THE LAST OF THE RECIDIVISTES.

Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 112, 14 May 1885, Page 2

THE LAST OF THE RECIDIVISTES.

Twelve months ago the Recidivistea question was the great European topic of interest in the Australasian colonies. The provisions of the Bill were discussed in all tho leading papers, in the clubs, and over dinner tables, and formed the Bnbjeot of offioial memoranda without number be- j tween the va*ious Colonial Governments and the Colonial Office at Home. Gouerol indignation was evinced at tbe proßpect of " Frenoh filth " being emptied in the neighbourhood of our shores, and Lord Derby i was roundly abused for his apparent apathy in the matter. The feeling on tho question gave a decided impetus to the hitherto shadowy scheme of Federa'ion, whioh over aince has been gradually assuming substantially in almost inverse proportion to the decrease of the scare which materialised it. Exoept that other and more Gccjting topics— the Soudan war with its oolonjal appendix, German annexation in tha Pacific, the New Guinea inoident, and finally tfu? Russo-Afghan diffioulty—one after the other supplanted it as the subjects of the day, it is diffia&U fc> see why tho dooision of ths question which is announced to-day in our cable messages siiovljj be viewed with such indifference. Yet sg i£ is. From whatever oauso, whether owing to Australian protests or to self-interest on the fart of Franco, the threatened danger to tbe colonies has been aveited, and we do not seem a bit gk>d about it. About a month ago we heard that thp ( Bill had passed with the proviso that the destination to whioh the reoidivistes were to be " relegated " should be left open for the deoision of a Commission, whioh was to report within six months. It was thought at the time that tbe Commission might possibly shelve the question, by declining to name any French possession' abroad ao a suitable place for a criminal dep6t; but it aspp&rs tbat this idea was not well founded. In spite of toe humanitarian objeotiocs to Cayenne, they hava selected that highly unhealthy spot, and the habitual criminal" of France will naturally bo vary indignant that the considerations for his physical wellbeing shonld have been Baorifioed to the prejudices of perfidious Albion's colonists. It is curious to reflect that although tho Auatralasian scare on the subject died out before the fate of the Bill waa known, a movement to whioh that scare gava concrete form nan (Town to an almost tangible reality. We do Dot believe that the Federation scheme will lose anything of its popularity by the Eocidiviateß being Bent to French Guiana instead of to New Caledonia.