPPOCK.
TO THE ED!TOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,--May I beg your insertion of the eneioscd
oorrEspondence and statement. The publicity which
Roebuck's statement in the Ilouse of Commons
as obtained, must plead my excuse for trespassing on
your columns.
I am, Sir, your very obedient v>rvnnt,
JAMES COPPOC K.
3, Cleveland-row, March 5, 1852.

TO THE EDITOF OF THE SUN.
S111)--in the Times of Tuesday, the 17th of
February,
I find the following report of the pro-
ceedings in the House of Commons, on the previous
evening
Mr. Roebuck begged to inform the Noble Lord
(Lord Claude Hamilton). that be for one, had hsd no-
.thing to do with Mr. Coppock, in any of his elec,ioes;
"d that Mr. Coppock would never have dared to come
there he was a candidate, pretending to be un his side.
Lie had stood always on his own ground; mai as to his
expenses, which, in relation to his elections, hA never
gene a farthing beyond the bowl fide legitina,te ex.
.tenses, he had in each case been oisocctly told by thme
who elected hint, that he was in no degree to consider
himself called upon to meet them.
" Lord C. Hamilton—' la not the Honourable
and Learned Gentleman a member of the Reform Club?'
" Ur. Roebuck—' Yes I am, but I never go there.'"
I was greatly astonished when I saw the foregoing
report—the general accuracy of the Parliamentary
reporters, and the distinctness of the averments made
by Mr. Roebuck, were assurances against misrepre-
sentation ; but before I gave implicit credence to what
I had read, I inquired from several Members of Par-
liament if they had heard the words uttered by Mr.
Roebuck. One and all confirmed the report.
It has therefore been asserted by Mr. Roebuck,
in his capacity of a Member of Parliament,-.let, that
he had never had anything to do with me in any of
his elections; 2dly, that I should never hare dared to
Como whore he was a candidate, pretending to be
on his side ; and, 3dly, that, in effect, in all
his elections, he had been returned free of expense,
and had been Under no pecuniary obligations to others
for those expenses, or for providing funds to meet
them. These three assertions are false. I regret that
1- am Compelled to prove them so. Mr. Roebuck's
-statement as to never going to the Reform Club can
he proved false also, at least a hundred times within
the last twelve months, but I confine myself to the
assertions which I can disprove under Mr. Roebuck's
°W. ° hand.
a 1841, Mr. Roebuck was not in Parliament,
but being anxious to get returned at the then coming
election, he sought constant communication with me
"P°ll the subject. Great difficulties Exists d, as to his
again contesting Bath—where, although he had
many political friends, he had numerous personal op-
P° netts. One section of the Liberal party remained
attached to him; a considerable body wished to ex-
de him. Before he could stand fur Bath, therefore,
conciliate
any prospect of success, it was necessary to
IC:ciliate and re-combine the entire Liberal con-
stituency, It was at one time proposed that he
4(411(1 abandon Bath and go elsewhere ; but this
could not be managed.
Mr. Roebuck came almost daily to my house in
L'Aeveland•row, until the 17th May. On that day
arranged with me that he would go down to Bath,
f"
eel his way with his old constituency, and report to
ra
ebow matters stood.
On the 20th May he thus wrote to me :
" Bath, May, 'Thursday 20, 1841.
"my dear Sir,—l am now in a condition to tell
Son the atate of this town as to the supposed coming
You may apply to any one here you
Please and I feel confident that what I am about to
.assert will be confirmed, not disputed.
If I were to retire to-morrow you would to a
certainty have in the two Tories-7CO voters at least
mould plump for me to-morrow, and if I were to re-
we a large portion of these would at once go over to
the Tories.
" Though thus strongly feeling in my favour, they
am also confident would be sincere supporters of any
Liberal candidate who would fairly join with me,
414 if such can be found, we are sure of a victory.
"Captain Scobell dues not stand ; his health will
not permit him. This has been ascertained by appli-
fttian to himself, and he has distinctly declined to
come forward.
"Mr. Ellis, whom you mentioned, is too ill, and
'4 fact too much afflicted by his late loss, to wish to
bear the noise of an election ; he also declines. The
field is thus completely open for a good man.
