Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-10-07
Chinese Jurisprudence Land With.
ont LAWYERS,

LAwYERsare unknown in China, no one
being permitted to appear for prisoner
except by favor of magistrate. Each
official is therefore an exponent of the
code as he reads 1t, and precedents are
seldom regarded. Some of the magis-
trates are brutal, ignorant knaves, while a
maj jority are clever, able men, who would
not disgrace civilized bench. The ad-
ministration, even of the written law, is
therefore very uncertain, while justice is
in many cases 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 Pelchih-li province, and
was much esteemed in the neighborhood,
Upon certain occasion two men, one of
whom sold tea.oil, and the other rice,
came before him to decide dispute re-
garding the lproprietorship of measure
made of basket work. 1t should be men
toned that the Chinese produce
wicker ware of 50 close a texture
that IL will almost contain water
without leaking, and easily car
ries any viscid substance, such as oil or
molasses. Well, the oilman's story was
that he had lent this basket work meas
ure, which he had only used few times,
to the riceman, few weeks before, but
that he now refused to return 1t. Tho
riceman, on the other hand, declared that
he had never borrowed the measure at all;
he had purchased 1t new some months
previously, and it had never been used
tor anything but rice. An examination
of the measure simply showed that 1t was
coated with rice dust. The magistrate
ach h ph tf fhavr hod itnnuooo aud Oh
brought shop man who confirmed his
own masters story. 1t was a case of "big
lie" somewhere, without doubt.
After hearing both sides, the magistrate
thought while and said, Well, as the
evidence on both sides Is equal, the only
thing can do is to ask the measure it.
self who it belongs to. Put 1t on the
floor in front of me-" AL the people in
the court laughed and were extremely
tickled when ne said, Measure whom
do you belong tor" t..a.. ...
OF course the measure did not reply,
go the question was repeated, the magis.
trate adding, "If you don't answer | shall
give you the bambool" Silence being still
preserved, he gave a sign to the exGcu-
toner, who turned its mouth downwards,
and administered twenty-five vigorous
blows The people grinned more than
ever at this, and laughed loudly, when he
again repeated the question, with an ad-
ditional twenty-five blows, bidding the
executioner "lay 1t on well for his imper.
tinence." When this had been done the
magistrate said "Well, fhere no. getting
anything out of,it take 1t awayl" and,
getting up from his seat, walked over to
where the measure had been placed,
stopped down and examined the ground,
and then returned to his chair.
Addressing the parties, he said "I pro-
nounce that the measure belongs. to the
Gilman, and that the ricemauis no better
than a thief Give the Gilman his
measure, and give Athes- other man
fifty blows with the larger bamboo
we'll laid on" The sentence was
Immediately carried out, to the great in.
convenience of the rogue, and 1t was per-
fectly just. 1t appears that tea oil, when
carried in baskeJ-Work vessel, deposits a
very fine seed in theinterstices; and when
dry and the article is violently beaten,
they of course fall out. Some Of these
seeds were in the rice dust which fell from
the measure in the bambooing it received,
so that of course the story that it had
never been used ter tea oil was false
hood. ~ - sN S~za fi ~ = NJ
The penalties Of giving wrong decis.
ion place Chinese mag eistrates at times in
queer positions, as if 1t can be shown that
they have decided contrary to the eVi.
dence, they are liable to the same tiogging
which they dispense with so liberal .
hand TO those beneath them. Not only
is the sentencing magistrate himself thus
liable, but the superior judge, who con-
firms wrongful sentences on appeal, il
equally so,--Neto York E0eniag Post. -.