A CHILDREN'S REVOLT.

Press, Volume XLIII, Issue 6547, 16 September 1886, Page 3

A CHILDREN'S REVOLT.

Some sensation has been caused by s revolt in a settlement of pauper boya at Porquerolles, one of the Hyerea Island. The circumstances are cnrioue enough. Porquerollee was bought some five yean ago from the Due de Vicence by a certain M. Leon de Boueeen for the sum of eight hundred thousand franca. This gentleman, having decided to cultivate the vise and to develop in various ways the resources of the island, hit upon the idea of applying to the Director of the Assistance Fublique in Paris for a number of the more refractory children under his care. M. de Boussen would thus be supplied with labor, and the youthful outcasts with healthful field exercise, affording good means for their physical development. M» de Bouseetf , was, moreover, to be allowed from the public funds at the rate of seventy-five centimes per day for each boy, to cover his trouble in their education and discipline and all matters relating to food, work, clothing, punishment and rewards were arranged between the proprietor of Porquerolles and the Director of the Assistance Pablique. At first, only some half-dozen little outcasts were sent; but when the incidents now to be described occurred the number had reached 100. The troubles began with the escape of one of the boys from the Island. He was captured and restored to the care of M. de Eooesen, but ooon afterwards escaped a gun to Toulon, along with four of his companions. There they made a statement to the Juge de Paix, according to which they had been subjected to the most outrageous treatment. Meanwhile a regular revolt broke out in the island, and M. de Boussenand his wife, being unable to deal with it, sent to the Prooureur of the Republic at Toulon for assistance. That functionary, with the Sab-Prefect, proceeded at once to the inland, where he found that the youths had shut themselves up in an old fort with a drawbridge, which had been raised to prevent approach, each having at his side a heap of large stones ready to pelt the assailants. By dint of kind words the Sab Prefect and the Procureur managed to get admitted, and then listened to a statement of grievances. From the inquiry that ensued, there seems no doubt that the boys were insufficiently and unwholesomely fed, and, according to their own account, have suffered the most barbarous treatment from M. de Boussen and his over seen.

The pauper children renewed their revolt next day. Finding it impossible to deal with them, M. de Bonssen and his overeeera, Messrs Ferry and Bert, telegraphed to Toulon for the gendarmerie, and insisted upon the arrest of two of the ringleaders. The gendarmerie were sent, but the authorities declined to arrest the young rebels. The affair is to be made the subject of a searching inquiry. M. de Bouseen, says the correspondent of The Standard, is very indignant at the attacks upon him, and protests that the children were always treated by himself and hia wife with the utmost consideration and kindness. In any case, it is evident that speculation and philanthropy do not work satisfactorily together, and the Assistance Publique are not likely to sanction another experiment of the kind.