PARIS LETTER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2790, 31 May 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

PARIS LETTER.

(t'BOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT). Paris, March 1. The population of Clairvaux prison, varies frem 1,200 to 1,500. The inmates, of bo th sexes, represent every phase of human crime and depravity. Those condemned to more than one year's imprisonment and less than seven, are sent to expiate their sentence in a central prison, of which Clairvaux, is one of the principal. It is situated at some 120 miles south east from Paris, in the department of the Aube, once a portion of Champagne. Olairvaux itself is a small village ®f 40 houses, aud 000 inhabitants, and the prison is half an hour's walk from the hamlet. St. Bernand selected the valley of Clairvaux in the twelfth century, to found his celebrrted Cistercian abbey. It is that structure which formed the nucleus of the present penitentiary ; during the last, century the chief additions were made to the structure, which now, consists of twelve vast wings, separated from each other by vast farm garden*. The whole is enclosed by a wall 35 feet high, and guarded by three companies of infantry, changed once a month. The establishment may be viewed as self-containing. Its organization is marvellous, and no less than fifteen trades are carried on, not only for the wants of the prisoners, but for the market. The country is cold, the air bracing, though parts of the valley are humid, and tho surrounding hills are wooded to their summits. Tho valley is gloomy and lovoly, a fitting site for a metropolis of crimo. At tho entrance to the valley is a gigantic statue of St. Bernard, with arms uplifted to heaven as if imploring pity and forgivouess for the successive waves of criminals that occupy his ancient monastery. The regime of tlie prison is very severe ; silence reigns among tlie prisoners. To help in the hospital is tlie ouly recompense a detenu can luolt forward to. It is there where the blundering of friends and foes has conducted tho Due d'Orleans. Clearly ho never expected that termination of his escapade. But he has become a political battle horse, and it would be wiser for tho yonug princo to make up his mind—since home polities arc again drifting to confusion—to put in his two years than to eouut upon an early pardon. As a political prisonor ho will occupy a " cell"—that is, a bed-room and sitting-room in a wing of the prison baptised the " Senate" by the prison public, because nothing is done there ; it communicates by a long corridor with a dormitary, nick-named the " Chamber of Deputies," where the troublesome convicts are housed. Tho duke will not have to wear the prison costume, nor will his hair be cropped. He will be allowed to order his meals from outside. Ho has not commenced badly, his first-ordered dinner eousistingjof devilled kidueys, green peas, ttuflled turkey, roast beef, salad, coffee, liqueurs and wine. All letters received and despatched, savo any tho prisoner may address to the authorities, must pass under the eyes of tho director. The immediate members of his family may visit him daily, for one hour, in the presence of a gaoler; friends can look in twice a week for a similar length of time. The Duke of Orleans occupies the same apartment as did the Russian anarchist, Prince Kropotkine. The latter varied his geographical studies by reclaiming a piece of waste land, aud converting it into ft very pretty Russian garden, and tho new varieties of roses, eto., he raised he called them after his political friends. His wife, during his incarceration, resided in tho village, visited her husband daily—who would httVß nothing hut. the prison rations— and studied medicine. She made occasional trips to Paris to see her husband's manuscripts through tho Press, and to be "coached" in anatomy. Later she obtained her diploma as doctoress.

Opinion is not all one as to France accepting the German Emperor's invitation to the Berlin International Labour Confereneo. The Chauvinists urged abstention and lament that after expending twenty milliards francs since 1871 to get on her logs again. France has not the courage to refuse the Tenton's invitation to a waltz round the capital and labour problem. No one takes the coining congress au serieux; socialistic antagonisms cannot be settled protocools, or legislative enactments. However, in Lis platonic venture the Emperor ought to bo humoured rather than crossed. It may draw off his mind from the study of big batalions as the " divine institution" for reforming human ills. M. de Molinari urges that the European powers now closing in upon Africa, ought to study the systom that the Jesuit Missionaries adopted in Paraquay in the last century, for the opaning up to civilisation, of that country. He leaves the religious element free, but advocates the association of the natives in all the material enterprises of missionaries, whether secular or religious. So far as the French are concerned, they must turn over a now leaf in the management of their colonial possessions. They have the ingrained faith, that the|momunt they secure a land grab, they have onlyjto clothe the new take in an onvilope of mother country institutions, and then a ven!,vidi, vici, spectacle, is expected, Senegal is an illustration, in the neighbourhood of the villages squatted tribes whojstipplied the inhabitants with cuttle and sheep. The governor struck a poll-

tax on the members of the tribes of l|fr., this was reluctantly paid. As nothing sueoeecls like sucooss, the Governor a few months ago doubled this poll-tax, result, the tribes decamped with their flocks and their herds in true Arab fashion, in a night. Tho Governor at once despatched friendly chiefs after the runaways, and assured them that if they returned, no tax at all would be levied upon thorn. Happy Senegalese, that can thus escape one of the traits of Western civilisation.

