which chiefly turned on the cheapness of living at Gaillon, as compared with Paris. I wondered a good deal at this fancy for social science, till I found that my economist's general laws only applied to the "Soleil d'Or," an inn that turned out to be kept by his sister-in-law.

At length we stopped at the "Colonie." A row of pretty houses of brownish-white and whiteybrown brick stood in little gardens on each side of the approach, at the end of which was the chapel. On one side of this were the shops and stables, and on the other a large drill-ground. My jehu knocked at the door of the Director's bureau, and after presenting my letter, I sat down and had a talk with that officer. He had then in his charge, in a school of 500, nine boys under ten years old, one of whom only was less than eight. The usual term of detention was up to twenty, though occasionally only to eighteen. There was in the establishment a case committed for six months, another for twelve years and seven months, the average being something under seven years. Many of the boys came from distant parts, being confined, in the first instance, in "Maisons d'arrêt,” where, however, they are carefully kept apart from adults. Very few of the parents were of a respectable class, but the Director did not seem to think that desertion, or connivance at offences on the part of the parents, with the view of getting the children into the "Colonie," was common. No payments are extracted from the parents, as with us the State providing the whole expense.

Corporal punishment is not allowed in France. In consequence of this, the "cellule" (solitary confinement) has a much larger use than

with us. At Douaires boys are only confined in the "cellule" for the night, the punishment varying from one to thirty nights, according to the nature of the offence. In the day they are set to the most disagreeable kinds of work, such as carrying burdens and cleaning the floors, and are kept alone as much as possible. They attend the mass in a small loft, looking into the chapel by a porthole.

For rewards, there is a system of marks, one good mark entitling its owner to a sou. Half of this he may spend, the other half is put by to form a fund when he goes. There are also three good conduct tableaux. Boys whose names are in these tables gain small privileges, such as badges and more meat at meals. From the first of them, the tableau d'honneur, the selections are made for licensing out (liberté provisoire). This is authorised by the Government, on the application of the Director, who, however, never applies to place a boy out before he has been at Douaires a year and a half, and usually not before half his term of detention is passed. They had 160 children out on licence, their average detention in the school having been nearly four years. The interference of the parents with boys placed out gave but little trouble, which may be accounted for by the plan of committing to schools at a distance from the residence of the children, and the late age to which the State control extends. Indeed the Director said there was a Bill in contemplation to make that age twenty-one in all cases, of which he was inclined to approve. Agriculture is the chief industrial training, the boys from the towns only being taught trades. No boy is put to industrial work till between fourteen and fifteen years old.

After this age three hours in summer and four in winter are given to education, two, including meals, to recreation, and the rest to work.

These were some of the most interesting points of my talk with the Director. As soon as it was over we proceeded to view the premises. The buildings were all on a fine scale, with a strong family likeness to the larger schools at home, such as Feltham; and there seemed everywhere the utmost order and cleanliness, though I saw no attempt at that cheerful ornament in the way of pictures, &c., so common in our institutions. The staff consists of thirty guardians, one of whom accompanied us.

The first room we went into puzzled me a good deal, for it had a raised dais at one end, on which was a judicial bench covered with green baize. This turned out to be the Director's judgment - seat, before which offenders are brought to have punishment awarded in solemn form in the presence of their fellows. The sentences are afterwards read out in the refectory, and, as far as I understood, also posted. The dormitories were quite as with us, but far more care is taken as to nocturnal supervision. Guardians walk the rooms all night, and a superior officer makes his rounds every three hours, and moves an indicator in each room. From the dormitories we visited the infirmary, the forge, and the bakehouse. There the scene was striking. The boys baking were naked to the waist, several of them being finely developed about the chest and arms. The dough was put into long earthenware pans, that were pushed into the oven with a fine swinging action, the boys poking them home with long poles. All this, in the

fierce glow of the fire, made quite a picture.

In the next half hour of our inspection there was nothing remarkable-confinement-cells, little boys' school, workshops of the familiar type. The only sight worth mentioning was the stable, which was almost too good, being quite smart, and full of capital farm - horses. The cow-shed, also, was a perfect show, in which the names of two adjoining cows, "Cocotte" and

66

Lady," struck me not only from their strange juxtaposition, but as being words singularly characteristic of the two countries they belonged to.

