28 MAY 1870, Page 3

Some speculative Spaniards, hearing, we suppose, of the enor- queue

booty which the Greek brigands very nearly got, and the -offer made by the English Government to transport them with it in a ship-of-war to Malta, if they would but dismiss the captives, shave followed suit by seizing four Englishmen,—.a Mn/ John liorell, his nephew, and their servants, within four miles of 'Gibraltar, and carrying them off, apparently to Algeciras, at %eat the last account says that the prefect of Cadiz is gone to Algeciras to take steps to secure their liberation. We are told -there is no brigandage elsewhere in Spain,—which seems hardly likely,—but, no doubt, the dazzling prize of the /25,000 de- elanded, though, never earned, by the Athenian brigands must tare tempted this new outrage. This hostage-seizing is a very -unpleasant practice to get ahead, and much more embarrassing 'than downright murder, for that leaves no room for bargaining with the criminals, and it is the public spectacle of criminals ;bargaining with a government which so demoralizes society.