The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-18 00:00:00

THE REFUGEES AT MALTA.

A Blue-book, containing copies and extracts of
dispatches between the Governor of Malta and the
Secretary of State for the. Colonies, relating to
the admission of foreigners into Malta, has been
printed by order of the House of Commons.
On the 13th of March, 1548, Lord Napier ad-
dressed a dispatch to the Right Honourable
R. More O'Ferrall, Governor of Malta, infaming
him that the Neapolitan Government had consented
to the expulsion of the Jesuits from Naples (under
the pretext of a voluntary departure), and that Malta
had been selected in the hope that they would find
" that asylum which is never denied by her Majesty's
Government to any class or colour of political re-
fugees."
The precepts of humanity contained in the dis-
patch were acknowledged by the Governor. On the
Bth June following, the French steamer Pluton ar-
rived at Malta from N aples with eight refugees on
board, who took a prominent part in the insurrectini
of the 15th May (1848). The French admiral has.
taken them on board from motives of humanity,
but refused to land them in Sicily or Calabria,
as they wished, from
respect to the principle
of strict neutrality in the internal dissen-
sions of a friendly power. After some demur,
they were allowed to land, but (on the same prin-
ciple of neutrality) passports 'to Sicily were re-
fused to them. This was the first batch of refugess ;
others speedily followed. On the 16th of May (1849)
238 persons, chiefly deserters, arrived at Malta on
board the Archimede and Peloro steamers. These
did not come under the existing laws regulating the
admission of foreigners, the more especially as the
Archimede was a Neapolitan vessel of war which
escorted the deserters (virtually prisoners) with the
humane purpose of saving their lives by landing them
at Malta. This led to a correspondence with the
Neapolitan Government, a portion of the deserters
being allowed to land in the Lazaretto, the others to '
remain on board the Peloro until further notiee. A
statement of the whole affair was forwarded to Earl
Grey, under date of May 17 ; Mr. More O'Ferrall at
the same time addressed a dispatch to Prince Satriano
as follows :

" Your Excellency must be aware that so large a
number of persons, placed in their circumstances,
cannot obtain a residence or maintenance in this
island ; their temporary admission is intended by me
as a mark of respect to your Excellency, and to afford
time for an appeal to your Excellency's generosity, in
the hope that you will extend the amnesty so gene-
rously granted to the Sicilians, to the misguided men
who arrived in the Peloro, and enable me to send
them to their country under the guarantee of your
Excellency."
In reply to Mr. More O'Ferrall's dispatch of the
17th May, Earl Grey replied as follows on the 18th
June :

1 Downing-street, o
acknowledgewnin
g
" Sir,—l have"
t
Neapolitan army, in
of Neapolitan deserters from•the
dispatches reporting the arrival at Malta of a number
a steamer under Neapolitan Colours, escorted by a
Neapolitan steamer of war ; and I have to acquaint
stre et ihjeu receiptnelB
08f4 your 9.
you that her Majesty's Government entirely approve
of your proceedings in regard to those individuals.
" Upon the general question to which you have
called my attention in your separate communication
of the 2d instant, as to the impropriety of allowing
Malta to become the refuge of the outcasts of all ad•
joining countries, I have to acquaint you that her
Majesty's Government are very sensible of the incon-
venience and danger of allowing persons of that
description to congregate in Malta, and that we shall
be prepared to support you in enforcing any suitable
measures which you may think it necessary to adopt,
either with the view of restricting the number of
such persons to be admitted into the island, such as
aged men, women, and children, or of removing those
persons who may have been already admitted.
" As a general rule, the existing regulation to re-
fuse admission to those persons who cannot show that
they are able to maintain thernFelves, should admit
of no exception which cannot be just ified by the par-
ticular circumstances of the case. But there cannot
be a doubt that every person, or number of persons,
whose presence you may deem inconsistent with the
maintenance of public tranquillity, or the safety of
the island, should be forthwith removed under the
exercise of the powers which are for that purpose
especially vested in the Governor of .Malta."
The existing regulations for the admission of fo-
reigners into Malta alluded to by Earl Grey as fol-
lows :

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SUPERINTENDENCE OP FO.

REIGNERS IN THE ISLAND OF MALTA.

"I. All matters relating t the regulation of fo-
reigners while resident in this island. rest with the
executive police, and, previously to their being landed,
with the marine police, under the immediate control
of Government.

" 11. The following rules on this head are to be
observed in future :

" 1. All foreigners, on landing in this island, must
immediately report themselves to the Intendant of
Marine Police or his assistant, who will register their
names and forward them on to the office of the

spector-General of Police ; unless they be persons of
high distinction, when they will report themselves to
Government direct.

