modified, even in armies, that thrones are no longer possible, and the interval may easily be long enough to allow two Victors to become crowned rulers in Germany and Great Britain.

From The Examiner.

OUR RELATIONS WITH MOROCCO.

THERE is scarcely a country on the face of the globe concerning which we seem to know and care less than we do about Morocco. It is high time, however, that a new leaf be turned over in this matter, and a little of the public attention demanded for a country which, from the value of its natural resources, proximity within two hours' sail of a British port and other causes, ought to be of the greatest importance to us. The advancement of commerce and the suppression of slavery have hitherto been the two chief objects of all our dealings with African nations, except Morocco. It is true, though probably little known, that we keep up a costly ambassadorial and consular establishment in that country, but as yet we have kept it up for nothing. The splendid field for commerce which Morocco should afford to our mercantile enterprise is practically closed against us, while the trade in human flesh flourishes there unheeded under the very shadow of the English flag.

or actual terror of the throne? Weari- | sant danger in which Czars must live has ness was the solution of Monarchy im- produced no abdication. The caste will agined many years ago by a clever novel- ¡ hold on, we imagine, until opinion is so ist, who predicted that in the year 2,500, or thereabouts, a single capitalist would be owner, and therefore ruler of the world, and that the Kings would be hampered by constitutional etiquettes, till abdication would be a pleasant escape from an intolerable position; and there is this to justify his idea, that thrones do go begging when their conditions are unpleasant. Belgium was refused, Greece the was refused, Spain was refused, latter under circumstances which made the refusal but little creditable to the refuser. Leopold of Coburg refused Belgium for months because of her constitution; Prince Alfred of England refused Greece; and Ferdinand, Ex-King of Portugal, declined Spain, though probably the one man in Europe whom Spaniards would have cordially supported. But the abdication of a born King has yet to occur, though the last King of Denmark who also possessed SchleswigHolstein, threatened to run for President if the Hohenzollerns worried him too much. Nobody steps down voluntarily out of his caste, and Kings have quite as much pride of caste as other men, more, because they are never in their own minds quite sure that their rank is not part of a Providential scheme, that their right of birth is not, on some interpretation or other and in some sense, "divine." Kings hold on very hard, under all circumstances, and would hold on, we imagine, even if the Crown ceased to be sufficiently or even decently gilded, or A short statement of the present conif the work were exceedingly severe. dition of our commercial and other rela We could imagine, indeed, a King com- tions with the Moorish empire will plainly pelled to do work which he could not show the necessity that exists for a radiaccomplish, feeling as Lord Althorp used cal alteration in the policy we pursued to say he felt, and resolving to abdicate; in our dealings with Sidi Mohammed, but before the resolution became fixed he and have hitherto continued with his son would learn to trust some one with the and successor. By our present treaty work, and patiently to await results. made some eighteen years ago - British The self-conceit of Kings, Prince Bis- subjects in Morocco are entitled to the marck once said, knows no laws. Even same privileges that "are enjoyed by the Ferdinand of Austria thought himself fit subjects or citizens of the most favoured to govern, and it is said, received in the nations." These privileges are more Hradschin the news of the cession of amply defined in the treaties since made Lombardy with the malicious remark, that by Morocco with France, Spain, the after all his nephew had not made so United States, &c. But though by these much of his work. As to terror, Kings treaties trade is nominally permitted, it feel it like other people, but they do not is placed under restrictions that in reality often abdicate from fear. The certainty keep it at a complete standstill. For of assassination and as De Quincey instance, Morocco is a grain-growing has shown, it amounted to that did not country, and from its great fertility in diminish the number of candidates for that respect might be made to produce the Cæsarship of Rome, and the inces-wheat enough to supply all Europe

