Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-08-01

L
is principally derived from the Institutes
of Menu. This work. Of great celebrity
among the Hindoos, was translated into
English by the late Sir William Jones.
1t seems to have been received by the
Burmans from Arracan, but at what Pc
riod is not certain. Their translation is
called Dam-aMat. Every monarch adds
to it, or alters, as may please him; and
under some reigns it bears little resem-
blance to the original For all practical
purposes it is almost a nuIIity, being new
err produced or pleaded from in courts
Rulers from highest to lowest, decide
causes according to their own judgment,
or more frequently, according to their in
terest. AS great part Of their income
is derived from lawsuits, they generally
promote litigation. They receive brides
unreservedly. in open court, and do not
hesitate to accePu the gifts of both parties.
Their expressions have scarce Y any re-
straint but the fear Of running their own
interest by carrying matters TOO far. AS
to seeking the good of their country, or
the promotion of justice, there appears to
be no such thing thought of, except per-
haps by the king and few of those i'm
rnedateI y about him.
The form of a judicial oath deserves
! insertion, as curiosity. 1t is as follows:
~ will speak the truth. If l speak
not the truth, may It be through the in
huence Of the laws of dement,, viz, pas
sion, anger, folly, pride, false opinion. i'm
modesty, hard richness, and scepticism;
so that when | and my relations are on
land, land animals, as tigers, elephants,
bufaloeS, poisonous serpents, scorpions,
&C., shall seize, crush, and bite US, so that
we shall certainly die. Let the caIami-
ties occasioned by fire, water, rulers,
thieves, and enemies, Cypress and destroy
US, till we perish and come TO utter de-
struction. Let US be subject to all the Ca
lamitics that are within the body, and all
that are without the body. May we be
seized with madness, dumbness, blindness.
deafness, Ieprosv, and hydrophobia. May
we he struck with thunderboIts and light
ming, and come to sudden death. In the
midst Of not speaking truth, may be ia
ken with vomiting clotted black blood, and
suddenly die before the assembled people.
When | am going by water, may the
aquatic genii assault me, the boat be up
set, and the property lost 3; and may ALI
gators, rorpoises, sharks, or other sea-
monsters, seize and crush me to death
and when change worlds, may not ar
rive among men or mats, but suffer unmlx-
ed punishment and regret, in the utmost
wretc hedness, among the four states of
punishment, He'll, prita, Beasts, and A
thurakai.
eff speak truth. may and my reIa-
tions, through the influence OF the ten
laws of merit, and on account of the eff
cacy of truth, be freed from all calamities
within and without the body, and may
evils which have not yet come, be warded
far away. May the ten caIam;ties and
the five enemies also be kept far away.
May the thunderboIts and lightning, the
geniI Of waters, and all sea animals love
me, that may be safe from them. May
my prosperity increase like the rising
sun and the waxing moon and may the
seven possessions, the seven laws, the sew
en- merits of the virtuous, be permanent
in my person; and when lchange worlds
may | not 60 to the four states of punish
mcnt, but attain the happiness Of men and
mats, and realize merit, reward and ami
hi!ation."
Trial by ordeal is very seldom used,
but is not wholly unknown. 1t is prac-
tistd in various ways. Sometimes the
parties are made to walk into the water,
and whichever can hold out longest un-
der the surface, gains the cause. Some
times it is by trying which can bold the
finger longest in hot water, or melted lead.
The following notices of Burman laws
are deemed important, as throwing light
on the character Of the people. The wife
and children of an aboconding debtor are
responsible for his debts; but woman is
not required to pay debts contracted by
her husband during former marriage.
If debtor wish to prosecute his creditor
for vexatious endeavors to get his pay, his
cause cannot be heard by the judge till
the debt is first paid. Where several per-
sons are securities for debt, each securi-
ty is responsible for the whole amount, so
that the first one the creditor can lay hold
of, must liqudate the debt. The property
of insovents must be divided equally with
out any preference of creditors. Proper
ty proved to be lost in any town, must be
made good by tax on the Inhabitants, if
the thief be not discovered A man find
ing lost silver or gold receives, on rtstor-
ing, one sixth; if other property, one Sd.
The eldest son inherits all the arms, APP
2areI, bed. and jewels, of his father; the
remainder of the property is divided equal
ly into four parts, Of which the widow
takes three, and the other children one be-
tween them. If a father gives one of his
sons sum of money for the purposes OF
trade. that son returns the capital, without
Interest, at the death of the father, to be