The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-26 00:00:00

SKETCH OF MR. ROUPELL.

Mr. Roupell has been sketched from memory as
follows, by an observer who used to notice him from
the ladies' gallery of the house :—" Mr. Roupell
was well known in the house, not from his standing
therein, or any influence which he possessed, but
rather as a young man representing a large consti-
tuency, which from its magnitude is supposed to be
beyond the reach of corruption, and which never-
theless cost Mr. Roupell upwards of £9,000, when
he sought the privilege of representing it. Up to
March last Mr. Roupell ,was looked upon in the
house as one of the wealthy commoners of England.
A domain in the immediate neighbourhood of the
metropolis bore his name, and Roupell-park had
only to be mentioned in the southern districts of the
metropolis to conjure up, in the mind of the hearer,
visions of vast wealth and territorial power.
When Mr. Roupell was elected, he drove round the
chief streets of Lambeth at the head of a length-
ened cortege, which looked like the precession of a
conqueror, as indeed it was. Mr. Roupell was at
that time regarded as the man of gold of Lambeth,
and when he rode in triumph round the borough,
with his mother seated in the carriage beside him,
there were few who looked upon him who did not
feel something akin to envy at the brilliant destiny
to which, apparently, he had been called. We Neel,
recollect the first appearance of Mr. Roupell in the
House of Commons. In the way of oratory or
statesmanship nothing was ever expected of him,
and therefore no one was disappointed at his legis-
lative career. He could, however, speak not only
with fluency, but with appropriate taste. -We
heard his first speech in the House of Commons
and we heard his last ; and the last, too, that he
can ever made in any assembly of tbo kind,
whatever may be his future destiny. Although
Mr. Roupell entered the legislature so triumph-
antly, yet his Parliamentary career was beset with
thorns from the very commencement. He had
not been in the house in any weeks before the omi-
nous threats of a petition was heard, and it was
speedily carried out. His election was petitioned
against on the ground of corruption, and a length
ened investigation took place. Before the com-
mittee appointed to try the merits of the petition
Mr. Roupell was himself examined at great length,
and we remember that in the course of that exami-
nation he was asked a question and gave an answer
which are worth recalling as a kind of commenter}
upon the proceedings of the past week. He was
closely questioned with regard to his payments on
account of the public-houses, and as to some alleged
underhand proposition that had been made to him,
which he repudiated. The examining counsel then
put this question to him Suppose such a pro-
position had been made to you, what course would
you have adopted with regard to it ?' And the an-
swer of Mr. Roupell was this : ' If:any man were to
make such a proposition to me, or to make any kind
of diehonoursble proposition, I would knock hire:
down.' It is believed that the apparent frankness
of that answer greatly influenced the committee in
their decision, and they declared Mr. Roupell duly
elected. And yet at that very moment he was
raising money upon deeds that he had himself
forged, upon spurious documents which he himseld
had concocted, and upon a fictitious will which le
had manufactured almost in the presence of his d, ead
father's body. And who could ever have enter
taint d a suspicion of these things from an obi;et:va-
tion of the man in the House of Commons ? No-
body. He looked like a frank gentleman ; bat it is
now unhappily demonstrated that he was dissimu-
lation itself. He was rather short in stature; had
an open, ingenuous countenance, which was adorn( 'd
with a profusion of light beard, and at a distance)
he presented a strong personal resemblance to the
late Mr. Albert Smith."

DISTRESS IN LANCASHIRE.

Mr. Lawson and Mr. Potter, the members for Carlisle,
were present at the annual fish dinner to the Mayor of
Carlisle, on Friday last, at King Garth. In responding to
the toast of " The health of the city members,"
Mr. LAWSON said he was afraid not much had been done
for the public good in the late session. Lord Palmerston
had told the people at Dover that the session was quite
remarkable for the number of public benefits enacted, but
with that tact for which he was celebrated, the noble
lord had taken good care not to enumerate thettn.
(Laughter) Afte referring to some of the measures
which had been before Parliament, Mr. Lawson alluded
to the prevailing distress. He said : We feel that distress
in Carlisle, though I do not know that it is yet so bad as
in some parts of Lancashire; but I know it is very great.
It behoves us all to do what we can for the relief of that
distress; but I don't know that much can be done in the
way of legislation. A bill has been passed to meet the
difficulty, and I trust it will have the intended effect. The
cause of that distress we all know, is the sad state
of affairs in America. What are the causes of that war
that fratricidal war, or who is to blame are not topics
on which we can properly descant at present. There are
different opinions on the subject—some think one right
and some think the other right, and we can hardly dis-
cuss it without becoming partisans. I can only say that
I raw with very deep regret the speech made by an hon.
member of the House of Commons a short time since in
which he said he positively rejoiced at the war in Ame-
rica. I did not think such a sentiment could be uttered by
any Englishman. (Cheers.) lam sure I only utter the
sentiment of every one hero when I say that we deeply
grieve at that state of things, and hope and trust it may
soon be brought to a termination, so that peace may reign
again on the other side of the Atlantic, and our own suffer-
ing population may again have a return of prosperity.
Mr. POTTER, M.P., in referring to the distress, said—l
was honoured with a petition from the city of Carlisle,
praying that the Poor-law measure should be one borne by
the whole country. I venture to think that that prayer was
a right one, and 1 did what I could to support it in the
House of Commons ; however, the Legislature thought dif-
ferent, and willed that the districts themselves should bear
the brunt of the pressure. Now I think that, remembering
that the affliction under which they are suffering is brought
about by almost a political measure, that is, the disturbance
in America, it ought hardly to fall on the cotton districts
themselves. However, the pressure is a very severe one;
and although I am afraid it is introducing a very gloomy
subject it is one wo are only on the verge of, and which I
look upon with a strong feeling of fear. Whin I remember
the large number dependent on that industry, when I remem-
ber the class of men who are now suffering, and remem-
ber that under no circumstances for the next six or eight
months can we obtain a supply of cotton which will be the
means of reducing the distress, the prospect is very Nadu'.
(Hear.) But all classes—both the wealthy and the working
classes—will go through the severe trial in a manner worthy
of the people who are suffering under it. (Cheers.) When'
we look back and see the improvement made in the physical
condition of the working classes of this country in the last 30
years, and when we remember that improvement is not less
in their moral and intellectual education we must deeply re-
gret that a class of people of that standing should be placed
in a state of suffering in which they are now labouring.
However, not to dwell on a subject of that kind, we may
hope that after a few months, if we can wear through, it will
be ultimately the better for the country; we shall feel our-
selves more independent, and I think we shall come to a
state of prosperity again, and after that we shall have no
reason to regret the very severe pressure now upon us.

MARKETS---THIS DAY.