The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-02 00:00:00

brain and a confident hand. Ten years ago there
might have been something to gain. To-day the em-
pire seems to be so secure th it there is nothing
know left
for it to win, Yet those who know France best,
attitude
that the empire must preserve an Imperil
if it wishes to be entirely secure; It will be difficult
for Louis Napoleon to pretend te; be ind,'fferellit
to the dying groans of Poland. Beside,' all
this, there is another reason why- IA
Napoleon is less likely than most mere of
his years and station to shut his ears again&
that sound. It is that with all his cold reserve,,
wit;e. all his saturinne and ironical silence, with
his diploioatic and Imperial airs of mystery, the
French Einperier is at times a generous man and an
enthusiast. It is cue ous and instructive to observe
how, upon the mass of contemporary history, the
like causes produce the like effects. A political
position, which is caused by a permanent evil, re-
produces and repeats itself. A little cycle of sum-
mers passes by, and we have once more the came
groups of figures in the same attitude and in the
same inextricable difficulty. Only the actors
change, or, rather, they do not change—they merely'
change places. Russia to-day stands where Aus-
tria stood yesterday, and Austria crosses over to
her rival's piece. It is the same problem, but those
who have to work it out are different. The Polish
nation of 1863 excites the same admiration and
sympathy as the Italy of 1858 and 1859. Prussia-
and Russia in Warsaw and in Pcsen are what Aus-
tria was at Milan and upon the Po. France again
assumes the dazzling form of an avenging angel,
destined, perhaps, to set the weary free from their
oppressor. Nor is the position of this country dis-
similar to its position at that time. England is per-
fectly aware of the injustice of many of the ar-
rangements made at the great Congress, and the
chronic dangers to which it gives rise in Europe.
Yet she has a material interest in seeing that France
does not swamp altogether the Conservative Powers
of the Continent.
Low TlMES.—Having had an opportunity of
seeing the answer of Mrs. Roupell and the exami-
nation of Harwood, the attesting witness, to the
disputed deed, we are enabled to give a more aces-
rate version of the story than that on which we com-
mented last week. The deed in question relates
only to the Roupell-park estate, and the circum-
stances are different from those that affect the other
properties. It is a deed of gift from the father and
mother of Wm. Roupell, acknowledged by her and
attested by one Alfred Douglas Harwood, a clerk of
Mr. Rees, who was the solicitor to the elder Rou-
pell, and in whose office Win. Roupell was articled.
This deed was drawn by counsel on Wm. Boupell's
instructions, engrossed at Waterlow's, and aileged
by the attesting witness to have been executed by
Mr. and Mrs. Roupell at their house in his presence;
Wm. Roupell asserts that the signature of his
father was forged by him ; Mrs. Roupell in her
answer admits that she executed the deeds, but
states her belief that the signature of her husband
is a forgery. Harwood swears that both were
genuine ; that the signatures both of husband end
wife were affixed to the deed in his presence and in
the presence of one another. Thus we have the
ex-
traordinary conflict of testimony ; one of the
parties dead ; another of the parties admit-
ting that her signature is genuine, but declaring
her belief that the signature of the dead man
is a forgery, and being joined in this by the
son in whose favour the deed was made, who de-
clares that he had himself forged the signature of
his father to the deed, and that the attesting witness
did not see the signature by the donor. The ques-
tion is, of course, which is to be believed ? On the
one side there is a convict accusing himself of
atrocious crimes, and his mother, who has the
strongest motive for invalidating the deed ; on the
other there is the attesting witness, and who seems
to have no motive for being a party to such a trans-
action. It appears that Harwood did not, as we
had supposed, lie by during the first litigation, but
that he has from the first protested the validity of
the signature and his own integrity as attesting
witness. It had also seemed strange that he had
not been produced before. But the facts are, that
the mortgagees of the Roupell-park estate, who
claim under this deed, are in possession ; their title
has not yet been litigated, and therefore no cppor-
iunity has been given to them to adduce the testi-
mony they have possessed from the beginning in
support of their deed. The matter has been pub-
lished now in consequence of their having, for self.
protection, instituted a suit for the perpetuation of
the testimony of the witness Harwood. He has been
subjected to the severest cross•examination at
several sittings; the official report of it is before us,
and we cannot find the slightest appearance of his
evidence having been shaken upon any of the cir-
cumstances attending the transaction in question,
although some doubts are thrown over his general
character. It is said that, in addition to this, it
will be proved that the elder Roupell withdrew this
estate from his accounts immediately after the
period of the alleged execution of the deed, and
that William Roupell dealt with it as his own, with
the knowledge and consent of his father. The case
is, indeed, another instance of the saying that
" truth is stranger than fiction."

COUNTRY MARKETS.

'

NORTHAMPTON—SATURDAY.
New wheat, 43s to 50s; old, 48s to 555. Barley, 29
to 42s per qr. New oats quoted at 22s to 27.. ; old, 28,44i°
to 35s per 24 stone. Beans, old, 39s to 425; new, 32s
365. Peas, 34s to 40s per qr.

NORWICH—SATURDAY.
There was a fair supply of wheat to-day, but the de"
mend was still limited, and prices were in favour of the
buyer. Barley in moderate show, and brought high rated.
White wheat. 4s to 509 i Red wheat 42s to 460
Malting barley ...37s to 40s 1 Chevalier barley 35, to 36s
Distilling do 32s to 34s 1 Oats.. 24, to 284
Flour, 34s Od to —s Oct per sack from the miller.

NOTTINGHAM—SATURDAY.
White wheat, from 44s to 62s ; red wheat, 44s to 54,1E7,
Barley—malting, 34s to 43s , grinding, 28s to 30s. 04,,'s
old, at 25s to 31s Od ; new, 22s to 278. Beans sold at 3"
to 45s per qr, Flour, 33s to 435.

YORK— BAzu RDAY.
At to-day's corn market the supply of farmers' wheat Wie
moderate, with a fair trade, at the prices of last week, is
Wheat, red .42s to s i Oats . 2os to 24
White do .50s to 52s 1 Beans 36,3 to 42s
Barley .28s to 35s j Peas to ~g
Malt, 64s to 66s per qr. ; rye, 34s per qr ; flour, 316
to 39s per sack.

LE ICE STE R—SATURDAY. 36
Old white wheat, 52s to 60s ; new, 48s to 50g perQ,
stone. Old red, 52s to 54s per 36 stone. Barley, inalbl
new, 34s to 38s per qr.; grinding, 27s to 30s ; old oa ;
27s to 30s; new oats, 2ls to 25s per 24 stone. Dean
new, —s to —s ; old, 42s to 44s per 38 stone.