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Press, Volume XXII, Issue 2718, 25 April 1874, Page 3

A spirjted-ii ttle (says the ~) been going on in the papera relative to the escaped Communists. It seems that M. Simon, the French Conenl at Sydney, was, in his official capacity, annoyed to nod that a good deal of, public sympathy with the refugees was felt and #xpressed by the public. So he wrote to, the "Sydney Morning Herald" a letter, trying to show that the exiles were not political offenders, bat, in fact, common criminals. They had, indeed, been tried and sentenced by special military tribunals, "because Paris and a portion of France were at that time under the etat de siege, and none btttmilitary tribunals could try prisoners accused of crimes such as those for which these men were convicted." Well, all this ie highly official, and perhaps the consular position demanded that it should be written, but it is none the lees disingenuous misrepresentation. It is the common trick of dominant. political partisans to try to place their opponents in the position of criminals, as religious intolerance always charges its enemies with all sorts of immorality and crime. But if the offences of these men were not political, the word has no meaning. They might be crimes, crimes of the deepest atrocity—that is an independent question—but to say that they were non-political crimes is taking a very great liberty with language. It may readily be supposed that the ex-journalists who are included amongst the refugees would not let this pass without a reply. Accordingly, a letter has been published in the " Empire" from M. Bochefort, in which-the consul's communication receives very disdainful treatment. - -'" M. Simon," says M. Bochefort, "knows better than anybody else the weight of the imposture of -which he is guilty. ' M. Simon, who waa a consular agent at the time I waste member of the Government of National Defence, has been under my control. He is now under M. MacMahon's, and he only obeys his master. He will be perhaps to-morrow an official under M. Gambetta, and will do then what he ia doing today to keep his appointment. , !' M. Olivier Pain also writes to say that " during the time we were at Ministry of Foreign Affairs?" M. Simon was labouring hard to obtain' a decoration, and was now doing his best to get one which was still withheld, and his " button-hole is still uncolored" Since this M. Grousset has added a stinging contribution to the correspondence, and altogether matters have been made rather lively for the Conbul during the last few. days. The New South Wales Parliament has, refused to vote any money for the Governor's 1 travelling expenses. The item of £500, set down on the estimates under this head, was ■truck out .after a long debate. ■" 'i! '