CONVICTS IN THE PACIFIC.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 31 March 1908, Page 5

CONVICTS IN THE PACIFIC.

___— — NEW CALEDONIA AND AUSTRALIA. Although tho transportation of convicts from Franco to Now Caledonia has ceascd for moro than ten years, a considerable proportion 0/ the inhabitants of the latter country is composed of men, or women, who wero sent out as felons.. The eradication or suppression of this olement has always been regarded as 0110 of tho most necessary reforms for tho advancement of the colony's welfare, but no decided step has yet been taken with that end in view. It is now reported, however, that the Director of the .Penitentiary Administration at Noumea has received a Ministerial notification ; from Franco to abandon the different penal settlements throughout tho island, and to concentrate all tho .convicts,-now in confinement, at lie Nou, the original ':convict settlement of Now Caledonia. The . purposo of this step is'not quito clear, unless it' be' to keep them there till death claims UlO last one. 1

Under the French prison system, ex-con-victs aro of two classes—the libero and the relegue.. The former is a mail who has committed a serious oll'wico and has rcceivod a sentence of eight or moro years' penal servitude. , On tho completion of that term lie becomes a ticket-of-leavo man or libero,' and is free to work for his own benefit; but he must stay in the colony a number of years oqual to tho length of tinio ho- has bo^n 1 in prison. Tho relegue, 011'tho other hand, is tho incorrigible, who has been convicted of t-hroo or more petty crimes. Ho is transported for life, but if his conduct is good 110 may bo liberated on the same terms as tho libero (though 110 may never leave the country), in which case ho is known as "individual"; or elso'lie may bo consigned to some responsible person at.his own request, and is then known as "collective," for ho is still under tho direct control of tho prison authorities..

For allof these tho free inhabitants have a certain amount of dislike, but tho most.detested and feared are the ex-convict Arabs. The majority of these aro really political prisoners, having taken part in various uprisings in Algeria. Their ficrco character and absolute disregard for constituted authority mako them hated by tho more law-loving, citizens! . • : . /. One of tho . many methods tried by tho Government to convert these unfortunate creatures te a sense of, self-respect was to givo them concessions of land at different places, but' the non-success of that -attempt is illustrated' by, tho wish published in ono newspaper that "tho administration - would coaso.topoison the country : for. long years' to como with ; these Arab assassins, transpaper—into cultivators." . Tho movement to concentrate on lie Nou tho convicts now in tho island will oiily apply to violent criminals, who are scz'ving: iifo Sentences, "collcctive" releguos, and thoso infirm, and. aged .ox-convicts who- havo fallen back- on.'tho. charity of tho Administration. The other convicts who havo' been liberated havo entered into tho lifo of tho colony completely,: and ( . it:: is doubtful if their influenco will over bo eradicated.

Nevertheless, the proposed reform, which is to -tako place during iaoß, is looked forward to hopefully,'and tho . same newspaper already quoted says:—"Wo have strong hopes .that our Australian friends,'convinced of tha fact that the convicts are soon to disappear from. ]Now, Caledonia, will hesitate'no-loneer in bringing us tho help of their labour, intelligenco, and capital."