CONVICTS IN THE PACIFIC

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3602, 16 April 1886, Page 4

CONVICTS IN THE PACIFIC

(Colonial Paper.) Viscount de Jouffray, the newly-appointed French Consul for New Zealand, has endeavored to allay the alarm felt at the deportation of a batch of a thouannd French convicts to the Pacific, by representing that no great numbers can be sent out because of the expense. He further pointed out to the representative of a Wellington paper who interviewed him that the chance of tho escapo of convicts was very small, as tho penal settlements of France m tho Pacific are guarded by six men-of-war, while French detectives m tho Australian colonies are kept constantly on the watch for those who manage to elude the guardships. But against these comfortable assurances nust be set some uncomfortable facts. In tho first place it is a fact that about 2000 convicts are at present m New Caledonia and adjacent islands, and that 1000 more are on their way to the Isle of Pines, a small island lying near the southeast corner of New Culedonia. It is also a fact that tho committee of tho French Senato which drew up tho scheme for the deportation of recidivistes contemplated sending out a total of 60,000 criminals Tho determined stand made by Lord Salisbury's Government resulted m tho scheme being allowed to remain m aboyance, but no sooner did Mr Gladatono obtain power again than preparations were made for flooding the Pacific with criminals. One thousand at first must bo admitted to be very good start, and it does not appear that the expense of transport has such a deterrent effect as M. da Jouffray would have us to believe. Then as to the guarding of the convicts it is notorious that hundreds have escaped, despite all precautions, New South Wales and Queensland being generally the colonies to receivo them. But New Zealand received some half-dozen who landed at Auckland a few years ago, and it is suspected that others have made their way here from other colonies. It is truo that those who came to Auckland wore not criminals of deep dye — they were Communists whose offence was more of a political nature — but the men now being sent out are drawn from tho lowest and moat incorrigible criminal class. Future escapees are not likely to be acceptable fellow-citizens to the Australian colonists. The fact is that estapes aro numerous. Within the pnst month the arrest of nine escaped convicts by the French detectives has been chronicled, but how many more have escaped arrest? In truth tho loose system adopted at tho convict settlements favours escape. The men are not kept m confinement, but are hired-out out as servants and labourers to settlers. They receive wages, and with the money they earn they can contrive to find means of escape. But it is not merely escapees we have to guard against, but liberated convicts. All recidivistes are by a legal fiction supposed to bo sentenced for life, but if they bohave themselves for six years most of them nvo liberated, nnd can wander all over the fuce of tho earth, except France. From France they are banished for life, but the fact that they are considered too bad to reside m France does not prevent them beiDg turned loose to prey on the Australasian colonies. Thero are two classes of convicts. The first designated forcats, are comparatively few m number. They are never released. The second and more numerous class are called simply, releques, ■ and they are liberated after six years unless they havo incurred tho displeasure of the authorities m the meantime. It is not two years since Governor Pallu, of New Caledonia, reported that there was no more room for convicts there, ns all channels- of employment were well filled. He significantly added thut the liberes— freed men— -furnished more workmen lhan were wanted "while the colonists would alway* prefer, for agricultural purposes recruits from the New Hebrides, -who onlj cost 45 francs per month, or forcats at 65 francs, to liberiln, who required Bto 10 francs a day." Tho next sentence m this report is noteworthy : "The releques. would havo to bo paid the same, though they would be more dangerous, and; less- apt to work." French diplomats m Europe, and consuls m Australasia, may try to pooh-pooh the expressed fears of the colonists at tho influx of French criminals to the Pacific, but Governor Pallu'a report is the best assuronco that theso fears are •well founded. '