ducing confusion into Morocco. The British Minister in Morocco, however, has avoided interfering; Spain and France have watched each other; and Italy, when she was only a geographical expression, had no army or navy adapted to the work of regenerating other countries. If, however, Spain, France, and Italy could agree to take Morocco in hand together, Morocco might be "opened up." England, however, has hitherto not encouraged any plan of this sort. Germany is trying to establish Colonies in other parts of Africa but not in Morocco. Austria has herself suffered too much from this sort of regeneration, and has enough to do in this way in Bosnia. But, as these two Powers belong to the European Concert, they may be brought into the scheme if only England can be got to take them in hand.

The red herring to engage the English in a hunt is Mahometan Slavery, which seems to be specially obnoxious to them, because in Mahometan Countries slaves have rights, slave men often marrying the daughters of their masters, and sometimes becoming Prime Ministers, as was the case with Sidi Mustafa and General Keredine, the last two Prime Ministers of Tunis before she was regenerated by France.

In the Fly Sheet for 10 June, 1884, we referred to a letter in the Times, in which the Secretary of the Anti-Slavery Society, Mr. C. H. Allen, had expressed his hope that Morocco would soon be opened up by Europeans. On this we said:

"The philanthropists who are bringing fire and sword into the Soudan against a people 'rightly struggling to be free,' are apparently quite ready to make Morocco into another Egypt."

To the aid of Mr. Allen in the "opening up" of Morocco now comes, in the Times of 12 October, its Paris Correspondent-presumably M. Blowitz, who, by judicious but intrepid assertions in the Times of January, 1882, brought about the invasion of Egypt. After saying that neither England, France, Spain, Germany, or Italy can look with indifference to the smallest change which takes place in this "mysterious" country, he goes on :—

"England is at Gibraltar, France in Tunis, Italy covets Tripoli; and Spain, who possesses Ceuta on the Mediterranean, and Santa Cruz de Mar Pequequa in the South of Morocco, in the Draa country, and who has just annexed this port for the captaincy of the Canary Islands, looks upon Morocco, as I have already said, as one of her provinces in partibus. All Spaniards believe that it is Morocco which is to renew the prosperity of Spain, and it would certainly be necessary that any nation whatever conquering Morocco should put to death every Spaniard in order to enjoy its annexation in peace. There are not many international questions which stir more the national feeling of Englishmen than the possibility of seeing a European Power on the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar; and France and Italy, who are less imperatively interested than Spain and England, no less zealously defend the policy of the dog in the manger."

The Dog is Spain, the Manger is Morocco. The people of that country do not count in the reckoning

"Morocco might become a very considerable source of wealth if all the Powers, agreeing to act in common, without transforming its political existence, opened it to the general commerce of the globe, and to the enterprise of civilization."

Surely this is a superfluous falsehood. It must be clear that if Morocco is to be governed, not by its Sultan, but by the Powers, its political existence must be transformed. The proper way would have been to point to the transformation of the political existence of

Bulgaria, and to say that so happy an example might well be followed in Morocco. But senseful Frenchmen think that an Eastern Bulgaria is too much, and do not want one in the West.

The Journal des Débats of 12 October is reported in the Times of the next day to have given the following warning :

"Moorish waters will soon, therefore, witness a gathering of the squadrons of all countries. The precise object of their assembling is not, however, known, and it is possible that they may be animated by widely divergent intentions. It is a question, we hear, of guaranteeing the equilibrium in the Mediterranean, an extremely vague, and consequently very dangerous, programme. The best course for France and Spain to take is to come to a direct understanding between themselves. They alone have direct and positive interests, one of which, at present dominating all others, is to prevent Morocco becoming a second Bulgaria. A Bulgaria in the East is enough, and even too much."

"In conclusion," says the Times, "the article expresses the hope "that the Sultan of Morocco will recover, and that the warships will "then leave Moorish waters, which, the Débats considers, would be the "best thing that could happen."

M. Blowitz continues :-
:-

"At a single touch of her wand Civilization might bring forth millions and millions of tons of copper ore, which contains five times as much metal as the ores of Chili, and the argand tree could supply, under proper cultivation, an excellent oil, giving a bright flame, in sufficient quantity to meet all the wants of the southern countries. In short, Europe is in presence of a country the possession of which she cannot allow to be disputed. She might increase its wealth a hundred-fold and spread it over the West if she would bring a common action judiciously to bear."

This is a bold invention of a goddess, "Civilization," an abstract term which means the process of rendering civil. What is "Civilization" in its concrete form?

