Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-04-11

sumter.
through our northern papers we have sdvices
/ from Europe TO the 18th Of March The general
news Is unimPortsnt. The lieutenant of the
priyateer Sumter and the eX consul of the United
states mad been arrested ct AIgiey5, and had
subsequently been taken aboard of a United
States ship TO be brought TO the United Stsfes as
prisoners. Their arrest, from the account giveu
balow, was brutal and violent. and the nris6Tars
. we ere told, were loaded with irons The
/ authorities OF Morocco protested sgninst tbe ac-
/ but were bulied INTO acquiescencs by the United
/ States consul at AlgIeTs. We give below an
Interesting debate in the British Parliament on
the subject, which relates tue circumstances Of
! the case:
/ TIE QUESTION II THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.
! In the House Of Commons, on Monday March
! 18th, Mr.. D. Griffith asked the under Secretary
| vi State for foreign affairs whether the Tenter
ant Of the Sumter and the ex-consuI of the
! United States at Cadiz. who were arrested ON
board the Willie de Malaga steamer by the United
States consul at TsngieTs, were taken down to
the harboT, and embarked as prisoners on board
/ the United States steamer mo; whether the
Moorish Government did not protest against this
! proceeding, and only yielded to the threat of
| the United States consul that he would strike
/ his hagi and whether it WAS the opinion of her
msJesty's government that the jurisdiction with
Which, by the cspitulatiOns or treaties, European
cOnsUs were invested over their countrymen in
hlohSmedan countries empowered them TO make
Judicial cognizsnce Of alleged political OfFeuses
committed IN any other country; and. if not
whether the British government would take
means to protect our faithful ally, the Moorish
government, from such infringeme of its in
dependencel
Mr.. Layard said be owed an apology to his
honorable friend and the House for having on
previous occasion misintOrmed them on this sub
Ject, In tact, 1t was only at the close OF last
week that he received the information which he
was now about 10 give. He had stated before,
that two gentlemen-one the purser of the SO
called Confederate States steamer Sumter. and
the other gentleman who was formerly United
States consul at Csdz-were proceeding on
voyage from Csdiz to Lisbon, and according to
Dir. Myers (the puTser) statement, hearing that
fellow citizen was i'll at Tangiers, they landed
to see him, and were returning to embark when
they were met by the American consul, accom-
panied by Moorish guards arrested on the spot
sad carried to the consulate. They were then
loaded with irons and confined in an improper
plsce. The commander Of the Sumter, b aung
what had occurred, wrote letter to the Moorish
authorities, and sent it to Mr.. Hay, Der msjesty'
consul, requesting him to deliver it, and 10 make
use OF his influence on behalf OF the prisoners
Alr. Hay delivered the letter, but declined to
take any steps in the way ofinterfererce Tina.
happened On the 18th.
On the Goth the United States sloop Ino sr-
rived at Tangiers, the captain landed with a
number of ms crew armed, and proceeded to the
consulate The Moorish government in the
meantime had learned that these gentlemen had
been arrested upon political accusations alone,
and they sent letter of rrmonstrauce to the con-
sui. The consul declined to surrender the pris-
OBers, and fe back upon an article in the treaty
between Morocco and the United States The
llth article of general treaty between her Ma
jesty aud the Sultan of Morocco stated that,
should the British nsVl general or any British
consul, vice consul or consular agent have at
any time occasion to request from the n oTish
government the assistance of sOldiegs, guards, or
armed force, for the purpose OF arrestiDg any
British subject, the demand should be complied
with on payment OF certsin fees. By he 23rd
article of the treaty between Morocco and the
United States, it was said that the consul of the
United States should reside at any seaport Of the
Moorish djminions, and should enjoy all the
privileges which the consuls of any other nation
enjoyed.
When it became known in Tangiers that those
gentlemen were about to be transferred to the
sioOp Iuo, a large asssmblage Of Europeans
and natives took place. They threatened the
United States consul, and for some time a seri-
rous riot was apprehended. The United States
consul sent for Mr.. hay, but he declined to in
rrIere, aud AZ the sametime demonstrated with
tie consul who fell back on the treaty. Mr
Hay pointed out that the right OF affordng asy-
lum belonged TO the Moorish government, and
tnat the article Of the treaty referred to really ap-
piled only to criminals and not to persons chaTg-
I'd with Offenses. The United States consul de-
piipati that irtferratg
and, on the remOustrance of the Moorish author
tiles, he threatened not only TO lower bis flag,
bat TO declare war against Morocco. The au-
thOriues were so alarmed by the threat that they
felt compelled to give the troops required, aud
the two gentlemen were marched down under the
guard Of armed troops and of the seamen Of the
United States slOop, who were $50 armed and
put Oh board the Ion. Her Msissty's Govern
ment believed that Mr.. Hay took right view Of
his duty throughout, and approved his conduct.
Hear, hear
Ia reply to a question put by my honorable
friend the ether night, ! stated that they had
been released, but that mistake was owing to a
dispatch which had been received at the foreign
oti"e from Lord Cowiey, announcing that cir
cunstance. Not hearing any such intelligence
from other sources the foreign office applied for
information again, and Lord COwley stated in
reply that NJ. Ihouveuel had received similar
dispatch. The war office then telegraphed to
her majesty's minister at Madrid, but got an
answer that be hsd got no official intelligence
whether they had been released or not Upon
that the war office telegTsphed to Sir W Cod !
ringtOn, the governor of Gibraltar, and it was
not until late on Friday night that his answer
was TeceiYed-tOo late for communication to the |
honorable gentleman. That answer STATES that !
the gentlemen arrested were carried off to the |
United States. He (Mr. Layard) trusted that |
the house would acquit him Of any intention to |
deceive them. Hear, hear.
The facts required no comment. Hear |
hear For the sake of justice, of humanity, of |
the sight Of stfording asylum to persons accused |
Of political Oienses-s claim preferred by the |
weakest and recognized by the strongest powers
he might be permitted to express al earnest |
hope that, when the circumstances came 10 the
knowledge Of the President Of the United States,
he would order the release of the prisoners.
Hear, hear.
The order of the day was then read for the re-
sumption OF the adjourned debate on the motion
That the present state Of International mari
lime law, as affecting the rights Of belig-rents
md neutrals, is still defined ana unsatisfactory,
and calls for the early attention of her msjssty's
government"