The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-16 00:00:00

DISTRESS IN TOBAGO.

Mr. DISRAELI presented a petition from merchants
and planters in the Island of Tobago, complaining of the
distress to which they were reduced by the alteration of
the sugar duties of 1846, and praying for redress and
relief. The Hon. Member also presented a petition from
the county of Essex, praying for an inquiry into the
state of the nation; and a similar petition from Kingston-
on-Thames.

MARRIAGE BILL.
Several petitions were presented against the Marriage
Bill.

SMITHFIELD MARKET.

Mr. C. PEARSON presented a petition from Lambeth
against the . removal of Smithfield-market. The Hon.
Member also presented a petition from certain stone-
masons of Lambeth, praying for inquiry into the con-
dition of the people.
AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION.

Sir WILLIAM JOLLIFFE presented a petition from
Surrey praying for protection to agriculture.
WEST INDIA PROPERTY.

Sir JOHN PAKINGTON presented petitions' from
the House of Assembly of Jamaica, and from the West
India body in this country, complaining of the depre-
ciation of property in that colony, and praying for the
adoption of measures with a view to their redress.
Mr. P. MILES presented a similar petition also from
th© House of Assembly in Jamaica.
SUNDAY TRADING.

Sir DE LACY EVANS presented petitions from St.
George's, Hanover-square, and other parishes, in favour
of the Sunday Trading Bill.
MR. ROEBUCK AND MR. BAILLIE COCHRANE.
Mr. ROEBUCK said that he was compelled to throw
himself on the indulgence of the House. It was always
a disagreeable thing and a misfortune for a public man
to have to speak of himself and his private affairs.—
, (Hear.) This misfortune, for it was a misfortune,
• had befallen him through no fault of his own, but
through the fault of another. In what had fallen the
other night from the Hon. Member opposite (Mr. B.
Cochrane) a reflection was cast upon a relation of his.
The state of the facts was this—during the rebellion in
Canada and the excitement which it occasioned, a friend
of his, M. Gironard, had been suspected by the
Government of treasonable intentions. A tumult
had been raised by upwards of five hundred people.
In order to escape from the danger with which he was
threatened he had fled to his (Mr. Roebuck's) house at
eight o'clock on a winter's, night. His father then
held the command of a district, and was therefore in the
direct employment of the Government. His relation did
that which as a subject and a friend it was his duty to
do. He took M. Gironard down to Montreal, and then
found that a reward of 5001. had been offered for his
apprehension. In the House of Assembly these cir-
cumstances had been stated. He would say then, what
he would have said before, that M. Gironard was a
man of the highest respectability and had volun-
tarily given himself up to the proper authorities.
5001. had been offered by the Government for the appre-
hension of Monsieur Gironard. He should say that his
relation was at that time in the direct service of the
Crown, and was a person not only trusted by every pre-
vious Governor, but by the very Governor who was in
the country at the time. He did apprehend that man,
and he (Mr. Roebuck) was bold to say that he applied
the 5004 to charitable purposes, and had not by so
doing forfeited either the repect of the constituted
authorities or of the people about him. It appeared
then that, in answer to a question in the House of As-
sembly, he stated that he had received the reward,
and at the same time spoke in approbation of M.
Gironard. There was no imputation, however,
against him, for he took M. Gironard down to
Montreal at his own request, and for his
protection. He did no more than his duty to his
country. Now those were the state of facts which the
Hon. Gentleman had imputed to him as wrong. He had
at least learnt one thing from the discussion of last night,
viz., that the weak, and more especially the intellectually
weak, were always cruel.—(Laughter.)
Mr. B. COCHRANE said what he stated was, that
this man was publicly accused of rebellion, and that a
reward of five hundred pounds, which was offered for
his apprehension, was received by a person (a Mr. Simp-
son) who had been placed high in the confidence of the
Governor of Canada. He had mentioned precisely the
facts stated, by the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Roebuck) that
Mr. Simpson had received the 5004. and had made a
complimentary speech in favour of M. Gironard after
having been appointed Commissioner of Crown Lands.
He would say, in conclusion, that nothing coming from
the Hon. Member would injure the fair fame of any
man.—(A laugh, and cries of " Hear, hear.")
Mr. BROTHERTON asked the Hon. Gentlemen
(Mr. Bankes) if he was prepared to retract the words
which he made use of last night—that he was a tool
in the hands of the Government.—(Loud laughter.)
He hoped the House would throw its protection over him
with regard to the expressions and imputations that had
been cast upon him, which he certainly disavowed.—
(Hear, hear,) He could conscientiously say that
during the time he had been in the House, he
had always had a sincere desire to act impartially
without regard to either side of the House.—(Hear,
hear.) The Hon. Gentleman had thought proper to
stigmatise him as a subservient tool of the Government,
and also as a person who looked to what they wished
without any regard to what was right and proper.
Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE, referring to the motion
made by an Hon. Member the other night, suggested
that this affair should be referred to arbitration.—(Roars
of laughter.)
Mr. BANKES agreed with the Hon. Member for
Middlesex that this was a matter which should be re-
ferred to arbitration. lie was not aware when he
made that remark that the Honourable Gentleman was
not a fighting individual, since he heard him say
that he was almost tempted to say that he re-
spected him more now than be had done before.
Inasmuch as his motion for adjournment had fallen
to the ground, the :remark which hei had made—that if
the Hon. Gentleman had persevered in his motion, it

would look as if he was acting subserviently to the Go-
vernment—on this occasaion certainly did not, or rather
could not, impute to the Hon. Member that he had so
acted.