The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-03 00:00:00

APRIL 3, 1861.

say that I am bound by what my forefathers have
done until I properly, and according to law, estab-
lish another law. 1 say that when I look upon
Italy and Venice, where the people are now well
governed--(Mr. Sharman—" They don't think so.")
(Confusion, and cries of " Turn Sharman out,"
" Get to the pulpit," &c) How do you know ?
(turning to Mr. Sharman). Again I tell you I may
be mistaken. You may be right, but again I say
does that put you upon ground to make those base
insinuations against me ? Do you consider I come
here to answer you or any person who chooses to
question me ? I came to vindicate my character.
I tell you that is untarnished, and to tell me your
opinion differs froni mine is simply to tell me
you think yourself a cleverer fellow than I am
(loud laughter and cheers)—and in that you
may be right ; but you are not a member of Par-
liament, and therefore you are not called upon to
act in the name of the people. I am. It is of the
utmost importance to me and to you that my cha-
racter should be above suspicion. For that purpose
I have come down here to vindicate myself, and I
dare defy any man here to attack me. (Protracted
cheering.)

A persOn in the body of the meeting said Mr.
Roebuck said he had voted for Lord Derby's Go-
vernment because he believed they would get a libe-
ral Reform Bill. Now, he wished to ask Mr. Roe-
buck whether Lord Derby's Government gave any
pledge to the House of Commons that it would
bring in another Reform Bill. He bad understood
Lord Derby to say that the Government had
redeemed its pledge, and they would take no fur-
ther action in the matter.

Mr. ROEBUCK—I was in communication, in daily
correspondence with the gentlemen connected with
Lord Derby's Administration, and I learned from
them, and I believe that we should have had a
Reform Bill proposed by their Administration. If
they had not proposed it, we could have turned them
out, but I believed they would have proposed it, and
said so when I voted for them. I said Lord Derby
will bring yoU in a bill. You can make it a good
bill in the House of Commons, and send it up to the
House of Lords. He can pass it if he pleases through
the House of Lords. It was for your interest then
to keep Lord Derby in power to get from him what
I believed he would give—a thoroughgoing reform.
I believed, and I do believe, that Lord Derby would
have proposed a Reform Bill. I knew, as I know
now, that if he did not we should turn him out the
next day.

Mr. fINIGRAIII (news agent) said Mr. Roebuck, at
the West Riding election, had stepped out of his
way to attack Mr. Wortley. He had said that any
man coming before the electors in favour of Lord
Derby was a man opposed to the extension of the
suffrage, and yet had voted for Lord Derby himself
on that very question.
Mr. ROEBUCK-4 said then, as I say now, that
any man who voted for Mr. Stuart Wortley did his
utmost to put Lord Derby in a majority. If ha had
been in a majority we should have got no Reform
Bill. (To Mr. Ingram.)—You see I think differently
from you. We are both politicians, and I may he
mistaken ; but my opinion was that the great thing
was to keep Lord Derby in such a state that he
would be subservient to the House of Commons. I
wanted him to be so, and the moment you sent Tory
members to Parliament you gave him the power
over the house. Now, my object was to make him
subservient to the house, and I advised the people
of Sheffield, as I always advise them, to return a
liberal member to Parliament. Now, I want to
know if because I differ from Mr. Ingram am I of
necessity wrong ? (No, no !) Am I not in a posi-
tion, sent to London by you, to judge with a little
more evidence than the hon. gentleman before me ?
(Laughter and cheers.)
Alderman FISHER moved :

" That, having heard Mr. Roebuck's exposition of his
views on the subjects of Austria and 'ltaly, this meeting
agrees with him in desiring that the principles of constitu-
tional and commercial freedom should prevail in Austria ;
but also reiterates its ardent sympathy with the efforts of
the Italians to free their country from internal tyrants and
external domination, and its hopes that before leng Venetia
and Rome may be peacefully united to the Italian king-
dom."

(Cheers.) In regard to the Galway contract, which
Mr. Roebuck had supported on public grounds, he
mentioned that a memorial in favour of that con-
tract was signed by all the large houses in Sheffield
which were desirous to quicken and improve our
communication with America.

