The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-10-06
Chinese Jurlsprudence-A Land With.
out Lawyers.

LAWYERS are 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 it, and precedents are
seldom regarded. Some Of the magis.
trates are brutal, ignorant knaves, while
majority are clever, able men, who would
not disgrace 8 civilized bench. The ad-
ministration, even of the written law, is
therefore very uncertain, while justice is
in many cases q 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 q certain occasion two men, one of
whom sold tea-Oil, and the other rice,
came before him to decide dispute re-
garding the :propretorship of measure
made of basket work. 1t should be men
toned that the Chinese produce
wicker ware of 50 close q texture
that it will almost contain wafer
without leaking, and easily car
yies any viscid substance, such a5 oil or
mOlasses. Well, the oilman's story was
that he had lent this basket work meas
ure, which ne had only used few times,
to the freeman, few weeks before, but
that he now refused to return it. The
ricenan, on tie other hand, declared that
he had never borrowed the measure al all;
he had purchased it new some months
previously, and it lad never beer used
for anything but rice. An examination
CT the measure simply showed that it was
coated with rice DUST. The magistrate
asked if they had any witnesses, and each
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 it On the
floor in front Of me-" AL the people in
the court laughed and were extremely
tickled when ne said, "bieasurei whom
do you belong to-"
VI course the measure cid no. reply,
| so the question was repeated, the maeis-
trate adding, eff you don't answer shall
| give you the bamboo!" Silence being still
preserved, he gave sim to the ext Gu.
toner, Who turned its mouth dowrwards,
AID adm inistered twenty five vigorous
bows. The people grinned more than
ever at this, and laughed loudly, when be
again repeated the question, with an ad-
ditionsl twenty FIVE blows, bidding the
executi0ner clay it on well for his lr1per-
thence" When this had been done the
magistrate said: well, there no getting
anything out Of it: take it awayi' and,
| getting up from his scat, walked over to
wners the measure had been placed
stopped down and examined the ground,
and then returned TO lis chair.
| Addressing the parties, he said az pro-
nounce that the measure belongs to the
GILMAN, and that the Iicemau is no better
than thief Give the Gilman his
measure, and give the other man
fity blows with the larger bamboo
well laid on" The sentence was
Immediately carried out, TO the great in
convenience of the rogue, and il was per
fectly just. II appears that tea oil, when
carried IN basket-work vessel, deposits q
very fire seed ia the interstices, and when
dry and the article IS violently beaten
they OF course fall out. Some of these
seeds were i'll the rice dust which tell from
the measure in the banboong it received
so that OF course the story that it lac
never been used for tea oil was a false
hood.
The penalties of giving wrong decis
ion place Chinese magistrates at times in
queer positions, ss if 1t can be shown that
they have decided contrary to the evi
dence, they are liable to the same fioggine
which they dispenge with so liberal {
hand to those beneath them. Not only
/. the sentencing magistrate himself thu.
liable, but the superior judge, who con
| firms q wrongful eanfanca nm anpaal !;
equally so.-Neso York Ecening Post.