The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-10-25
Chinese Justice.

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oner except by favor of a magistrate. Each
official is therefore the exponent of the
code as he reads it and precedents are sell
dom regarded. Some of the magistrates
are brutal ignorant knaves, while a mi
nority are able, clever men who would
not disgrace a civilized bench. The adj
ministration, even Of the written law is
therefore very uncertain, while justice in
in many cases is a mere matter of chance.
Among the better class Of mandarins
the writer enjoyed the acquaintance of
one whose reputation for both just deal
ing and mother wit stood very high. He
resided in the Peichih-li province, and
was much esteemed in the neighborhood.
Upon a certain occasion two men one Of
whom sold tea-oil and the other rice,
came before him to decide a dispute re-
garding the proprietorship Of measure
made Of basket work. 1t should be men
toned the Chinese produce wicker ware
is ofso close a texture that it will almost
contain water without leaking, and easily
carries any viscid substance such as oil
or molasses. Well, the oilman's story
was that he had lent this basket-work
measure which he had used only a lew
times to the riceman a few weeks before,
but that he now refused to return it.
The riceman, on the other hand, declared
that he had never borrowed the measure
at all--hc had purchased it new some
months previously, aud it was never used
for anything but rice. An examination
Of the measure simply showed that it was
coated with rice dust. The magistrate
asked if they had any witnesses, aud
each brought shopman who confirmed
his own masters story. 1t was case Of
big lie,, somewhere, without doubt.
After hearing both sides the mags-
trate thought awhile and said: "Well as
the evidence on both sides is equal, the
only thing | can do is ask the measure
itself who it belongs to. Put it on the
floor in front of me-" All the people in
the court laughed and were extremely
tickled when he said, " Measure. whom
do you belong to 2"
OF course the measure did not reply,
so the question was repeated, the magis-
trate adding, eff you don't answer will
give you the bamboo ~
Silence being still preserved, he gave a
sign to the executioner who turned his
mouth downwards, and administered
twenty-five vigorous blows The people
grinned more than ever at this, and
laughed loudly when he repeated the
twenty-five blows, bidding the executioper
clay it on well for its impertinenco.
When this had been done the magistrate
said, " Well, there is no getting anything
out Of it, take it awayp and getting up
from his seat, walked over to where the
measure had been placed stopped down
and examined the ground, and then re.
turned to his chair.
Addressing the parties, he said: IL
pronounce that the measure belongs tc
the oil man and that the riceman is nc
better than Il thief Give the Gilman his
measure, and give the other man fifty
blows with the bamboo-well laid on.
The sentence was immediately carried
out to the great Inconvenience of thC
rogue, and ii was perfectly just 1t ap
pears that stea-oil carried in a basket
work vessel deposits a very fnc seed il
the interstices, and when dry and the ar
ticle is violently beaten they ofcourse fal
out. Some Of these seeds were in thu
rice dust which fell from the measure
under the bambooing it received so tina
of course the story that it had never beer
used for tea-ol was a falsehood
The penalties of giving a wrong de
cision places Chinese magistrates at times
in queer positions, as if it can be showr
that they have decided contrary to evi
dence, they are liable to the same fog
ging which they dispense with so liberia
. hand to those beneath them Not onl,
is the sentencing magistrate himself thu
liable, but the superior judge who con
firms wrongful sentence or appeal, il
equally so.
The means used to secure prisoners be
fore trial are generally barbarous and re
voting to everyone with any feeling Of hu
mapity IF a supposed piratical junk b
captured the unhappy crew are lashed to
gether in couples, the wrists and elbow
being tightly secured with leathern cord