" 2. No foreigners of any description coming to
this island as passengers on board of any vessel, will
be allowed to remain, unless they can procure suffi-
cient security here for their good behaviour and for
their not becoming a burden upon this Government ;
such security to be given by the consul of the nation
to which they may belong, or by some respectable
housekeeper resident in the island, or by the master
of the vessel in which they came, provided they mean
to return on board the same vessel when she leaves
the port. _ _

"a. This security must be in a form prescribed by
Government, and be deposited in the office of the In-
spector-General of Police.
"4. Any master of a vessel who may bring passen-
gers of the above description, and land them, or allow
of their being landed, without submitting to the above-
mentioned conditions, will be obliged to take them
back in his own vessel, or to send them back at his
own expense, besides paying for their maintenance
until an opportunity offers for so doing.
" 5. All masters of foreign vessels will be further
liable for any foreign seamen,, or marinari di rinforza,
on board of their ship, and if any such foreigners
shall be landed in this island and left behind, without
being able to give sufficient security for their good
conduct, &c., they will be detained until an opportu-
nity offers of sending them off the island, at the ex-
pense of such master of the vessel; and all masters of
Maltese or English vessels will also be liable in the
same manner for such foreign seamen, or marinari di
rinforza, beyond the complement allowed by law, who
may be on their vessels.

6. Any person who shall give security for any
foreigners, as above alluded to, will be subject, in the
event of such foreigners having no honest means of
livelihood, and becoming a charge upon Government,
to defray the expense of maintaining the said persons
until an opportunity offers of sending them back to
their own country, as well as the expense of their
passage, and any arrears of police dues they may owe
to Government.

" 7. Any inn or tavern-keeper, or other person
whatsoever, receiving into their houses foreigners not
being provided with a regular permit from the police,
will be liable to the same penalties and charges as
are mentioned in the last paragraph.
"8. These regulations will only be acted upon with
reference to foreigners who may hereafter arrive in
this island; but with regard to those at present here,
should complaint be made against any of them, they
will be instantly called upon for such securities as
above-mentioned ; and unless they can procure the
same, they will be forthwith sent out of the island.

" 9. The Inspector- General shall take care that all
foreigners permitted to reside here submit to the ex-
isting laws and regulations concerning them, and
shall cause them to pay the duties established by Go-
vernment.

" 10. Foreigners having letters of denization, or
who may have served his Majesty faithfully, either in
the nary or army, for a certain period, to he settled
by Government; pensioners from the army and navy,
friars, individuals under the age of twenty-one years,
forming a family whose head pays, or is duly ex-
empted from payment, and negroes who have been
baptized, will be exempt from police dues, and will be
furnished with a certificate to that effect.

" 11. No foreigner will be called upon to pay the
police dues for residence, unless his stay within the
island should exceed two months.
" By common,' of his Honour the Lieutenant-Go-
vernor."

