The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-12 00:00:00

GIBRALTAR OR CE UTA

The discussion as to wheeher we shall give up Gibraltar
to Spain has become a question of whether Ceuta is better
for us than the Rock. Vice-Admiral Sir Edward
Belcher--the well-known Arctic explorer—writes to the
Times on the subject, and throws the whole of
his influence in favour of the Rock. Gibraltar possesses
good anchorage and shelter, with a reasonable depth.
Ceuta, on the contrary, has an insecure anchorage.
If we tried to mend matters we should only
be throwing money away, as in the case of
Alderney. If we give up Gibraltar too, Sir Edward is
afraid that, in these days of sales, it will be sold again to
the highest bidder. Aa to the propriety of maintaining it—
the argument as to justice—the same objection applies to
Ceuta. We won Gibraltar by conquest. So did the
Spaniards Ceuta from the Moors. Ceuta is not, moreover,
worth our acceptance. Better withdraw the Red Cross from
Gibraltar entirely than sink millions of treasure andwaste
valuable British lives on a spot only to be compared to
transportation, where every necessary of life would have
to be conveyed at enormous prices, and where any strong
measures to repress the inroads of the true proprietors
would be deemed murder.

TIM WRECK OF THE HIBERNIA.

SUPPOSED SAFETY OF THE MISSING BOAT.

Great interest is felt in the question whether the ship-
wrecked passengers picked up by the American steamer
really belonged to the ill-fated Hibernia or no. There
seems to be no doubt that the Bremen barque. America
really has on board thirty-nine survivors of a wreck in the
Atlantic, but the uncertainty arises from the apprehension
that they may belong to another ship. There are, orwere,
two Hibernias, one the unfortunate screw steamer, the
other a sailing vessel. The latter was bound from
Quebec to Dublin, and it is quite possible that she
may have been wrecked in some of the disastrous gales
which swept the Atlantic at the time of the loss of the
steamer Hibernia. The argument against this presump-
tion is that the crew of the sailing ship would scarcely
be so numerous as thirty-nine, and some of those on board
the Hannibal noticed several officers in uniform on the
deck of the American vessel, which is variously described
as the America and as the Ocean Spray. Captain
Gyles, of the Hannibal, thinks that the signals spoke of
a sailing ship, while his mate asserts that they spoke
of the steamer Hibernia,. Captain Gyles, owing to short-
ness of provisions and want of accommodation, could not
take more than fourteen of the castaways on board, and
they preferred to remain together. The weather was so
bad at the time that it was very difficult to main ain any
communication between the two ships, and this accounts for
the uncertainty of the information re:Tecting the rescued
passengers. The only boat imaccounted for in the loss of the
steamer was the third officer's boat, with twenty-one persons,
which Captain Munro, of the Hibernia, was confident
must have been picked up by an outward-bound vessel.
At all events it is probable that sonic of those rescued by
the _American ship belonged to the steamer, but great
anxiety and interest are everywhere felt respecting the
story, which will not be fully satisfied until we hearfurther
accounts from Madeira or from the United States.

The Wasl.ington correspondent of the New York
Times says that General Grant has received stetter earnestly
advising him as a measure of peace, harmony, and concilia-
tion, to appoint Jefferson I).vi, as Secretary of War. It is
understood the correspondent rather unnecessarily adds
that Uncial Grant declines to accodo to tho Terming.