The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-04 00:00:00

dition to Morocco." It was only in fulfilment of
his duties as a Correspondent, nominated to
that post for that very purpose, yonder in
Northern Africa, at the actual seat of war between
the Moors and the Spaniards, that the representa-
tive of our contemporary particularised the asser-
tions that appear to have caused so much dig.>
quietude to the soul of the hon. member for
Dungannon. That disquietude, however, we should
certainly suppose, must by this time have been
ended, by Lord JOHN'S very emphatic words of re•
lassurance.

The explanation by the Foreign Secretary can
not fail to rejoice the heart of the maligned British
Consul at Tangiers—making him almost grateful
to those depreciators, or rather calumniators, who
have unwittingly called down upon him so
earnest and gratifying a panegyric. " I have in
the first place," said Lord JoHN, "to state that
Mr. DRUMMOND HAY is a gentleman of the highest
honour and character." Adding, " With other
members of his family, he has been long in the
service of the Crown, and he has much experience,
therefore, in public affairs. Consequently, also,
Mr. DRUMMOND HAY knows too well his duty to
take any course inconsistent with the general policy
of the Government which he represents." Beyond
which the Foreign Secretary went on to say last
evening, "With respect to his particular conduct
in relation to Spain, I should state also that from
his long residence in Morocco—my belief is that
he was born there—and his kindness towards all
who have had any intercourse with him, that he
has come to be held in a high degree of respect
by the people of the country." Nor is even
this all—Lord JOHN remarking yet further, "Not
only is Mr. HAY held in high esteem by the Mi-
nister for Foreign Affairs, but likewise by the hill
tribes who commit incursions upon the neighbour-
ing territory." And then observing—in words
giving the very key to the whole of our Consul's
recent proceedings at Tangiers :—" Having this
character he endeavoured, acting up to the instruc-
tions which he received from her MAJESTY'S Go-
vernment, to prevent, if possible, the breaking out
of war between Spain and Morocco." In effect,
Mr. DRUMMOND HAY went so far in these pacific
efforts as to recommend the Government of Morocco
(by the advice, of course, and in obedience to
the instructions of his own Government),
to make concessions to the Spaniards, with
a view to the maintenance of tranquillity. How
the readiness of the Moors to concede was at length
exhausted by the increasing and still increasing
demands of their antagonists, we all know—this,
however, it is but reasonable to admit, was no fault
either of the British Consul at Tangiers or of the
British Government.
Looking back to the rise and development of
this miserable war between Spain and Morocco,
we certainly can nowhere recognise cause for
regret as to the policy pursued throughout
by her MAJESTY'S Government. That policy has
from first to last been inflexibly one of the strictest
neutrality. What could be done with a design, if
possible, of preventing the actual outbreak of hos-
tilities, was done, as in the instance of those recom-
mendations to the Moorish Government, through
our Consul at Tangiers, to make all practicable
concessions to the original demands made by
the Madrid Cabinet. While on the other hand
nothing could, in reason, be more fair or more
candid than the course pursued by our Administra-
tion towards Spain through the more direct
agency of her Britannic MAJESTY'S representative
at the Spanish capital. Mr. BUCHANAN, in obe-
dience to Ministerial instructions, requested to
know the intentions of the Government of her
Most Catholic MAJESTY in the contingency of the
outbreak of hostilities in Morocco. These inqui-
ries had reference solely to the maintenance of
British interests intact in the immediate vicinity
of the straits and of the rocky for-
tress of Gibraltar. And upon every one
of those inquiries the explanations instantly
given in answer by the Spanish Government
were the most complete and the most satisfactory.
England only asked the " intentions," upon this
point and upon that, of the Spanish Govern-
ment. And these intentions being readily
enough explained by the Ministers of Queen
ISABELLA, proved upon examination to coin-
cide exactly with the wishes of her Britannic MA-
JESTY'S Government. Tangiers, for example, if occu-
pied by Spanish troops in the development of the
regular course of military operations in carrying
out the war, would not be occupied by Spain per-
manently—Spain would on the contrary yield up
possession of the place immediately any treaty of
peace should have been signed and ratified. And
so, likewise, in regard to other particulars. It
will be a source of deep gratification to the country
at large if, upon investigation, other diplomatic
blue-books tell a tale of discretion and moderation
in any way comparable to this, thereby reflecting
the highest credit upon the foreign policy of her
MAJESTY'S Government.

The two Reform organisations have done wisely
and well in giving their cordial and active support
to Mr. THOMAS DUNCOMBE, in his motion for leave
to bring in a Bill to enable the electors of Gloucester
and Wakefield to give their votes henceforth by
Ballot. The Parliamentary Reform Committee
have specially adverted to it in their circular ad-
dressed to their friends, which we inserted yester-
day, and they will, we are given to understand,
render Mr. DUNCOMBE all the assistance they can.
Yesterday afternoon the Council of the Ballot
Society
also met at the Whittington Club, and, con-
sidering the object to be especially their own, de-
termined to co-operate hand toaid h
honourable member to thevi with
best
t of
their
power.te
Mr. DUNCOMBE and Mr. BERKELEY,
of
tthe Ballot With
some other staunch supporters iitnh
the House of Commons, were present ; and the two
leaders, and the other members, with
the couicil,
agreed most cordially both to do their utmost for
the success of Mr. DUNCOMBE'S bill,
and, whether
they succeeded or failed in that, to press with
equal vigour the adoption of tle Ballot for the
whole kingdom, which is the object of Mr. BER-
KELEY'S bill.
They could not have done more wisely. It would
be absurd, indeed, to relax in the national effort,
because an attempt was to be made to obtain the
object in two constituencies ; it would be equally
absurd not to make the best of any strategical ad-
vantages offered by circumstances. We all remember
it was by Mr. DUNCOMBE'S admii able tact in availing
himself of the opening which enabled him to place
Baron ROTIISCIIILD on the committee appointed to
coder with the Lords, and by thus compelling their
Lordships, Bishops included, to meet a Jew member
of the House, that Jewish Emancipation was car-
ried. We should not be surprised if the same tact
proves to be the triumph of the Ballot. Old sea-
soned Whigs and Tories, are, it is true, audacious
enough for anything ; fifty-three were found to
record their dying protectionist votes when Lord
DERBY and Mr. DISRAELI had avowedly surren-
dered to the voice of the country ; and more than
twice fifty-three •
will doubtless be hardened enough
to vote that the Ballot is not needed at Gloucester
and its younger s' • ister of Northern fame. Yet
the case is one of
the strongest—one against