The French proposition to resort again to penal colonies, or rather to dumping ship-loads of criminals on new and undeveloped countries, suggests the seriousness of the question. Every French colony will object to receiving the vicious cargoes of humanity; but the objections will lose their violence if the home government shall send a proper proportion of French gold with each cargo. The testimony on the subject seems to show that if the transported men are such as to give signs of real reform, ninety-five per cent. of them will make good citizens. The open country, the new moral scenery, the necessities of that new world, conspire with good resolutions to maintain reformed habits. What shall _we_ do with our reformed prisoners? It is not improbable that in a few years England will imitate France and restore the system of deportation. Why should not we make an experiment? Alaska, at least, might safely be used for the purpose. It would not be difficult to devise a system under which the best class of reformed men should be offered land and a small outfit in some remote corner of our country. By selecting the best, and making their removal voluntary, we might save to society the larger part of the men whom our prisons reform. We do not wish to disguise the fact that, however remote the place, the men who have lived by crime and escaped punishment would endanger the virtue of the ex-convict. But the criminal classes do not flow to the farthest frontiers except in scanty streams; and the Alaskan territory is as yet as safe as a wilderness can be. Some scheme of the sort is worth the devising. We are making little headway under our present best systems, simply because the ex-convict has no chance. Can he be given a fair chance? EDITOR’S NOTE-BOOK. The Civil Service Reform League—and every reform is dependent upon an organization—has addressed a letter to President-elect Cleveland, asking him what he proposes to do about removals from office. Mr. Cleveland answers, with full information, that he believes in the doctrine of civil service reform. We think that the practical application of the letter to the civil service will make a real and safe basis for judgment. Till we see this, we deem it wise not to express an opinion. * * * * * The old “Liberty bell,” which was on exhibition during the Centennial at Philadelphia, has been taken to the New Orleans Exposition in charge of a committee. The council of Philadelphia passed a resolution authorizing its removal from Independence Hall for that purpose. * * * * *