The Times, which has always shown a vindictive hatred of
Sir Walter Crofton's great and successful experiment in Ireland, tries to raise a new prejudice against the surveillance of the prisoners liberated on licence, by narrating at length the espionage practised in France on the four men suspected of the attempt to assassi- nate the Emperor before their arrest, and asks if we wish English prisoners to be subject to such treatment? This shows the grossest ignorance of the subject. The surveillance of the police over pri- soners liberated on licence has been shown again and again to be favourable to their employment, not detrimental to it, if it be only openly acknowledged, and the prisoner comes with the strong recom- mendation of his prison teachers. It is only those who are falling back into their old practices who have anything to dread from this relation. General Cartwright, the Inspector of Constabulary for the Eastern Counties, himself stated to Sir George Grey that " where ticket-of-leave men appear as strangers, but make themselves known to the police, they have been enabled by the assistance of the police to obtain work." Again, " From everything I can learn upon the .
subject I am satisfied that a periodical registration would have a salutary effect both on the ticket-of-leave men and the public." And that is the uniform result in Ireland; but Sir George Grey and the Times have little respect for facts.
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