The Sun. — 1868-09-30 (London, England)

SUIT  LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30, 1868.  Among the old and tried members of the House of Commons, the men who have won for themselves a European reputation as conspicuous members of the British Parliament, JOHN ARTHUR ROEBUCK must assuredly be numbered. He has not always been on the popular side, though the Liberal ranks have no more fearless and uncompromising soldier. Ile has sometimes been manifestly mistaken, especially in matters relating to questions of foreign policy ; but there has never been a doubt of his honesty, his straightforwardness, or his patriotism. He has made enemies enough, and given and taken offence with a liberal hand, and reticence and moderation of language are certainly not to be classed among his qualities, as he himself said at the Sheffield banquet given to the new American Minister the other day, when, by the way, his zeal outran his discretion in speaking of the elements of discord in the United States, he has never been remarkable for prudence. He has learned, he tells us, many lessons of toleration, and humanity, and patience in the long course of his political life, but his opinions and convictions on all essential points are unchanged, as he stands preparing to enter on a fresh campaign. Throughout his whole life he has been an earnest and consistent advocate of Parliamentary Reform, being one of the few who really were more anxious about the end than about the means, more desirous that a good Reform Bill should be carried than eager to keep a popular question open for the benefit of his own party. He had none of the dog-in-the-manger spirit that characterised some prominent professing Reformers, and his trenchant sentences did the Government good service in the Commons, by exposing in its true light the secret opposition to the Reform Bill. It is not likely that a man of this character would ever be distinguished as a partisan, and it is still less likely that he would find favour with those politicians—and they are not a few--who hold the interests and advantage of one particular party as paramount to all other considerations. Mr. ROEBUCK, however, has sue. ceeded in provoking the hostility of more unscrupulous opponents, and the opposition now bring organised against him in the town with which he has been so long connected has for its object nothing less than his expulsion from Parliament. lhe reason for this seemingly extraordinary conduct is not difficult to discover. It does not find its origin in any of Mr. ROEBUCK'S political views ; even the vexed question of the Irish Church has nothing to do with it. It arises from Mr. ROEBUCK'S fearless and spirited discharge of an important public duty. The member for Sheffield was also a member of the Royal Commission which brought to light the crimes of BROADHEAD and CROOKES, and investigated the mysteries of the Sheffield Trades' Unions. For this offence it was resolved if possible to oust him from the representation of the town. Men who are in the habit of putting gunpowder down their neighbours' chimneys, and regulating the prices to be charged for robbery, maiming, and murdering, are not likely to think much of turning a man out of Parliament. In fact, Mr. ROEBUCK may esteem himself very fortunate in escaping with so mild an evidence of their displeasure. The Trades' Unions of Sheffield, as we know, form a pretty strong organisation, and their secretaries are now busy marshalling their forces against the common foe. The interests of the unions must come first; political honesty, long service, established reputation, count as nothing in the balance. It is no secret that such an organisation exists, and happily it seems likely to defeat itself, for the more respectable electors of all parties are impelled by indignation at the system to give their votes to Mr.