New-York tribune., 1880-10-31
TOPICS IN PARIS.

| SLAVERY IN THE MANUFACTURES OF THE RE-
LIGIOUs oRDERs-IACK OF PROPER TRAINING
FOR ORPHAN CIlLDREN-REFoRMs To DE IN
| AUGURATED.
lPRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE. ]
PARIS, Oct. 4.-Instead of falling back this dull
season on the legendary green gooseberries, the
journals follow the realistic current, and probe the
ulcers of this great city. ROchefOrt has taken the
lead i'll calling attention to the army Of young vaga-
bonds which is drafted from the streets
into the Houses OF Correction-Quafed the
other day as the Houses of Corruption by n
Judge on the bench. This army has within the last
decade reached the yearly average Of 100, 900 for
all France. The juveniles composing 1t are in
"houses of corruption (" through no fault of theirs.
They are either deserted or the children Of parents
too poor to keep them, and turned on the street to
sink or swim. In the vast number Of cases they sink
rs surely as puppy dogs thrown INTO the river.
There are but two Observation-Disclosures and
Nettrav-w where they are brought up in healthy
ditions and God-fearing, moral ways, Rochfort Gle
menceau and Victor Hugo, indirectly and through
the Rappel preach that unul the salvation Of those
unfortunate vagabonds is accomplished. France
sbould not burn an ounce Of powder for Greeks or
MoDtenegrins To do 50 would be to brighten the
out,Ide of the cup whilst the inside remained loath-
some with foul impurities. Public attention mas
heen xrd on the street Arabs. and their state has
now become the question of the day. II is
due TO Rochelort, who has the tendcrest
heart in the world great though his otbcr faults
and faings may be) for children, that their condi-
hon i now the general theme of newspaper articles
He WAS set upon this vein by the declaration Of
iudge before whom delIcate-looking child
brought for vagabondagc. Is there no rclation,0
asked the magistrate, "who VIII come forward
10 save him ] shrink from sending HIM 10 House
of Correction. where he Will be mad3 corrupt good
for-nothing'
Rochefort was reminded of his own personal
perences when a captive at Versailles by what this
Lurnane Judge said. When the Lanternier was in
iall there he was kept, there being then no
room in the prison for adults in the House If
Detention for young vagabouds. Their hopeless
vretchedncss for a time made him OblIyou1 of his
own misery The yard IN which they walked one
ot n time for exercise, was surrounded by high walls
which excluded light and afforded no outlet for the
inhaled air. Those who had been some time
locked up were pallil, like blanched plants.
Rochefort used to walk IN a corridor Every thing
was then topsy-turyy at Versailles, and he found
that door was unlocked, by which he had access
TO the juveniles yard. lie says lie will
never forget the looks Of stupor Of the
children when he made TO them signs Of
compassionate amity. They were so used 10 harsh
ness that he appeared 10 them something ont Of the
order of nature Often when in New
Caledonia the image of the benched
and stultiied juveniles came back to him
and filed him with bitterness against the ciyiza-
ton he had left behind. His conviction was that
the children OF Kanakas were infinitely happier
than working-cass Europeans. The possibility OF
his own young people falling into state of bond
age haunted him day and night.
Rochefort is a bundle Of nerves. He feels acutely.
and his reason, which comes in scathing flashes, is
entirely dominated by his feelings. The idea used
often TO torment him that perhaps Edmond
Adam. the guardian OF his children,
might die in which case they would possibly be
thrown into the streets. aud thence showed into a
House Of Correction. Rochefort writes his
articles about the young vagabonds OF
Paris as if with his hearts blood. and
certainly it IS his heart which dictates
them. This explains the emotion they have caused.
the stir they have given to the public conscience.
Something, | believe, will be done-pcrhaps good
deal-to heal this foul onal ulcer if the Republic
gets entanged in no dangerous diplomatic com
pIIcation and maintains tranquility at home.
FRENCH PRISON LAWS
The law regulating the prison discipline to
which Young vagabonds subjected, dates from
1850. when Louis Napoleon was meditating his
coup d'etat A Board of Surveillance, named by
the Minister of the Interior, and renewable every
seven years. has what called in the
statute. paterna authority over juveniles. who are
assumed criminals and locked up because they have
no adult protectors This board has always been
clerical in its compositions, and alas in bat few In
stauc has it shown spirit If tenderness for child
hood Its general drift has been to provide
coDyentual factories with hands," and for the
souls ofthe children they WEI Were placed beyond the
ing fee-simpe by the sacraments of the
Church Ias last Board the of hsqsS sqyelnHSG aSG
clerical NJ. Buffet. There Is not on it name which
il a guarantee of humane purpose. Schoelcher. the
heroic and kind hearted AOohtionst; was proposed
there member of wOrking-class or-
gin, who could tell from personal
experience the trials to which the children OF the
nty and cid,rdnt Mason, would have been a val
liable mcnber.of Board of Surveillance, but, like
cefca it 0 probable that he and % schoocher @
would have recommended the creation of Homes IN
Algeria, where young yagabonds could be prepared
for colonial life and pnt out under State
surveillance and protection to work at high
wages, which would be savei for them,
farm hSore Of bs Bn ,nS woua Who Hot G
rive a notable profit from the yagabond children
locked up III Jalls.
CONvESTUAL ESTABLISHMENTS.
Statistics show that there are thrty-eight cor
rectional establishments in France for boys and
twenty-five for girls, belonging to the
State. But out Of these there are
only twelve houses-tcn for boys and
two for grIs-under Government super
vision and management When the dozen houses
are full the overpius IL sent to the others. when
are IN the hands Of gous orders of industrial
character, with the exception OF the agricultural
colonies Of Mettray ard OTgeville. For each
child a coniratenity or sisterhOod Is paid 70 cen
times Der day. and allowed to work the vagabcnd
to death If 80 disposed. Two b undred female yag-
abopds are och ed mp at St. Lazare. All tie other.
ara made over soul and body, to the of the
Good shepherd, WHO have twenty industrial houses
kept up and ghtly enriched by their laboT6 What
conld not a gioup of manufacturers. say at Shelf
field or Cottonolros. d0I allowed enough OF money
hv th. State to feed all the children requisite
f;r the working of their mills. and