A.—4.

No. 2. The Agent-Geneeal to the Peemiee. Sic, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 20th October, 1884. In continuation of my letter of the 15th instant (No. 448), I beg to state that the French Senate's Finance Committee, of which M. Calmon is Chairman, has reported favourably on the Eecidiviste Bill. The report was yesterday ordered by the Senate to be printed, and I shail be able to send you a copy presently. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

No. .3. The Agent-Geneeal to the Peemiee. Sic, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 24th October, 1884. The debate on the Eecidiviste Bill was renewed in the Senate the night before last, and I shall presently give you an account of what passed. In the meantime I annex a Press telegram on the subject which appeared in to-day's Times. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

Enclosure. [The Times, Friday, 24th October, 1884.] The Feench Eecidivistes Bill. Paris, 23rd October. The Eecidivistes Bill came before the Senate to-day. The discussion was opened by M. Berenger, the author of a Bill on prison discipline which has been sent down to the Chamber. He contended that the measure was simply designed to satisfy people who were crying out for transportation without knowing what they meant by it. If the convicts were to be at large, the inhabitants of the colonies in which they were landed would naturally take alarm, and it would be impossible for the criminals to earn a livelihood. The State would have to board and lodge them—a serious result, both financially and morally. If, as was now contemplated, four-fifths were to be sent to Cayenne, the climate would make it what Victor Hugo called the guillotine seche ; yet the other localities suggested were out of the question. The Government estimate, 9,000,000 francs per annum for the first three years, was fallacious, for the cost of the garrison and transports must be added, and the number of convicts would be double what had been calculated. For many criminals transportation would be a temptation, and some prisoners had already murdered their warders in order to be sent to New Caledonia. What, moreover, would honest artisans think on seeing all the advantages of emigration bestowed on criminals ? M. Berenger proposed that the Bill be referred back to the Committee for further information and reflection. M. Waldeck-Eousseau, Minister of the Interior, objected to further delay, and promised to demonstrate hereafter that the problem urgently required solution, and that transpoitation was the only way of solving it. The debate was then adjourned.

No. 4. The Agent-Geneeal to the Peemiee. Sib, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 25th October, 1884. In continuation of my letter of yesterday (No. 464) I transmit herewith a Paris telegram which appeared in to-day's Times, giving a summary of the further debate in the French Senate on the Becidiviste Bill. I propose to go on sending you any similar information until the debate is concluded, when I shall make a precis of it for you. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

Enclosure. [The Times, Saturday, 25th October, 1884.] The Feench Becidivistes. Paris, 24th October. In the Senate to-day M. Berenger again spoke against the Eecidivistes Bill. He argued that, assuming the correctness of the published estimate of 10,000 convicts in the first year, the number would increase in following years. As for New Caledonia, the Governor had testified that it could not receive any further contingent; and, with regard to Guiana, he was surprised, after the sad experience of the past, that anybody could dream of transporting men to that fatal country. It would be a fate tantamount to certain death, and even criminals ought not to be thus treated, much less the Government officials who would have to take charge of them. The sanitary reports from the very commencement of the transportation system had acknowledged the unhealthiness of Guiana. He objected, moreover, to transportation as holding out an inducement to certain criminals to commit serious offences, and as not being reformatory—for these depraved persons would certainly become more depraved by living together. To inflict such a curse on the colonies would be

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