The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-01 00:00:00

TESTIMONIAL TO MR. ROEBUCK.

The people of Sheffield have decided that a testimonial
shall be given to Mr. Roebuck in acknowledgment •of
the great services he has rendered to the public during a
Parliamentary career which has now extended over well-
nigh a quarter of a century. It is the general belief that
Mr. Roebuck has done a good deal for this country ; it
is perfectly clear that this country has done nothing for
Mr. Roebuck. Whatever party might be uppermost—
no matter who was " in" and who " out "—the time
never came for appointing him to any place of trust or
emolument. There are many posts which he would
have been well fitted to fill, but there was always some
Cheshamite of reserved manners—some sonorous member
of the Brass Band—some eager and expectant lawyer—
whose claims were paramount to those of Mr. Roebuck.
We take his tube no ordinary case. Whatever his political
heresies may occasionally have been, and, like all men
of aggressive nature, he has from time to time fallen
into error and exaggeration—he has come out of the
political slough with less dust about his coat than any
English statesman who has taken an equally prominent
part in public affairs. It would be easy enough to quote
against him certain sarcasms best forgotten—certain
asperities of temper best forgiven—but can any man
who has attended to the course of debate affirm that
Mr. Roebivek, during the quarter of a century over
which his public life has extended, ever gave a vote from
any motive save conviction, ever advocated a cause which
he did not believe to be that of truth, or that he was ever
silent, from fear, or favour, in the presence of an abuse ?
If what we say be true, this is no ordinary commenda-
tion. Now, it is somewhat of a reflection upon the great
leaders of party that they were always so occupied
in satisfying the claims of their own immediate followers
that they could never find means of "doing something,"
as the phrase runs, for so considerable a man. Persons
who have occupied so prominent a share in debate as he
has done, and who have obtained so high a measure of
respect throughout the country, are in fairness entitled
to some share in the administration of public affairs.
Noble lords who are charged with the duty of forming a
Cabinet should consider that they are not likely to be
troubled by many non-applicants of this description.
There are but one or two such men in a generation.
Honesty without ability won't constitute a claim,
still less ability without honesty. Besides, to a
certain extent, the res angusta should be taken
into account. If a man is known to be in the
receipt of 50,0001. per annum, clear of income•tax, of
course the necessity for appointing him to a place, or the
propriety of presenting him with a valuable testimonial
in reward for his public services, is diminished in a very
eminent degree.
This, then, is a reason why there is a peculiar pro-
priety in the proposal now in agitation at Sheffield for
presenting Mr. Roebuck with some testimonial in ac-
knowledgment of his public services. He has struggled
and suffered for the people ; it is, therefore, but reason-
able that the people should show themselves not un-
grateful to a man who has sacrificed place and power for
their sake and for the sake of honesty. Had he thrown
himself heart and hand into the service of any of the
great cliques by which the country has been governed
Mr. Roebuck's fortunes would, no doubt, have
been very different from what they are. He has,
however, taken the better course. He has not paltered
with his conscience, nor violated the confidence placed in
him by his constituents for the sake of his own private
advantage. Under ordinary circumstances we have the
very strongest objections to testimonials of this kind.
Nothing would be more fatal to the public service than
that an idea should get abroad that men could agitate
and bellow themselves into the possession of 20,0001.,
30,0001., or 50,0001., by sheer brass of visage and
strength of lung. Our young Brutuses—especially our
forensic Brutuses—would perorate for a testimonial
as they now perorate for judgeships, secretaryshins, &c. ;
in short, the practice would become a public nuisance.
Mr. Roebuck's career, however, has been singularly
free from any taint of this kind. He has been
just as ready to run a-muck against his own constituents
—witness Bath—at a moment's notice, as to tilt against
the Treasury Bench. Still better, if we may venture
for a moment to allude to matters with which in strict-
ness the public have no concern, it is well known that
Mr. Roebuck's private life has been as entirely marked
by independence, respectability, and decency as his
public career has been upright and honest. He is not
introduced befne the public in forma pauperis. There
is nor proposition for paying off his debts, or relieving
him from embarrassment. It is, if we understand
aright the language of the speakers at the Sheffield
meeting, their wish to bestow some mark of honour upon
a man universally respected, as being due to him and an
encouragement to others to follow in his footsteps.—
Time 4.

MARKET NEWS.-(THIS DAY.)

COVENT GARDEN.

Very large supplies of fruit and vegetables were on sale
to-day, and the demand ruled steady, as follows :
FRUIT.—Pine apples, English, 3s to 6s per lb; colonial
do., is to 3s each ; hot-house grapes, is 6d to 4s Od per lb ;
foreign ditto, Od to Os Od ; melons, is Od to .5s each;
peaches, 8s Od to 15s ; nectarines, 5s Od to 12s per dozen ;
apples, is 6d to 4s 04.1 per half sieve ; pears, 23 0,1 to
3s per half sieve ; Orleans plums and green gages is Od to
3s per punnet ; apricots, Is to 3s per doz. ; common plums,
2s 0 to 4s per half sieve ; cherries, 2d to 6d per pound;
lemons, 4s to 8s Od per 100 ' • oranges 8s to U
1) s per 100; fil-
berts, 10d to is 2d pet 1; cobnuts, Os to Os ; almonds,
Os to Os per lb. ; walnuts, 64:1' to is per 100; figs, 3s Od
to Gs Od per doz ; strawberries, 2d to Gd per pottle ; goose-
berries, is 6d-to 2s Od per half sieve ; currants, Sc del to
4s Od per half seive ; raspberries, 2d to 6d per pottle.
VEGETABLEts.—White cabbages, 6d to is 3d per dozen;
red ditto, 2s to 5s Od per dozen ; French beans, is 6
to 2s 6d per half sieve ; brocoli, Od per bund. ; potatoes, 45s
to 90s per ton ; vegetable marrow, 6d to is per doz. ; peas,
4s to 6s Od per bushel; broad beans, is Odto is 9d per half
sieve ; turnips, ,!d to 6d per bunch ; carrots, 3d to 6d per
bunch ; cucumbers, Os Id to Os 9d each ; garlic, 6d to
Os 8d per pcund ; spinach, is Od to 2s Od per sieve ;
old onions, Os Od to Os Od per bushel ' • new ditto, id to
4d per bunch; leeks, 2d to 3d per bunch ; shallots,
4d to 6d : horse-raddish, 2s Od to Is o,i per bundle ; parsley,
2d to 3d per bunch ; celery, is Od to is 3d por
bunch ; endive, is to 2s 3d per score ; beet, is Gd to 2s
per doz. ; parsnips, Os 6d to is Od per dozen ' • small
salad, 2d to 3d per punnet ; mushrooms, is to is 6d per
pottle ; artichokes, 4s to 6s per doz. ; cabbage lettuces.
9d to is per score ; sorrel, 6d to is per half sieve ;
radishes, is to is 3d per dozen hands ; tomatoes, is to 2s
6d per half sieve • chillies, is to is Gd per 100; Brussels
sprouts, is Od to is Od per half sieve ; capsicums, is to 2s
dozen,; walnuts pickling, Gd to is per 100; cauliflowers,
2a to Gs per doz.