"A railway from Fez to Tangier, an obligation on the Sultan to let the diplomatic body remain where they now are, and to allow them to approach him according to the necessities of the hour; some roads constructed, some bridges erected over the rivers-these things would effect what is wanted, and the whole world would benefit by what had been done by a common action which would set aside the risk of strife, by combining and amalgamating the interests of all countries."

If these things can be done without a political transformation, what has the health of the Sultan to do with the matter? Yet we are told that:

"In some generally well-informed quarters the Sultan's illness is alleged to be due to the administration of poison."

We are not told who it is that is suspected of poisoning the Sultan, who is, we are told, of no political importance.

"It is important to keep in mind that the Sultan, who there is some reason to suppose is dead, does not interfere with political affairs, and that those who do will conceal his death, if it has occurred, as long as they can. He is represented at Tangier, where the Ministers of the European Powers are, by an Andalusian Moor, but the true Sultan is the Vizier Ben Larbi Temai, called El Iki, the jurisconsult, whose chief colleague is the son of the former Vizier Ben Mousa. It is these two who are really in possession of Morocco. They are masters of the country. They control all the movements of Muley Hassan, and keep him away from all immediate contact with Europeans.'

It is clear, therefore, that it is not the two "Masters of the Country" who desire to poison the Sultan. Perhaps it is only the Paris and Madrid Correspondents of the Times who desire, not to poison the Sultan, but that some unknown person should already have done so. Of the lucubrations of the Madrid Correspondent

we have space only for the following, reported in the Times of 17 October :

"Mere palliatives of the state of the SICK MAN OF THE WEST' are now totally insufficient to guard the interests of Morocco and the peace of Europe."

If this title of "Sick Man," which Russia first gave to the Sultan of Constantinople, requires any explanation, it will be found in the following extract from the Times of 20 October :

"MADRID, Oct. 19. "The Dia states that the English Government has accepted with pleasure the proposal to hold an international conference on the affairs of Morocco, provided all questions relating to the future of that country be fully dealt with. England wishes that the Powers should guarantee the integrity of the Sultan's dominions in return for concessions of facilities for commerce and of improved government, placing Morocco in a situation analogous to that of other countries ruled by means of permanent and respected institutions."

We must do the Times the justice to say that if it has allowed its columns to be utilized for the promotion of this conspiracy for the anarchisation of Morocco, it has quoted at the same time the most unmistakable evidence, constantly repeated :-

1. That no danger to Europe is impending from Morocco whether the Sultan live or die.

2. That there is a jealousy among the three coveting Powers, Spain, France, and Italy, which has to be overcome before any action can be taken against Morocco.

Such communications as there are from Berlin and Vienna show little interest in the subject. From St. Petersburg there is not a line.

Russia is conspicuous by her absence, but her method of procedure has been followed; on whom has her mantle been cast?

The Times has not yet supported the plot in a leading article, nor has it said that Lord Salisbury has accepted or received any proposal from Spain. It is clear that a refusal from England to permit any interference in Morocco would be willingly accepted by all who have any interest there. Of course the "Regeneration" will be tried on again and again. This has been done in Egypt and in Burmah with great success in killing our valuable officers, and in converting our allies into enemies. It is time that we should pay some attention to the British Isles; there is very much more confusion in them just now than there is in Morocco.

20 October, 1887, 60th Anniversary of the Battle of Navarino.

C. D. COLLET.

P.S.-21 October: The Times has now pronounced in favour of "the development of the vast material resources of Morocco."

"Still, if the political independence of Morocco is secured by common consent of all the Powers interested, and placed under a common guarantee which no single Power could afford lightly to disregard, there is no reason why the SULTAN should not be willing in consideration of this great advantage to grant equal privileges of commercial intercourse and enterprise to all the

Powers concerned."

All the Powers guaranteed the integrity and independence of the Ottoman Empire. This did not prevent England from taking Cyprus, or France from taking Tunis. The Treaty of Guarantee will bind only Morocco.

(From the Times, 22 October.)

MADRID, October 21. "There is no foundation whatever for the report recently published that the Spanish Government had addressed a Circular Note to the signatory Powers of the Madrid Conference of 1880 proposing another conference on the affairs of Morocco."

So the newspapers have invented an Intervention. The Diplomatists may, none the less, bring it into real existence.

The Colony of Newfoundland.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH SIR HENRY PONSONBY.

