The Irish standard., 1891-05-23
EXPERIMENTAL MARRIAGE.
The way It II Practiced in British
Penal Colony.

The way HI ID Ff8cC1Ceu IN y kSrltlBn
8sss Penal Colony. n
The Andaman islands are used as q
penal settlement for Indian and Bur
mese conytcts, who, with the exception
4 Of a very limited aboriginal race scat
tered over the group, form the bulk of
the population, says a correspondent of
the London Truth. The isolated situa-
ton Of the settlement in the bay Of
Bengal, the absence Of communication
by cable, the small military force main
tanned, and the fact that about fifteen
thousand convicts are here resident,
render it necessary to endow the chief
commissioner with more than the or
binary powers extended to governors.
Andamansi, who is also superintendent
Of the convict settlement at Port Blair
by virtue of the almost autocratic au-
thority vested in him, enjoys a despot-
ism wellnigh incredible under the
British flag.
Such powers being concentrated in a
single individual, it may well be i'm
agined that from time to time some
rather startling revelations leak out. I
only propose, however, to refer for the
present to our marriage customs, which
have novelty, if nothing else, to recon-
mend them. The chief commissioner
as superintendent of the settlement in
convict matrimonial matters is supreme.
He is Hcenser, registrar, parson and
witnesses rolled into one. The greater
part Of the life convicts, who are good
characters, are tself-supporters' that
is, men out ON ticket~of-leave in
the settlement. These men are
allowed to marry. The convict women,
on the other hand, are always kept I'M
der close supervision in the female con-
ivict Jail. When the 'tself-supporter" is
troubled with hyneneal aspirations he
visits the female jail and informs the
.overseer. The latter individual orders a
parade of those women of good charac-
ter who have completed four years in the
island. The would-be benedict then
passes along the ranks with a view of
selecting q likely he1pmate. AS might
be expected, very eager are the face;
and loving the chances bestowed upon
him as he does so. While the over
'seer's head is turned the women engage
in every variety Of panto1nimic efforts
to display theiy qualifications for the
post. Should the overseer absent him
self for moment, the coveted bach
elor, though he be not octogenarian, is
assaulted on all sides with a view to his
conquest. SUCH phrases as ''Here, take
mel" ''No, me!'' ''Why, she's got red
hair" "She's cross eyed" do not
make matters easier for him. At
length, having suited himself, he takes
by the hand the lady of his choice and
leads her from the ranks. The couple
are then allowed half an hour to dis
cuss matters, after which, if they
agree, their names are sent to the
head office. day or two later they at
tend at the commissioners and are
there put through an examination as to
the state of their affections and their
inclination to marry; but no awkward
questions are ever raised concerning
possible existing husbands or wives be-
You'd the seas.
And now comes the climax. Suppos
ing satisfactory answers have been
given as to their mutual sentiments
the lady is handed over to the man
not to become his wife for better or
worse, but for seven days trial. Dur-e
ing these seven days she lives with him,
and the relationship Of the pair is that
of a married couple. AT the expiration
of the term of approval, if both are
agreeable, they return to the chief COM
missioners Office and are married by
that gentleman. If, ON the other hand,
either of them does not approve OF the
other the man is left to go his way,
while the woman returns to her old
routine of work in the female jail.
The worst feature of the system is the
fact that, as might be anticipated, chill
dren are occasionally born of these pro-
dictionary unions To such infants the
state assumes the responsibilities Of a
stepfather. Born illegitinlate, with the
cognizance and sanction of the authori-
ties, reared in a convict Jail among the
worst class of women, all OF whom are
life convicts, and, finally, without a rel
ative or friend on the face of the
earth, thrown into the world to make
their own living, the position of these
children is not pleasant to contem-
plate.
PRECIOUS STONES.
Where the Gems Are Found in the United