On emerging from the buildings, we found ourselves in the drillground, where the band of the institution was drawn up. The director and I advanced to the middle of the square, and stood in front of them. Suddenly the musicians struck up "God save the Queen." Not being musical myself, and the performers rendering our national air with a very peculiar accent, I was at first troubled with doubts as to what melody was meant. In a short time, when I felt certain, I removed my hat; the Director did the same, and there we stood for some time, I and the Director bared, the bandmaster waving his baton, the band puffing lustily, and the rest of the school drawn up in squadrons, with all the guardians in position before them. I expressed myself much gratified, and asked if I might give the band a few "good marks” (sous), but this was not allowed. The school then marched past in companies, each led by one of the boys, who gave the necessary words of command. They were dressed in nankeen blouses and trousers, cotton shirts, and blue bazettas. The type was identical with what I had seen in England, which

astonished me, as there is not much likeness between the natives of the two countries elsewhere. Crime seems to form a mask of its own, regardless of race.

This ceremony concluded my entertainment, and the Director was ordering a guardian to put "Violette" in his trap, when I assured him that I was already provided. Our horse made very good going down-hill, and my coachman soon returned to his economic theories. However, it seemed to me that an inn dedicated to the ruinous city of Paris was vastly superior to the "Soleil d'Or," and I politely signified a wish to be taken on there. Jehu blushed, but at once complied. I was received by a typical French hostess in a white cap, with a hard handsome face and

keen dark eyes. She showed me into a little parlour looking into a backyard, the window full of flowers, and standing on the sill a canary in a cage, into which was stuck a large lettuce. A pancakeA pancake ish omelette and wine were very acceptable, during the discussion of which the hostess and the maid kept putting their heads through the doorway to see how I was getting on. They were enchanted when I praised the viands, and the hostess still more so when I shook hands on parting. Encouraged by a success so easily gained, I wanted to do the same with the host, a large, sleepy, fair-haired man. He did not make it out at all, till the wife gave him a good dig with her elbow in the ribs, and said, "He wants to shake you by the hand." I fear he has a hard time of it, that sleepy fair-haired host. On the way to the station I passed a flock of sheep, the shepherd living with them in a large blue dog-kennel on wheels. The inside of this structure just contains the pastor's bed, on which he was tak

One arm

ing his midday siesta. hung down out of the narrow dwelling, inside which I saw a print pasted on the wall, probably of a religious character. I was in plenty of time for my train, and got back to Paris in time for a lively drama at the "Variétés,” throughout which my head buzzed with phrases connected with "Colonies pénitentiaires."

It

I had now seen the equivalent to our "Industrial School." yet remained to compare the "Quartier correctionel" with a "Reformatory." "Reformatory." To this end I took my second whitey - brown envelope, and embarked at St Lazare for Rouen. In the carriage with me, to my horror and astonishment, sat the Englishman of the Rue Rivoli caricatures. If Professor Owen himself had told me, I would not have believed that such a creature existed; but there he was-turn up nose, long upper lip, sticking out teeth, and weeping whiskers. I talked to him, and found him a good fellow enough— much better, I thought, than a military-looking Frenchman who took my umbrella, a superfine work of Briggs, and left in its place an article quite unspeakable.

On arriving at my destination, I was astonished at the prevailing ignorance as to the whereabouts of the "Quartier correctionel," till it struck me that I might as well go about an English town asking for "the Casual Ward." I therefore changed my tactics and inquired for the prison, to which I was at once directed. A wicket in a large and gloomy portal was opened at my ringing, and I was soon ushered into the Director's room. The Director received me with affability, and directed me to seat myself on a horse-hair chair, in which position I will remain, with the reader's permission, while

I give him the results of our conversation.

The "Quartier correctionel" at Rouen is the wing of a large prison, containing 800 convicts. Its present inmates number about 150, and are all over twelve years of age. The cases admitted nearly always fall under the two classes mentioned above as being committed to the "Quartiers." Occasionally, however, boys are received at the request of their parents, under a warrant of the President of the Civil Tribunal, for a treatment that is called "Correction paternelle,' a short but severe discipline of from one to three months. These cases are always isolated.

The process of committal in ordinary circumstances is as follows: The police lay an information before the Procureur. The Procureur puts the case in the hands of the Juge d'Instruction, who interrogates the boy, and makes the necessary inquiries as to his antecedents and circumstances from the Maire of the Commune. The tribunals occasionally give their children back to their parents once, twice, or thrice, in some instances taking guarantees for good behaviour.