These deserters were subsequently shipped to Al-
giers, at the request of the Neapolitan Government.
On the 15th of July, the French steamer Lycurge
arrived from Civita Vecchia, with 124 persons on board;
and on the 16th a Greek vessel arrived with 53 more.
As none of the consuls could give the usual guarantees,
the men were not allowed to land. In a dispatch,
dated 20th September, Earl Grey entirely approves
of the line of conduct pursued by the Governor of
Malta. After remaining eight days in port, the
Lycurge sailed. It was this refusal to allow the
passengers on board the Lycurge to land which led
to a protest on their part, and on the part of the cap-
tain of the Lycurge. The same conduct was observed
towards subsequent arrivals.
On the 25th. September, her Majesty's steam-
packet Antelope arrived from the lonian Islands,
having on board M. Manin and General Pepe, with
their respective suites. Having passports from the
lonian Government, they were all allowed to land
under guarantee, with the understanding that they
were to take their departure at the earliest opportunity.
M. Mania and party sailed on 2d October, on board
the French Government steamer Nile, for Marseilles ;
and General Pepe and suit also sailed on the same
day, on board the French Government steamer
Leonidas, for Italy and Marseilles.
No. 19 is a letter addressed by Mr. More O'Fer-
rall to Earl Grey, in consequence of the statements
made by Members of Parliament and the public
press, charging him with inhumanity towards
the political refugees. After quoting the facts given
briefly above, Mr. More O'Ferrall denies the accu-
racy of the statements made, refers to his official
dispatches, and shields himself behind the approba.
tion of her Majesty's Government. On the 12th
December, Earl Grey wrote to signify his full ap-
proval of the measures adopted by the Governor of
Malta, and notifying that the correspondence respect-
ing the refugees, would be Lid before Parliament.
The following dispatch from Earl Grey to Mr.
More °Terra), bearing date 25th February, 1850, is
important, as containing the latest regulations with
respect to the admittance of foreigners into Malta :--
"2. While, on the one hand, her Majesty's Govern-
ment are anxious not to refuse hospitality in Malta to
foreigners who are in difficulties, on the other, it is
their duty to take Care that the interests of that
island itself are not injured, and that no just cause of
offence is given to friendly powers by its being allowed
to become a place from whence plots may be carried
on against the existing Government of any state in
amity with Great Britain.
"3. In furtherance of these views I have to instruct
you not to prevent the landing in Malta of persons
who may take refuge there from political troubles in
to comply
any of the countries bordering on the Mediterranean,
provided such persons are in a situation
with the law of the island, which requires that before
strangers are allowed to land, they shall give security
against becoming a burden upon its resources from
their inability to maintain themselves.
" 4. The limited size and resources of Malta ren-
der it absolutely necessary that this should be en-
forced, since the community might otherwise be ex-
posed to the endurance of a burden which it could
tuoloughtd aa
land,
dp
,r tevove e
nob
fe
though y
oeunrf o rgc evhdi
enyg a
ss
ph
eo
ruaml s gsnieoontne rbt aoel
not bear without great inccnvenience ; but while
find the required security, in cases in which
be satisfied that either from the state of
yfrta
ohubori
useee ,
gt Imon lawesa
rbys o
their health, or from other special circumstances, the
indulgence is called for by motives of humanity.
"5: I concur with you likewise, as to the danger
and inconvenience of allowing large numbers of
strangers to be assembled within the fortifications of
Valletta, or even to reside in their immediate neigh-
bourhood. I have therefore to instruct you on this
head, that when foreigners arrive in large bodies,
they should only be allowed to land on condition of
taking up their residence in such place as you may
point out to them, at a distance from the fortifications.
They should be assured, that if they violate this con-
dition, they will be immediately required to leave the
island.

"6. Lastly, with respect to avoiding the offence
which would arise to foreign powers from permitting
plots against their governments to be carried on from
Malta; you have given good reason for supposing
that a want of attention to this particular naturally
leads to great injury to the commercial interests of
the island. But independently of this consideration,
such neglect would be inconsistent with what is due to
friendly states. I have therefore to instruct you on this
head to exercise the power vested in you by the
Order in Council of Ist February, 1843, in order to
the removal from the island of every foreigner who
shall be proved to have abused its hospitality by avail-
ing himself of his residence there to carry on corre-
spondence with persons inhabiting any of the coun-
tries bordering on the Mediterranean, with a view to
the overthrow or disturbance of their existing go-
vernments, whatever those governments may be."

IMPROVIDENCE OF OPERATIVES.--A correspondent
of the Builder says—Too many, it is to be feared, though
they may not spend their days at the public-house and gin-
shop, yet devote their evenings to these places, sacrificing, by
this means, not only a large amount of their bard earnings,
but their health, the comfort and happiness of their depen-
dents in many instances—throw away at the same time both
the opportunity and the means of self• culture—erect a com-
plete barrier to their own advancement—and themselves and
families have, as their only reward, the humiliating reflection
that they are sinking into poverty, neglect, and disgrace,
whilst those with whom they once had equal prospects, but
who have devoted to self-improvement what the former have
sacrificed to Bacchus, are sustaining respectable positions—
positions from which they themselves have been effectually
excluded by having preferred sensual and temporary gratifi-
cation to the more lasting blessings of industry, temperance,
and frugality. Could our artisans be induced to cast off en-
tirely the fetters which a love of drink binds about them, we
should soon he surrounded by a class of men characterised by
intelligence, industry, and skill, and that which is now a
lamentable truth, would no longer be so—that" Monday is a
bad day for many, though a good one for the publicans."
RIVER RIDDLE.—PORT or PRESTON.—Captain
Williams, RN., has arrived at Lytham, with an assistant
officer, for the purpose of making a new survey, by
orders frorn the Admiralty, of the River Ribble, with the
adjacent coasts and banks, to the northward of Formby.
This work is rendered necessary by the changes which
have ta'aen plack since the survey by Captain (now Sir
Edward) Belcher, in 1836, and will lead to the publication
of mo. re accurate charts and sailing directions. The ac-
tual st, lte of the river will now be made known to the pub-
lic fron i indieputabie • authority, together with the capabi-
'ill' a of further improvement in its navigation.—Manchester
uardian.