and yet the exportation of wheat is alto- | came due the debtors for the most part gether prohibited. It is known that gold, repudiated them, and on the matter being silver, copper, lead, and quicksilver, exist laid before the Sultan by the diplomatic in the country in large quantities, but no representative, he supported the debtors attempt to reach this mineral wealth by by saying that the treaty clause did not the opening and working of mines will be apply to Government officials, such as permitted. Besides wheat, several other the debtors were. Yet it was on the valuable articles of commerce are placed strength of their being men in official under prohibition-notably palmetto, position, and, as such, men of standing which grows in Morocco in the greatest and substance, that the European merabundance. But even with the trade that chants had made the advances. After is allowed, difficulties are thrown in the some negotiation the Sultan consented way, so great as to be completely inter- that the claims of the merchants (amountdictory. Chief of these is, that it is not ing to a very considerable gross sum) allowed at all with several, and some of should be adjudicated upon by a legal these the best, of the Moorish ports. tribunal. But in this tribunal the law Santa Cruz, the finest port in the Em- was administered by Shraa, the law of pire, is altogether closed to Europeans, the Koran. By this law of Shraa no eviwhilst at others, where it is permitted, dence is admitted from witnesses of other the anchorage is most insecure; some than the Mohammedan faith; and as in also being faced by reefs of rocks, which this case the claimants were all of them often prevent vessels communicating with either Christians or Jews, their evidence the shore for many weeks at a time. was not received, and no fair decisions Some of these ports might be greatly were arrived at. The claims are thereimproved at a small outlay, but the late fore for the most part still outstanding, Sultan would neither undertake this him- and in all probability will never be setself nor allow it to be done by foreign-tled. The following affords another ers. For example, at Tangier the foundations still remain of the moles constructed by the English in the reign of Charles II., but afterwards destroyed on our evacuation of the place. These might be made serviceable again at a trifling expense, but the Sultan had always refused to permit it as it would interfere with the profits of those of his subjects who now make it their business to carry goods and passengers from vessels on shore on their backs. Another and most serious impediment to trade is the fact that the supply of lighters for unloading ships' cargoes is kept as an imperial monopoly. A very few are placed at each port, and vessels have to wait, in some cases for weeks, to take their turn to be loaded or unloaded.

instance of evasion. By treaty the goods of European merchants are not liable to pay any tax or duty after they have passed through the custom-house and paid the import duty. According to this stipulation a European merchant might remove his goods from one port to another by land without additional impost. But the Moorish Government has lately evaded this by charging a duty on every camel, or mule, or donkey's load of goods which enters the gates of a Moorish town. It declares, however, that the duty is paid on the animal, not on the goods he carries, and that it is charged to the driver, who, being a Moorish subject, may be taxed ad libitum. But of course the camel or mule driver has to charge the duty to his European employer, and But even such as these treaties are, it this is virtually equivalent to the merhas been found that the Sultan has not chant's paying an additional duty. The hesitated to break them. For instance. last instance which we shall give, though By one treaty-stipulation subjects of for- not concerned with trade, is an equally eign powers were allowed to trade with unfair and vexatious proceeding on the any Moorish subjects, and they were em- part of the Moorish Government towards powered to recover debts from them. the subjects of foreign nations. By Acting on this, many European mer-treaty the Sultan of Morocco engages chants advanced money or goods to gov-that "British subjects residing in his ernors of Moorish provinces, on the dominion shall enjoy their personal secusecurity of legal and official acknowledg-rity in as full and ample a manner as ments of the debts, and written promises subjects of the Sultan are entitled to do for their repayment at the time of har- within the territories of her Britannic vest or sheepshearing, when the govern- Majesty." But now the Moorish Govors would collect the tithe-taxes from the ernment declares that no foreigner shall people. When, however, the debts be- ! travel anywhere outside of a Moorish

his "Travels in Morocco," quotes a case in which slaves were brought from Gibraltar to Tangier in the English mail boat, and like instances have occurred quite recently.

town unless accompanied by a Moorish soldier, or, if he does, he does it on his own responsibility. So that if an Englishman were robbed in the market-place of Tangier just outside the gateshe could obtain no redress, unless he were The reason for this excessive submisunder the charge of a Moorish soldier, siveness on our part to the violation of the cost of which escort is from four to our treaty rights by the Moorish Governeight shillings a day! That England, ment, as well as our complacent attitude through her representatives, should towards slavery and slave traffic in this meekly submit to such flagrant violation part of Africa, is not far to seek, and is of the rights of her subjects as this, shows a very mean one when found. The fact a spirit of gentleness and long-suffering is that we keep up an enormous garrison for which, judging from her ordinary at Gibraltar, which we feed chiefly and dealings with African potentates, few cheaply from Tangier; so in order to would have been inclined to give her credit.

