18

A.—3d

the extreme feeling which exists with reference to this matter. The subject is mixed up with questions of international law; but it may certainly bo expected from a friendly country like Prance that it would not, without very cogent reasons, take steps which might cause the exasperation ■which undoubtedly now exists in the colony. We have not yet received the estimate referred to by the noble earl from the French Government, but in a recent conversation the French Foreign Minister verbally assured Lord Lyons that the intention of the Government was to send the great bulk of convicts to French Guiana, and only a very small number to New Caledonia, and these are to be selected from among men who have been trained to manual labour, and_who will therefore be serviceable in the colony. (Hear, hear.) The Eael of Caenabvon observed that his private information was such as to satisfy trim that the noble earl who had asked the question had.not overstated or exaggerated the strength of the feeling about this question in Australia. He had reason to think that the number of criminal refugees who had found their way into Australia was rather large. It was important that the French Government should be made acquainted with the tension of feeling that this question caused, and with the fact that there was always a risk of some strong measures being taken by the colonists which would place both countries in considerable difficulty. He trusted that the Government, in their communications with the French Government with reference to this question, would use what diplomatic pressure they could, and would not treat the subject as if it were of small importance. The Eakl of Rosebeey said he would call attention to the subject on an early day after Easter.

Enclosure 2. [The Daily News, March 29,1884.] Paris, Friday. The TSMgraphe saya that the English Cabinet has sent a very strong note to France about the New Caledonia convicts, who escaped to Australia. It treats this as a pretext for annexing the New Hebrides, and suggests that the French expeditions in Tonquin and Madagascar are made the occasion for pretensions which, under other circumstances, would be absolutely inadmissible.

Enclosure 3. [The Observer, March. 30, 1884.] Paris, March 29. The Minister of Marine was to-day examined by the Committee on the Bill relating to the transportation of habitual criminals. He said he was vailing to agree to the selection of Guiana aa the place to which such convicts should be sent, but 'pointed out that, under present arrangements, only 2,000 could be received there. He therefore asked that the law should not be put into operation for a year.

Enclosure 4. [The Times, Wednesday, April 2, 1884.] Paris, April 1. The Senate to-day gave the second and final reading to M. Berenger's Bill for the prevention of relapse into crime. This measure, which now goes down to the Senate, has no connection with the Government Bill on transportation. The latter ia still pending before a Committee, which ha 3 decided on recommending that the place of transportation shall not be mentioned in the Bill, but shall be left to the discretion of the Government. As for the system pursued at New Caledonia, an article in to-day's Nouvelle Bevue shows that it is anything but a success, and requires a thorough remodelling. "I—"yH"i*Tr*^ffl him w Tim mfmtwm" im HMmrnrrnrr m>r rmrrnni'ir-nnn

No. 32. The Agent-Genebal for New Zealand to the Premieb. Sib,— 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W. 23rd April, 1884. Since writing to you on the 9th instant (No. 194), it seems to me that the recidiviste question haa assumed a more complicated, and even critical, phase. I transmit to you herewith a number of extracts from articles and letters which have lately appeared in the English Press; and I may add, that the Paris newspapers reflect feelings of great bitterness which have been growing up in France. Nor will such feelings be lessened by the letter which appeared the other day in the Times under the signature of " Australasian," in which I could not see without regret a threat that the colonies would, " as a last resource, destroy the settlement of New Caledonia; " the writer adding, that "it would be an easy task for Australasia to overwhelm the forces which France maintains in her settlements in the Pacific." The situation, in fact, under the influence of violent language on both sides, is getting more and more strained every day. Mr. Murray Smith, Agent-General for Victoria, followed up the letter from " Australasian " by one describing the provisions of the Victorian Statute of 1854, and pointing out, as indeed he had already done in his interview with the French Ambassador, how such provisions must inevitably entail the risk of collision between France and Australasia. You will observe, from^he Paris extracts, that M. Waddington, the French Ambassador, was said to have delivered a strong note vorbale to Lord Granville last week, in reply to the one which

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