The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-05-11

Olt UOullu W tHt tAtithIt UT VI nbiu-
ness. He chose to look upon criminals
simply as misguided men and unfortu-
natesb; he called them 8 his children He
allowed them to send him complimentary
poems, which he communicated to the
newspapers; to compose symphonies In his
honor, which were executed In public con-
certs; and to erect triumphal arches when
he went among them. He tried to stimulate
them TO good conduct by extra ratIons OF
food, brandy. and Ia fla IA highly intoxica-
ting liquor like absintne), and he broke all
discipline by continually reprimanding the
officials Of the colony for their severity,
and by permitting the convicts to de-
nounce their warders and officers to him
in private letters. On one occasion he
caused a knight of the Legion OF Honor,
CAPTAIN Bournil, to be tried at the Assizes
for having kept cOnvicts In cellular con-
hnement for some days beyond the legal
term. The Captain was acquitted, but
during the whole week he had to stand i'm
the dock and hear himself insulted by con-
Wet witnesses, who, as they filed before
him, sniggered IN lis face, "Heigh! each
man his turnl"
The results OF the Governors philan-
throphy have not been encouraging. He
has had to deal with men, most OF whom
have been transported for life. since all
convicts who have been sentenced to more
than eight years. penal servitude must re-
main in the colony as free men after their
discharge. Now the Judicial statistics OF
France for the last five years show that
there has been a yearly average OF over
three hundred men tried for murder in
various degrees; but, thanks to the be-
nightly of iuries in finding "~eAtenuating
circumstances" and to the systematic
l%eniency Which NJ. Grevy has shown in
sparing the lives Of miscreants whom even
juries thought unworthy Of pity, the ave-
rage OF execution has not amounted to five
q year. So we may assume that over q
thousand murderers have found their way
to New Caledonia since NJ. Greyy became
President. Here is the manner OF life
which awaits one OF these men on landing {:
ARRIVING at NOumea the convict is sent
to the camp OF MontrayeI, where he rests
for ten days and gets his kit. After that
ne is tolled off to some kind of work, and
enjoys almost complete liberty. The con-
yicts 20 to their work in bands OF forty or
fifty. They may chat. smoke, drink wine
and tafia. At night they are locked up in
wards, but It is difficult TO exercise any
surveillance over them. Games OF hazard
are forbidden, yet a sort lansquenet called
Ia Vcndome is PLAYED every night. Some
times the fife Of an obnoxious warder or
official is the stake OF the game, but fire.
~quentiy large sums OF money are lost. 1t
came to our knowledge that one night a
convict lost 1920 francs, which he paid
on the following day in gold. There is no
discovering where all this gold comes
from. but the cOnvicts seem to be album
dainty supplied with it. Those who are
caught irving to escape to Australia have
always plenty OF louis in their pockets.
This pretty state OF things has its com
plement in drunkenness, idleness. vice OF
every sort, and murders. There is a man
in the Island of Nou "who has been sen
fenced four tunes to death, and Is none the
worse for it," Thus the leniency which
spared this catiff's life in the first instance
has cost the lives OF three innocent men.
The courts are reduced to passing absurd
sentences OF forty years penal servitude
on prisoners who have already been con
demned to penal servitude for life. A mar
named Jugeau lately had a sentence OF this
sort inflicted upon him, and these were his
antecedentS
ellis first conviction was to six years
penal seryitude for a murderous assault
which caused death. One year OF thi>
term was RENTED, and he was discharged
on the 10Th OF January, 1881. On the e
OF December OF the same year he murdered
at Dulnbea a free convict named Jeanniard
in order to rob him OF 100 francs. The
sentence of death passed upon him for thi,
was committed 10y the President OF the Re
public, and soon after this be was con
demned to forty years. penal seryitude fol
robbery with violence and attempt to es
cape"
We have to note that this record con
cernmg Jugeau is that OF his conduct afteI
TRANSFORMATION. We are not told wha
crime brought him to New Caledonia
Another man named Pierrard has beer
2 three times sentenced in the colony L
tWenty-seven years penal seryitude. He
too. was caught in ehdeayoring to escape
Z but It is obvious that since the punish
; ments awarded to him and Jugeau are
illusory they may try to escape again anC
be successful. We may imagine, then
[ what good they would dol Australia. NJ
? Denis argues that not only are the authori
ties in the colony completely dlsarmed II
the face OF crime, but the punishment o.
TRANSFORMATION has no terrOrs whatever FOL
: criminals al home. This is shown
bv the fact that four years ago
when the ailurements OF New Caledonia
began to be appreciated in France
n number OF c%onyicts in the peniten
~tiarles (maiSOnS centrdLeS)-that is, mel
who have been sentenced 20 simple impris'
onment-committed murders ayowedly FOL
the sake OF being transported. Upon this
NJ. Cazot, the Minister OF Justice, had tC
pass a law which decreed that murders
committed i'm prisons should not be pun
ishable by transportation, but, rs Nj. Denis
remarks, the whole system pursued In New
Caledonia is condemned by this law, which
admits that the punishment inflicted for the
most heInous OF crimes Is less deterrent IN
its effects than the ordinary Imprisonment
which is incurred fOr minor offences. NJ.
Denis's argument is from first TO last a plea
for solitary confinement as the only pun
ishment OF which French criminals are
afraid, and he points out that, even IN the
case OF well-behayed conyicts who have
been discharged and are working as Tree
settlers. the chances Of reclamation are
very small. as the soil OF New Caledonia
does moi lend itself to ~husbandry.
ONLY a small part OF ii Is fertile, the
rest il rock, with a thin coating OF earth
Welding meagre %pasturage. Moreover,
most OF the settlers have fallen a prey
10 usury. \ fraudulent notary who was
transported has been permitted since his
discharge to establish himself as a money
leader. As there Is no agricultural credit
bank in the island, the ticket-of-leaye men
on getting their temporary concessions OF
land have TO borrow Of him at exorbitant
interest. When their grants are made DER
mite he presents his bills. elects them from
their buildings, which become his, ana the
wretched men relapse into crime. one
might think that there was nothing 10 add
M'r" -. i..l,hnh In this