§ MR. HEDDERWICK (Wick Burghs)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the terms of the Treaty of 1856, and the fact that certain subjects of Her Majesty, recently tried upon a charge of introducing in the "Tourmaline" arms and ammunition into Morocco, were confined for 100 days before they were handed over to the British authorities at Tangier; whether any and what punishment has been meted out to Kaid Giluli and the other subjects of the Sultan who were responsible for their detention; whether he is aware that the application of Her Majesty's Vice-Consul for the custody of the prisoners was refused, and the prisoners lodged in a house in Mogador under a guard of Moorish soldiers; whether he is aware 951 that, in sentencing the prisoners at Tangier, Chief Justice Gatty, said "I do not take into consideration the hardships you have suffered at the hands of the Moors, as that may form the basis of a claim for compensation against the Moorish Government"; and whether Her Majesty's Government, having regard to this judicial expression, have taken or mean to take any steps to obtain compensation from the Sultan?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. ST. JOHN BRODRICK,) Surrey, GuildfordHer Majesty's Government have had all the circumstances of this case before them, and, having given them careful consideration, have arrived at the conclusion that these persons who landed arms in the Sus country from the steam yacht "Tourmaline" were implicated in a deliberate attempt to raise a rebellion against the Sultan of Morocco. In these circumstances, they have decided to abstain from demanding pecuniary compensation from the Moorish Government on their behalf. The question of the action taken by Kaid Giluli in this matter is still under discussion between Her Majesty's Minister at Tangier and the Moorish Government.