: Some of the Whigs (so called) here, profess such
tt °°B hatred to me, as to prefer a Tory to voting for
toe' But if the Government desire a Whig of any
theft to Come in, if they wish to keep the Tories out,
fon/ must not hesitate to declare this obstinacy,
..ivist These headstrong people, if they bad their
' if I were at once to retire to please them, would
tnthemselves and their candidates in a miserable
nerity.
to" We propose to have a public meeting to let the
keeilt body of the Liberals who call themselves Whigs
clw What are our views, and what we desire of
is,-_
wi:l't• To send us a good name to be proposed as a
.14.1!g----Gisborne has been mentioned as a person ac-
te"ble to the Dissenting bodies here, many of whom
~rhf:s
themselves Whigs. My strength is above
dre'tivu° i if to these you can add two or three hun-
avo °f those who hold off from us, our victory
• h.'w d not simply be certain, but overwhelming.
Ais the Government may do if they please, by send-
a lag
Such a man as the one I have named, either
himseif
or one like him. The expense will be trifling,
tare thing, and the game sure. Noe', if you can
send
1„ me the name of a good man by Monday, when
are to have oar meeting, I could propose and se-
°ere him.
• :2' We wish you would intimate to your friends
Pere, I mean your leading Whigs, the wishes of your
dust
If an appeal is to be made to the country, you
. ‘4ll/4 do it wisely. Your existence will depend on
lour numbers, and our numbers will depend upon a
to-o-
r managiment of your own friends. They are
no ooconditionsconditionsto be supercilious They cannot have
it all their ow,
minority inaco;
satyi
t„uaenndcymtuos t
putb be
ucopntent when in a
the members. Ifwith one-half
s'o could come down yoursi.
(incog• mind), much good
lowing persons ought to might be done. The fol-
be spoken to, they are wilful,
vain fools, who dread to be
e‘mquer:d by their Radi
41 neighbours .*****,
****, Dr."***, Dr. ******, Mr. ******
• 14
• If the Whig Government really desire to have
two Liberals in and keep out two Tories—if they do
not hate me so much as to desire to have four votes
against them, rather than let me in---they may easily,
against the Tories. If
cheaply win the victory you
will come down I will make this apparent to you in
half. an-hour.—Yours,
.
"James Coppock, Esq. "J A. Ronsucx.
"Direct to me White Hart, Batb."
.j 0 this letter I immediately attended. I wrote to
all the parties named by Mr. Roebuck, and to him I
replied as follows :
.
l 4 3, Cleveland-row, 21st May, 1841. th,
'ivi
11„1_, MY dear Sir,—Your retirement from B
Ler the circumstances, is out of the cltiesti°b:
It
therefore necessary to pair you with a man who
:an bring to you, and receive from you, the whole
etiPPott of the party. There is the most sincere de-
:re here to effect this, and I have no doubt we shall
able to manage it. Gisborne cannot be had for
ala.th, he
is wanted elsewhere ; but I hope that to-
:rv°llr or Monday we shall get a proper man. It
°Uhl be better that the Whig party in Bath should
should
nominate their candidate than that you
do it ; but if you or your friends will, regard-
eB4 of town's rumour, leave the matter to us here, I
feel certain that an acceptable man will come forward.
"Everything shall be done to win over the parties
you name to sensible views of the present crisis.
There must be general conciliation, and no obstinate
adherence to old prejudices.
~ I
cannot stir from this place until the fight is
ev • soft" ; but I shall be ready to act upon any advice
give, and to avail myself fully of any m
sug-
be" which may tend to secure the two seats for
Ul.-4 am, my dear Sir, yours faithfully,
" JAMES COPPOCIC,

• A. Roebuck, Esq."
tiah acknowledgment of this letter, Mr. Roebuck
Wrote to me :
foL% dear Sir,—Nothing can be more straight,-
th-"ards moreffair, and permit me to say more wise,
f!Ill the course )ou propose to adopt. find all my
ends. Willing to accede at once to your views, and
leiwe the choice of a iecoudi candidate„ entirely to