The Express.
London, England, 1852-03-20 00:00:00

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HIGH WATKII. A i' LONDON BID 1)0E
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LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 20.

IT is with anything but surpi i-c we learn that
strong reclamatietei have been achiressed by both
English and French merchants to the Foreign-office
on the subject of the beligerent proceedings of the
British 'quadrats in the Bight of Benin ; and that
Lord MALMESBURY has been urged, by deputations
deeply interested, at once to terminate it lekelnulo
which hi inflicting serious injury on the trade of
England and France, and for the cost of which the
people of this country will have to pay heavily. We
regret, however, to add that his loidship is nut mei
eiently well informed on the subject to have city
matured opinion on these hostilities. He seems, in-
deed, not to De quite aware of the real character of
the occurrences in question, which are of a much
more important and extensive nature than is gene-
rally supposed, nud not an isolated act cf punish-
ment of the chief of Lagos. Let us show hip what
they really amount to.
Behind the Bight of Benin, which a British squad-
Ott the mere orders of a Secretary of Mate, is
SOW blockading, lies the kingdom of Dalionii, which,
with the exception of Ashanti, is the only organ-
bad, well-ordered, and powerful state in West
Afidea ; and as such is promoting and developing
African civilisation. Unfortunately tho King of
DAROMI has hitherto derived a couaiderab!c part of
the revenues requisite for the payment of his army
from the slave-trade, and has employed that Limy in
slave-hunts in his neighbours' countries. Whilst
receiving the various missions our Foreign-office has
of late years sent to Abomi hospitably, courteously,
and royally, they Lave altoge.her failed in inducing
him to consent to abandon this horrible source of
revenue. But, on the other hand, the slave-trade being
now, from whatever cause, nearly extinct, the object of
the missions has been substantially attained by much
simpler and more natural means than by treaties.
The naval alumna other persons engaged in there
embassies seem, however, to have been annoyed and
irritated at their want of success, and overlooking
the fact of the slave-trade being nearly suppressed,
have succeeded in persuading the Foreign-office
to adopt a policy towards Dahoini, the logical ter-
mination of which is the overthrow of the state, and
disorganisation of the country.
Concurrewly- with the decline of the slave-trade,
a large legitimate trade has sprung up in the Bight
of Benin. English and French factories have been
established at its principal port, IVhydah ; industry
in the interior has been stimulated, and large quan-
tities of palm oil arc now exchanged against Euro-
pwto manufactures. Now, Whyd-ah is the port of
Dahomi; and any disturbance of the interior would
at once re-act injuriously on its trade.
Already, too, the French are aiming at exclusi%
possession of the rising trade of Mr-hydah ; and
it is by no means improbable that our hostile pro-
ceedings in the Bight may induce the native chiefs to
place it under the protection of the French flag,—
which has already obtained predominance emit sove-
reignty- over the river Gaboou, further to the south.
Whilst the French oa the coast have their atten-
tion exclusively fixed on the extension of their com-
merce by means of tech monopolies of its scats, tho
British authorities there seem altogether resigned
to, and occupied with, the development of sentimcet.
At the more southern extremity of the Bight—seine
fifty miles in a direct line inland from Lagos, and
about .130 from Abomi, the capital of Dahomi—is
Abecokuta, situated on a river called Ogun, which
is said to be navigable; and at this place a very re-
markable settlement hits of late years been formed.
Hither have gone. from semi-starvation and can-
parative misery at Sierra Leone, some 3,000 liberated
Africans; and at Abecokuta has risen up a conside-
rable town, over which preside English and Ameri-
can missionaries, who have probably established a
sort of theocracy, such as Mr. NITER tRD founded
for a while at Tahiti. To this experiment every
humane man will wish success; but, like most
enterprises of the kind, there is a good deal of exag-
geration at work, for the purpose of forcing its
growth. Thus, for example, Abeeokuta is said, in the
latest publication connected with the subject, to con-
tain 50,000 inhabitants: an obvious impossibility to
any one who will ask himself the question, how
could such a number be fed in a confined spot
in a country without systematic habits of industry,
without roads, and without means of locomotion
and transit. Abecokuta is an interesting com-
munity ; but it is an immature experiment ; cultiva-
tion and trade are not as yet its characteristics ; and
• though its position is geographically and physically
well chosen, it is in a situation of great political
danger ;--for it is an object of envy, jealousy, and
dislike to the King of Darrow, its neighbour, who
has vowed its destruction. and more than once pre-
pared his troops for an attack upon it.
And what wo in England have to apprehend iv
that our naval authorities on the coast and our
Foreign-office will make us assume the defence
Abeeokuta if attacked. One object aimed at by the
recent destruction of Lagos, and the change of kings
we effected there, was, undoubtedly, to open tor
Abeeokuta a line of communication with the mast;
the Foreign-office has, at the present time, there " on
special service" Commander Ft tuts, a meritorious
officer. but, on Nest African subjects, a very danger-
; ous adviser and representative ; and now the due-
trine has been openly launched that the liberated
Africans who left Sierra Leone and have voluntarily
squatted at Abeeokuta are " the QUEEN'S subjects;'
and, as such, must be protected by the Quer:N.:: arms.
if necessary. This last assumption at once raises a
practical issue, the solution of which may vele r cost
or save England touch money, much reputation, and
I —as the fight at Lagos proved—many lives. Has the
j Foreign-office assumed the protection of Abeeektita ?
' Does it regard the liberated Africans there as " the
QUEEN'S subjects ?" And is it prepared, in their de-
fence, if Abeeokuta be (as it probably will) attacked
by the King of LIAIIO3tI. to chastise and depose
that potentate, as it lately did the chief of Lagos?
If such be the policy of England—such its duties
I and obligations in the Bight of Benin—if such be
the reason for having now Captain FORBES resident
("on special service' at Abecokuta—parliament
ought at least to be informed on the subject at once,
that it may not be surprised by a war for the subver-
sion of the state of Dahomi, now too clearly in
jeopardy.

LARGE LEGACY TO UNIVERSITY COLLEGE JIGS-
?ITAL.—The late Edward Lombi., Esq., of Melton HAIL
Wyniondhani, Norfolk, reeeutly deceased at non nee, lett
his personal property, subject to the life 'viten...kr of 11;s wife,
to the Uniror-ity College Hospital. The will hai horn
proved in tho Prerogative Court of Canterbury by the
ezieutors--the llama de Goldseuid, treauur,r
pit.d, and Chitties Caleb Atkinson. MT,
• oneze ; and the property is t stiina!e
25,000/.
- toti
M• stivqr.
-..aopsta

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