The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-04-19 00:00:00

FRENCH CONVICTS AND THE AUS-
TRALIAN COLONIES.

A French journal publishes a despatch, dated Jan
9, from Lord Lyons to Earl Granville, describing a
conversation between the British Ambassador and M.
Jules Ferry on the emotion caused in Australia by the
Recidivist Bill, which provides for the transportation
of old offenders or previously-convicted criminals to
New Caledonia. Lord Lyons began by asking the
Premier to consider carefully the observations pre-
viously submitted to him by Earl Granville's direc-
tions. M. Ferry opined that the colonists' feelings was
superficial, and suggested that it was a mantle to cover
over annexationist designs. They could not seriously
fear the results arising from the transportation of a cer-
tain number of criminals to New Caledonia. Lord
Lyons, in answer, said he feared his interlocutor mis-
took effect for cause. The desire to annex arose
from the wish to prevent neighbouring islands from
becoming nurseries for criminals. The apprehensions
in Australia were genuine, and their intensity in-
creased daily. M. Ferry owned that he could not
understand these apprehensions. The majority of
Recidivists would not be the worst sort of criminals
(forsats) and they would be forbidden to leave
the island. Lord Lyons conceived that so far as he
understood the bill ales° Recidivists would be
worse than ordinary convicts, indeed they would
be hardened criminals, without the restraints of
forcats, and would have ready means of escape.
There would be a further complication. Would
their escape be a cause for extradition and the
colonists be justified in extraditing them? On this
point M. Ferry was not able to reply, but thought
that transported persons having been condemned for
serious offences their condemnation should have full
scope and effect. Lord Lyons did not see that this
was to be inferred from the bill, which was rather
directed against criminals who, having served their
time in France and showed a tendency to relapse,
were meraly obliged to live in the island. M. Ferry
replied that escape would be doubtless possible. He
moreover thought that few Recidivists would be sent
to New Caledonia, because it would be impolitic
to swamp the civil with a criminal population.
Cayenne would be the chief place for trans-
ported felons. The insalubrity of that posses-
sion had been exaggerated. Lord Lyons then
hoped that, in answer to his Note of
January 3, M. Ferry would enable him to inform
Earl Granville that no convict would be sent to New
Caledonia. M. Ferry said that, with every desire to
oblige the British Government and the colonists, it
was impossible to admit that another Power could
I prevent France from sending Recidivists to her own
1 colonies. The British Ambassador admitted such
right in a general manner, but objected to consider
the question from M. Ferry's standpoint. Certainly
every man was master of his own house, but surely he
had no right to make it a source of danger to his
next-door neighbour. Mr. Ferry repeated that he
sincerely desired to show all due consideration for the
feelings of the Australians.

Any girl has a right to look at a milliner's window
and wish she had a rich husband