66

save a few pounds yearly in butcher's meat for our soldiers we sacrifice our In another matter, that of slavery, gen- honour and our principles, and make erally supposed to arouse the deepest 'peace at any price" our motto in Mofeelings of horror in the English mind, rocco. So long as our government can we have shown ourselves equally com- get as much cheap beef as it wants for placent and forbearing in Morocco. Gibraltar, our merchants may be thwartThere negro slavery is one of the most ed, and bullied, and cheated in their cherished of domestic institutions, the commercial transactions as much as the slaves being mostly brought from Tim- Moorish Sultan pleases; and not even buctoo and Soudan, but sometimes from by a frown or a shake of the head will the East, and sold in open market in the we infer that we see anything to disaptowns. Now it might not be possible, prove of in the good old custom of nor if it were would it probably be ex- slavery. To show the importance — over pedient, for any European Power to get all else—which is attached to this matthe Sultan of Morocco to suppress the ter of buying cheap meat for Gibraltar, traffic in slaves throughout his domin- it is enough to say that at Tangier - the ions. But England has quite sufficient port from which the meat is shippedpower and influence if she chose to we have a Minister Plenipotentiary and a exercise it with the Maroquine Court Consul, both receiving high salaries and to obtain the introduction of many salu- each with his staff of paid assistants; tary restrictions in this trade, the only whilst at all the other ports of the Empire one which at present appears to be quite there are only unpaid vice-Consuls, or free in Morocco. The sale of slaves in Consular agents; and at Mogador the open market in those towns where Eng- British Consular business has been translish diplomatic establishments are main- acted since last August by the French tained, might be prohibited. A firm in- Consul, nor up to a recent date had the sistance on such a restriction as this Foreign Office taken steps to appoint would only be consistent from a nation any one to relieve him of the duties. like ours, which has lavished millions for And yet Mogador is the most important the suppression of the slave trade in trading station on the Coast, both on acother parts of Africa. But so far from count of the number of English merany attempt of the kind having yet been chants resident there, and also because it made, it would appear as if as regards is the chief port for the exportation of all Morocco we took a different view of the native produce-other than fresh promatter, and rather approved of slavery visions. That such a state of things is than otherwise. The efforts of the late not creditable to England will be readily Mr. Richardson, who was commissioned admitted; and that the sooner it is remby the Anti-Slavery Society to present edied the better will be the natural cona memorial on the subject to the Sultan, clusion. But the remedy must consist received neither assistance nor sympa- not only in a new treaty-though the thy from our chief representative; on need for that is imperative too - but the contrary, the project was speedily in such an unflinching insistance on the drowned in the profusion of cold water observance of its stipulations on the part thrown on it. But worse than this, slaves of our chief representative as will inspire have actually been brought into Morocco the Moorish Government with respect, in English vessels. Mr. Richardson, in instead of, as now, contempt for our

art,

Government, with also, as regards such | Gone in an instant like a breath of wind, matters as slavery, a course of conduct Leaving the dead dumb instrument behind on our part which, while not disputing Through which the spirit, with such wondrous the rights of other nations to their own Thrilled its fine harmonies of sense and mind. social and domestic arrangements, shall not make it appear that our own muchvaunted moral professions are nothing

more than shams.

From Blackwood's Magazine.
TO CHARLES SUMNER.

IN MEMORIAM.

FOR years, dear friend, but rarely had we met,
Fate in a different path our feet had set,
Space stretched between us, yet you still were

near,

And friendship had no shadows of regret.

The ocean drear divided us, but nought
Obscured the interchange of word and thought;
The unbroken line of sympathy still throbbed,
And unto both its constant message brought.

And so I felt you were not far away,

The mere material distance seemed to lay
Brief barrier to our meeting, and I dreamed
That some day we should meet; ay, any day-
That we again should clasp each other's hand,
Speak as of old, and face to face should stand;
Renew the past, and plot and plan again,
As in years past we plotted and we planned.

That hope is vanished now a sudden change
Hath borne you from me far beyond the range
Of that familiar life that here we knew
Into a region dim and far and strange.

Gone?- what is gone, and whither has it fled?

What means this dreadful utterance - he is
dead!

What is this strange mysterious tie called
Life,

That bindeth soul to sense by such slight

thread?

No matter what it brings — at least it wears
A peaceful charm of rest from all our cares.
Why should we wish to toil and struggle more?
Is not sleep sweet if no dark dreams it bears?

Look at this face where death has laid its hand,
How calm it looks!-how sorrowless, how
grand!

Life's fever over, all the passions fled,
All the lines smoothed they burned as with a
brand.

Not Joy's glad smile in happiest hours it bore,
Not Love's enchanted look that once it wore,
Could lend a grace so noble, so refined,
As now it wears when Joy and Love are o'er.