On the arrival of a child at the "Quartier," he is placed in the "cellule," but on full allowance of food. The Director then visits him daily, studies his character, and talks to him, till he thinks he is fit to take his place with the other boys. These are divided into three sections according to age; thirteen to sixteen, sixteen to eighteen, and eighteen to twenty. The sections live apart as much as possible, and occupy separate dormitories. The Director once had no fewer than eleven incorrigibles from "Colonies" arriving in a batch.

The average period of detention is about three years, being much

shorter than at the "Colonies," because many of the incorrigibles come in at an advanced period of their sentence. The longest detention is about eight years, the shortest, one year and six months.

There are three meals a day, when each boy has as much bread as he can eat (no great boon, for I tasted it); meat twice a week. The maintenance of the children is done by contract, the contractor getting the profits of the industrial work. By this arrangement the State gets off with the sum of about 51 cents a day for each boy.

Industrial training, which is all carried on in the prison, begins at thirteen, two hours a day in summer, and four in winter, being given to education.

The punishments in vogue are Reprimandes;" "Picquêt," standing a boy with his face to the wall during a meal-time, and giving him bread only; "Peleton," walking him round and round in a circle in a close yard during the hours of recreation; "Pain sec," "Perte de Grade," and "Cellule."

Owing to the prohibition of corporal punishment, the "cellule" is used to an extent that is repugnant to our notions. A boy may be kept in solitary confinement for as long a period as three months, being in that case on full food allowance. He may, as an alternative, be shut up for thirty days on dry bread, with soup every fourth day. Taking up the Register, I found that the first name that came to hand had had twentyone days "cellule" in the last five months. I may here say that the feeling against corporal punishment found no favour with the Director, who expressed the greatest objection to "burying a boy alive, just when he was most full of life," but for serious or repeated offences he has no other resource. When he

first came to his present post, after a serious émeute in the "Quartier," he found thirty boys in the cells for two months. He released them, and made a speech to the effect that he would stand no nonsense, and since that time things have gone better.

The staff under the Director consists of one inspector (for the prison also), a brigadier, five guardians, who are all old soldiers, a schoolmaster, gymnastic master, and music - master. The trades are taught by workmen from the town. Out of the 150 boys on the register, only eighteen are out on licence, this part of the system not being employed nearly to the same extent as at Douaires.

The difficulty of finding berths for the boys is much greater at Rouen. In the first place, the tradesmen are far more shy of the children from a Quartier" than a "Colonie." Secondly, several of the trades are but imperfectly taught, a particular stage only being carried on in the institution, so that the boys are less able to earn money than they would be if master of what the Director called a "solid" trade. He tries to teach "solid" trades as much as possible to orphans, so that the best industrial training may not be thrown away on boys who are liable to be decoyed from situations by their parents. The interference of parents, however, does not seem to exist to any very considerable extent.

I may here mention that a Société de Patronage exists at Rouen, for looking after children on licence and discharged cases. The Director did not seem to think much of this body, intimating that they confined their efforts mainly to subscriptions, and lacked dévouement. Probably in a town like Rouen there is a want of persons with

enough leisure; while in a great metropolis like Paris, philanthropists, briefless barristers, and other ardent unemployed spirits exist in plenty.

This, I think, about exhausts my conversation with M. le Directeur; except that on the subject of inspection, he told me that the Government inspector came once a year, and a committee of local authorities sat at the prison once a month, having a roster of members who visited weekly.

At the conclusion of this colloquy, the inspector of the prison was announced, and, accompanied by him, we proceeded to look round. The boys were a villanous looking lot, and more formidable than in an English reformatory, there being so many older ones. Two of the "cellules" were opened, and in the first was a culprit with a low forehead, sunken eyes, and most evil countenance, but looking perfectly healthy. "What are you in for, twenty-six ?" said the Director. "Bavardises in the Refectory; but I'll never do it again." "Ah, that's what they all say," cried the Director, beginning to work himself up in true French fashion. "I'm very sorry," growled the offender. "Ah, malheureux," shouted his superior, putting his face down close to the boy's, and shaking his forefinger in front of his nose, "why didn't you think of that before?" With which reflection the door was shut upon the poor half-human creature, and we passed on.

The dormitories were good and airy enough, a guardian sleeping at each end. Besides this precaution, there were large barred openings into an outside corridor, up and down which a guardian walked all night, being relieved every two hours. Near the dormitories was the infirmary, where two or three boys were in bed looking very bad.