IN our number for May we published a Petition from the Foreign Affairs Committees of St. Pancras and of Preston, complaining that the Bait Exportation Bill sent home by the Governor and Parliament of Newfoundland in May, 1886, for the Queen's sanction, had not been laid before Her Majesty in Council, praying Her Majesty to cause it to be laid before Her in Council, and imploring that She would give it Her Royal Sanction.

The Petition was returned to Mr. Carslake, the Secretary of the St. Pancras Committee, with the following letter:-

The Private Secretary returns the enclosed Petition, as it can only be received by the Queen through Her Majesty's Secretary of State.

Buckingham Palace, 19 May, 1887.

The Petition was duly forwarded with this letter to Mr. Carslake's house in London. But he had already permanently quitted London, and the packet did not reach his hands till the 6 August.

SIR,

TO SIR HENRY PONSONBY.

St. Pancras Foreign Affairs Committee,

6, Adelphi-terrace, Strand, W.C., 7 September, 1887.

We have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 19 May, in which you inform us that a Petition which we had forwarded to Her Majesty the Queen by the post "can only be received by the Queen through Her Majesty's Secretary of State."

Our late Secretary has informed you that owing to an accident connected with his quitting London, your note did not reach his hands till 6 August, which is the reason of our delay in replying to it.

In denying to us the privilege of addressing Her Majesty the Queen directly, you are denying us a privilege which we have hitherto enjoyed, which we highly value, and which appears to us to be sanctioned by law and custom.

From Petitions or Addresses to Her Majesty, which she has received without the intervention of any Secretary of State, we select three, printed copies of which we have the honour to enclose, in which the manner of their reception has been recorded.

The first is from the Bradford Excelsior Club. On the 15 February, 1871, they sent a Memorial to Her Majesty praying Her to "give orders to declare the Declaration of Paris illegal, unauthorised, null, and void." They enclosed this Memorial in a Better to the Private Secretary, from whom they received the follow ng answer :—

Windsor Castle, February 16th, 1871.

SIR,-I am commanded to acknowledge your letter of the 15th inst. to the Queen, and the Memorial of certain persons, Members of the Excelsior Club at Bradford, which I have, by Her Majesty's Command, forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient humble Servant, T. M. BIDDULPH. Mr. E. Mensforth.

The next was an Appeal to Her Majesty against the Treaty of Washington from the Foreign Affairs Committees of Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Birmingham, Maidstone, and St. Pancras.

It was forwarded by post to Her Majesty at Balmoral, and the following acknowledgment was received from the Home Secretary :Whitehall, June 16, 1871.

SIR,-I am directed by Mr. Secretary Bruce to inform you that he has had the honour to lay before the Queen the Address signed by you and others on the subject of the Convention of Washington.

Mr. John Hindle.

I am, Sir, your obedient Servant,

A. J. O. LIDDELL.

The third is also a general Petition from the Foreign Affairs Committees imploring Her Majesty

"1. To forbid your Ministers to discuss with any Foreign Power the subject of Mediation between Russia and Turkey.

"2. To cause it to be known that Your Majesty will declare war against Russia if she should obtain the aid of any other Power in her aggression against Turkey.

"3. To provide for the safety of England, and for the carrying on of an honest war, not by sending troops to the East, but by proclaiming the illegality and invalidity of the Declaration of Paris."

This Petition was forwarded to Her Majesty by post, and the following acknowledgment was received :—

Buckingham Palace, November 18, 1877. SIR,-I am desired to acknowledge your letter to the Queen, with a Petition from Foreign Affairs Committees assembled in conference at Manchester, with two copies of the Diplomatic Review, and by Her Majesty's command I have forwarded the whole to the Earl of Derby.

I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient humble servant, T. M. BIDDULPH. Mr. John Hindle.

We hope that it is not necessary for us to repudiate any intention of dictating to Her Majesty the way in which she should treat a Petition sent to her. We are well aware of the enormous demands upon Her Majesty's time, and of the serious and laborious manner in which she performs her sovereign duties. But when we read that Her Majesty commanded the whole of what we sent on the Foreign Relations of the country to be forwarded to her Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, we cannot believe that she deemed our Petition an intrusion. We recollect also with gratitude that on one occasion Her Majesty ordered Her Secretary of State for the Colonies to inquire into abuses at Hong-Kong in consequence of the representations made to her by a public meeting at Newcastle-on-Tyne, convened at the instance of the Newcastle Foreign Affairs Committee, and that the result of the inquiry so instituted was the dismissal from Her Majesty's service of an important functionary at Hong Kong.

You tell us to send our Petition through the Secretary of State. There are in this country four Secretaries of State. Our Petition referred to the Colony of Newfoundland. It would have been un