But tho deficit of tho Senegal as well as of all the colonial budget?, for none cover their expenditure, must be made good by home taxatiou. This France is not at all in a position co do. What with bounties, subsidies, pensions and new officials, not to spoak of public works, educational grants, railway liabilities, tho army, the navy, &c., France is in the coils of a financial python. Tho budget is the real danger ahead. M. Clemenoeau, whose Republicanism none will question, asserti that the country continues to ruu into debt at the rate of SOOfr. millions yearly, and which has to bo met by loans since tho revenue does not balauce ordinary expenditure, and that this state of things must tormiuato not only in tho strangulation of the Republic, but in national bankruptcy. International bloated armaments are thus but a rivalry of international budget-*, whore the lougest purse wins tho race. It is then akin to Goldsmith's villago swains :

"The dancing pair that simply sought renown, liy holding out to tiro cach other down," As to the Ministry, tho Republican deputies, rapidly splitting up into little Bethels, are inclined to turn out Premier Tirard, but cannot replaco him. Foreign Secretary Spuller, who wants to handle all thorny misunderstandings amicably, is badgered for that common sense, though thoy well know the isolution of France— the Ruesiau "alliance"is on the fade— wholly precludes her from anything approaching international " high fallstiu."

The reports respecting the health of the little King of Spain are not as satisfactory as could be desired by his mamma, his nurse Maximerina, and the Spaniards. He is anything but a strong boy, andiuherits his father's weak frame. The recovery of Nino Alfonso from his lute sickness was a resnrrection. The Queen—Regent never goes to bed till she has had a review—look at all her olive branches. She has acoustic tubes from her bed, communicating with the nurses close to the children's cradles. The queen herself is only coquettish about her hair, which was magnificent, independent of the aid of all incomparable macassars ; the sole jewellery she wears is her marriage bracelet. Sho and the little king breakfast together, and then both repair to the toy room to play with the other children. The queen has a special library, in which every work bearing on the education of princes finds a place. It is to be hoped she will exclude Marchiavelli. For a rocking hor.-e his baby majesty has a real, live pony, about the size of a sheep, and as mild as a March lamb.

The Lisbon correspondent of the Figaro is to the manner bom. He has been in the throes of accouchement of a solution of the Anglo - Portuguese imbroglio. He declares that " after much mental anxiety and consulting only his own soul" and German inner-conciousuess, that the territory in dispute ought to be submitted to—arbitration. That's a twelfth hour Daniel come to judgement. Lord Salisbury ought to present him with a copy of the Portugese Blue Book for such Soloraonism. The correspondent, since he claims to have the ear of the Portugese patriots, might suggest to them, the equity and the modesty, of accepting the offer of England, to submit to arbitration, the Delago railway dispute, in which it is attempted to victimize so many American and English shareholders, but who will in due course have tlie last word, with indemnity and cost. Here, not a paper now pays even " the tribute of a sigh," to the seismic moans and groans of the Portu-

Tho roport is circulating in the clubs, that tho Coratesse de Paris, having succeeded to nearly the moiety of her fathers — Due do Montpensier — vast fortune. Sho is prepared now to second an idea, long entertained by her husband, whose sympathy with tho wage-earning classes is well-known, independent of his writings — that of converting their residense at Eu, near Treport, into an hospice for a selected number of worn out artiz ino, and brokeu down peasant farmers. This would bo worlhilv following in the wake, set by tho Comte's Uncle, the Due d' Anmale, who has presented his C'h'intilly residence to France, and would do much to obliterate the prejudice entertained agaiust the Orleanist princes, that of being Harpagous.

When the Duo d' Orleans was undergoing imprisonment iu the Conciergerie here, the rules of the prison prohibited liini, as they do at Ulaii vauv. from haviug any one to share his meals. A warden's cat smelted tho unusual good things, aud usually appeared at meal times in the prince's room. From being a " casual," the cat became a welcome guest, aud would never quit the prince. The latter, and the sole favour he demanded from the authorities, was to be allowed to bring pang with him to Clairvaux, which was at once granted. The Duke's futneie. the Princess Marquerite, who is about his own age, and who will reside near Clairvaux, with her mother, the Duchess de Chardres, who is also his own aunt, during her lover's imprisonment, is a strong minded young lady, and another illustration of the remark, that in the Bourbon family, the women were ever the best men.

The town is splitting its sides at the expense of Victor Hugo's grandson, Georges, whom the poet has utilised in his writings. The young man is a masher, aud that snfficies for further description. He came of age last August, and was entitled to inherit three quarters of a million of francs. In one day he got rid of one-third of this sum, for 80,000fr. cash down, out of which he paid 30,000fr. to settle the bills of a loose woman. The usurers gave Georges 170,000fr. iu building stone, to be hewed out of a quarry, that does not exist. The public prosecutor has taken the matter up, and so has the thanks in advance of parents, while the young man will be provided in time with a conseil dc familee. M. Wilson, President Gruvy's son-in-law, was so reined in for his spendthriftism, and yet he was once made President of the Commission of the French Budget,