§ MR. H. B. SHERIDANsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether it is true that the Emperor of Morocco has withdrawn the Firman, delivered last year to Sir Moses Montefiore, promising to the Jews in Morocco the security and protection of regular justice; whether any information has reached the Government of the imprisonment of twelve chiefs of the Jewish community of Tetuan, for the alleged non-payment of a Moorish guard at the gates of the Jewish quarters; and, whether any steps has been taken to ascertain 1084 whether any of the twelve chiefs were British subjects?
§ MR. LAYARDsaid, in reply, that he had no reason to believe that the Firman delivered by the Emperor of Morocco to Sir Moses Montefiore had been withdrawn. On the contrary, he believed that the Emperor of Morocco had the strongest desire to carry out the Firman, but it was quite possible that some of the local authorities, imperfectly acquainted with the wishes of the Emperor, might have exceeded their authority. Sir Moses Montefiore, whom he had met about two days previously, had brought with him a communication from some Jews in Morocco, stating that the persons arrested had been released. He believed that the accounts which had appeared in the newspapers had been much exaggerated, and Sir Moses Montefiore expressed his satisfaction at what had been done. Frequent cases of oppression had occurred in Morocco, but, as far as he was aware, the Emperor wished in no way to depart from the Firman which he had delivered to Sir Moses Montefiore.