Star.
London, England, 1824-04-19 00:00:00

CRIMINAL JURISPRUDEACE IN CHINA.

In the 126th number of the Pekin Gazette, the Em-
peror's Ministers report that they have divided the list
lof criminals, whose death-warrants require his sanction,
into seven parts, and have taken the opinion of the As-
tronomical Board as to the proper days for his Majesty
to affix his mark. This is done by drawing a curved line
in red ink under the name of the person to be executed.
The number of criminals included in the report was
479. His Majesty gave orders on the first day, that 76
were to be executed within 40 days; on the second, that
65 should suffer within the same period ; on the third,
8-1 within 18 days; on the fourth, 71. within 35 days;
on the fifth, 73 within 12 days; on the sixth 82 from
four to nine days; and on the seventh 25, condemned
at Court within the same period.
In this list are included only the lightest degree of
capital offences, and, as in very atrocious crimes, unless
doubt arises respecting the criminal, punishment is in-
flicted in a very summary manner, no criterion is af-
forded of the whole number of capital poi.i,hments
within the year. Even in cases referred to the Emperor
for his decision, the criminal is sometimes put to death
before his order can be obtained.

Torture, in criminal proceedings, appears to be freely
applied. In the latter end of 1822, his Majesty issued
an official mandate, addressed to the whole empire, in
which he declares, that within the space of a few months
it has come to his knowledge that no less than seven
! witnesses have either been toi tured to death, or com-
mitted suicide consequence of the pain of torture.—
Two of these were females. Ills Majesty, however, does
not prohibit the question by torture, but desires it may
I not be carried so far as to occasion death, and that pi i-
soners may be guarded more carefully, to prevent sui-
cides. This mandate must not be so construed as to in-
troduce undue lenity in the examination of witnesses.
Ia cases of doubt, the Emperor sometimes orders the
criminal to be re-tried. In an imperial mandate, in the
125th number of the Pekin Gazette, his ilajesty de•
Glares, that " in viewing the list of capital offences, ►e-
gulling his signature for the autumnal death-warrant,
there is a case of murder in the province of • ;imbue,
the evidence for which does not appear credible, and
the Governor is therefore ordeied to subject the pa: ties
to torture, and to try the criminal anew." The case is
this—A villager had stolen some raiment from the land-
lord of whom he rented his cottage, and after weaiiiT
it a considerable time, it was observed by the owner
hanging out to dry, and clairme: a, his property; but
on account of its having become the worse for wear, he
demanded the value in money. Thus originated
between the parties. The villager, as the case is stated
to the Emperor, formed the diabolical resolution of
killing his-own wife, and charging his landlord with
' the murder. In pursuance of this design, he caused her
to accompany him to the borders of the landlord's
grounds, to collect fuel, when, watching his opportu-
nity, he slave her skull with his chopping-knife, and
killed her on the spot. Now, the Emperor argues, that
since it does not appear that he was previously on bad •
terms with his wife, nor that she disclosed the theft, it
is not credible that he killed his own wife to involve
another man in the charge of murder.
Ili, Imperial Majesty is anxious to repress litigation.
In the Canton Gazette of the I 1 ih of October, 1822, it
is officially announced, that appeals from the pro-
vinces have become so frequent of late, that the Empe•
ror commands strict search to be made to disc4ver all
law-suit-exciting blackguards,' who fatten on fends
themselves have enkindled, and, when found, to punish
them severely."

HOAX EXTRAORDINARY.—Saturday week hand-bills
were posted in Oldham and the neighbourhood, an-
nouncing that "Signor Francisco Ponlini, the celebrated
Italian deronaut, would ascend in a balloon from Bent
Grange, Oldham, on Monday, precisely at two o'clock
in the afternoon ;" and (modestly enough) that he
" would expect no remuneration but the voluntary con-
tributions of the spectators." On the morning of Mon-
day the town and surrounding villages were almost
emptied of inhabitants. Even as early as eleven o'cl, ck
thousands were assembled at the appointed place,
anxiously awaiting the arrival of the aeronaut, and they
continued to pour in from Ashton-tinder-Line, Stayley-
bridge, Middleton, Saddlewoith, Rochdale, &c. during
the forenoon. That the latter had come a distance of
six or seven miles was no slight aggravation of the dis-
appoiutment which they, in common with the others,
telt, when one, two, and three o'clock neve past without
the appearance of " Signor Francisco." A long time
elapsed before the assembled multitude could be con-
vinced that the whole affair was a hoax; and numbers
lingered about the ground till the approach of night
put an end to their hopes.
The following affair came lately before JAs. Bit I rit-
LEV, Esq. the Sitting Magistrate at the New Briley'
Court-house,Manchester : Simon Platt and Ralph 2rotva,
two labotning-looking men, resident at Westhoughton,
were placed at the bar to answer tor the possession of
a quantity of stolen title-deeds. It appeared that about
eleven years ago the house of a Mr. Bailey, now deceased,
a farmer, residing near Altrincham, was broken into in
the night-time, and a great quantity of property stolen,
including the deeds produced in Court. Mr. Bailey,
who was an old man, charged two respectable persons
(one of them well known in Manchester, and lately de-
ceased) as parties committing the robbery ; and they
were, in consequence, tried at the Chester Summer As-
sizes, of 1513, but honourably acquitted. The parties
so indicted subsequently brought an action against Mr.
Bailey for false imprisonment, or for a malicious pro-
secution, in which action they recovered heavy damages.
Mr. Bailey died soon afterwards, and nothing more was
heard of the property stolen until a short time since,
when the two prisoners called at the house of a Gentle-
man to whom Mr. Bailey had left, by his will, the estate
to which the stolen deeds related. They gave hints that
they knew where the deeds could be procured to be re-
stored to the rightful owner, but modestly demanded,
as a recompense, 1001. for every 1,0001. that the estate
was worth. By considerable ingenuity a scheme was
contrived, in consequence of which the prisoners brought
the deeds to a place at Westhoughton, where they were
seized, by virtue of a Magistrate's search-warrant, that
had been previously obtained. The two prisoners were
taken into custody at the same time. The housekeeper
who resided with Mr. Bailey when he was robbed at-
tended that day at the New Bailey, but she could not
identity the two prisoners as parties in the robbery ; and
the sitting Magistrate, conceiving that the bare posses-
sion of the deeds stolen so long since would not be suf-
ficient to commit the two prisoners as panics in the rob-
bery, they were discharged.—The deeds have pow been
delivered to the rightful owner.