The following information respect ing the treatment of French female convicts is from an article entitled " French Prisons and Convict Estab* lishments," in the " Cornwall Maga zine " :—": — " French female prisoners and convicts are treated with more kindness, on the whole, than persons of their class are in England. Their matrons and warderesses are Augus tine nuns, whose rule, though firm, is gentle, more merciful, and more stead fastly equitable than that of lay women could be. The female convicts are allowed. the same privilege as the men in the matter of earning money and buying things at the canteen ; those of them who are young also enjoy the privilege not granted to female con; victs in other countries — that of having husbands provided for them by tbe State. Only these husbands must be convicts. Every six months a notice is circulated in the female peniten tiaries, calling upon all women who feel minded to go to New Caledonia and be married, to make an application to. that effect through the Governor. Elderly women are always very prompt in making such applications ', but they are not entertained. The matrimonial candidates must be young and exempt | from physical infirmities. Girls under long sentences readily catch at this method .of escaping from the intoler able tedium of prison life ; and the pretty ones aTe certain to be put on the Governor's list, no matter how frightful the crimes may be for which they have been sentenced. The only moral qualification requisite is to have passed two years in the penitentiary. The selected candidates have to sign engagements promising to marry con victs and to settle in New Caledonia for the remainder o£ their lives. On these conditions, Government trans ports them, giving them a decent out fit, and a "ticket-of -leave when they land at Moumea. Their marriages are arranged for them by the Governor of the Colony, who has a selection of well-behaved convicts ready for them to choose from ; and each girl may con sult her own fancy within certain limits, for the proportion of marriage able men to women is about three to one. 