Dr. HOLLAND seconded the motion in a speech
of some length, strongly repudiating all sanction of
the imputations upon Mr. Roebuck's integrity.
Mr. SFIARINEAN supported the motion, and read
the following letter from Mr. Dunn, the chairman
of Mr. Roebuck's Election Committee, in reply to a
request that he would move a resolution at the
meeting :

" Richmond, near Sheffield, March 29.
"Dear Sir,—ln reply to your note of yesterday, request-
ing me to attend the meeting called by the Mayor tor Mon-
day next, I beg to say that it will not be in my power to be
present, as I have an important engagement with several
gentlemen at 2 o'clock on that day, which I cannot put off.
I am glad that your intimation to me was to speak to a
moderate resolution. Hard words do not help any argu-
ment, and I do not, I trust, forget the important services
which for a long:period have been rendered by Mr. Roebuck
to public cause. Nor do I despair of his yet rendering fur-
ther important services to the same great cause. lam
bound, however, to say that I cannot agree in his present
opinions (so far as I understand them from his speech in
the house) regarding Austria and Italy.
" True it is our interest that Austria should be powerful,
but to me it appears clear she cannot be powerful so long as
Hungary is in its present state, and so so long as she wastes
her resources by holding part of Italy in chains. I agree
with Mr. Roebuck that Italy should be powerful also, and
also free; but that she cannot be, as it appears to me, so
long as Austria is in possession of the great fortresses of
Northern Italy.
"I agree with Mr. Roebuck that it is most desirable effi-
cient checks and safeguards should be had against the tre-
mendous military power of France, wielded as that power
is by one man ; and I think one of the greatest safeguards
will be found in Italy united and free, with not one foreign
gun within her long extent. A free, powerful people, will,
I believe, be found the natural and best allies of free, power-
ful Great Britain.—Yours faithfully,

THOMAS DUNN."
Alderman SAUNDERS moved and Mr. GLADES
seconded an amendment declaring that Mr. Roe-
buck had entirely refuted the calumnies that had
been propagated against his integrity, but protest-
ing against his views in regard to the Venetian
question.
Alderman FISHER said he was quite willing to
incorporate the former part of the amendment with
the original motion, and to this Alderman Saunders
agreed.
Alderman H. E. HOOLE then moved another
amendment, declaring the meeting to be perfectly
satisfied with Mr. Roebuck's explanations in answer
to the calumnies that litd been cast upon him, and
avowing its full confidence in his personal integrity
and political worth.

Mr. DODWORTII seconded the amendment.
The MAYOR said Alderman H. E. Iloole's amend-
ment was not properly an amendment but a repeti-
tion in other terms of the sentiments of the earlier
parts of Alderman Saunders' amendment, which
Alderman Fisher had agreed to adopt. He thought
therefore the most convenient course would be to put
Alderman Hoole's amendment as the first resolu-
tion, and then, as a second resolution, Alderman
Fisher's motion, as he originally moved it.
After some conversation this course was agreed
upon. The first resolution was carried unanimously
with loud cheering, and the second was carried
with a small number of dissentients.

Mr.ROEBucK--(loud cheers)—l have to thank you
and I do it most sincerely, for the confidence which
you have expressed in my honesty and worth as
your representative. You and I differ as to a politi-
cal opinion upon a certain matter. Time will show
whether lor you are right. (Hear, hear.) I don't
pretend to be infallible, but I do pretend to be an
honest man. (Cheers.) You have expressed, with-
out any dissentient voice, that you believe all those
insinuations against me are false. (Cheers.) Of
the men who made it I know, thank God, nothing,
and what is more, I don't want to know. (Cheers
and laughter.) But I thought I knew my country-
men. I thought they did not believe that a man was
made bad all at once, and that 28 years of thoroughly
honest conduct was not to be forgotten in a moment;
and that for some paltry sum I should sell myself,
when I had resisted that temptation 28 years. Well
then, I have that confidence in truth, I have that
confidence in you. Igo back to London as your re-
presentative. Now, I look round on this meeting,
not one hand held up against me. (Hear.) Against
my opinion on one particular point you did hold up
your hands. Well, then, ail I can say is, I still be-
lieve I am right—(loud laughter and cheers)—and
I think that time will prove it. I would ask you
honestly to have faith in me as simply an honest
man. (Hear, hear.) When my friend Dr. Holland
talks about my sarcastic tongue, I would entreat
you to compare my tongue with his, (Laughter
and cheers.) There was an old proverb, " Give a dog
an ill name and hang him." (Laughter.) I believe
they would very willingly have hanged me—
(laughter)—but that our good forefathers have made
laws to protect us. Ah, well ! I wish, gentlemen
some of you had to bear the shafts that I have.
Temper is all very good until it is tried. Hour by
hour, minute by minute, has been this dropping
upon the stone ; and can you wonder that temper
has given way at last ? I don't pretend to have a
very good one—(laughter); but I have that respect
for myself that whenever any accusation is made
against me I meet it face to face ; and here I am be-
fore this stupendous meeting--(hear, hear)—and I
have said my say; you have believed me, and that
is my answer to my calumniators. (Loud and
protracted cheering.)
Mr. HADFIELD, M.P., who was warmly cheered,
expressed the pleasure with which he had witnessed
the vindication of Mr. Roebuck's character and
position by his constituents, and remarked that
though he and Mr, Roebuck were sometimeti in