Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-01-07
THE KINGS WILL.
Tho Great Law which Governs Everything
In the burmese Kingdom.

tn the Burmese kinGdom'
Tho Government OF Burmah," said
a gentleman who has lately been In
that far-ofl country to NeTs reporter,
''. fully comprehended in The Kings
-: 's the great law, before
WILL Tha' . '"stice, oil civil
which aii othefs ~ ,,, are
rights are as naught. His iav1,.
seemingly dcmocratically distributed,
the lowest citizens (always excepting
slaves and outcasts, who are not
stt,c.ly speaking, citizens) being el'g'-
bio to the highe;. offices.
"Oflicc.seekers in Burniah are net as
numerous or as persistent rs in the
Unilea States; the King having an un.
pleasant habit OF showing all kinds OF
attentions to those who hold oi'c@ M
der him, his principal ones being In the
shape of levying contributions on those
wIhohi In the goodness Of his heart he
has empowered to ie1s on the less fort
unatc citizens. Any failure to promptly
comply with all demands makes the
offender liable to all kinds Of pleasant
little Jokes at the hands Of the execu.
TONER. One Of that dignitary's favor
ito modes OF pastime Is TO catch some
delinquent, and, adroily throwing him
on his back, place n heavy stc''e on
the pit of the victims stomach and
walk of, leaving the proud otlice.hold'
or struggling on his back like gigan'
tic mud.turtle. II the victim Is formid-
able enough to get free he may resume
his Office, and rarely needs q second
hint to settle up.
Police magistrates In Burmah are
less lcnient than in Chicago. Charges
of larceny are not often changed to
.disordcrly conduct and, as the Bur,
mcsc penalty for theft Is death. 1t Is
quite serious affair. The mode OF
punishment depends on the gravity oi
the crime. A light offender is merely
beheadcd. while one who transgrcsses
TO a greater eStcnt is cruciiicd or
beaten to death with clubs.
"Thc principal industry Is cotton
raising. There is also considerable
cotton manufactured in a crude Kind
Of way, and a lively trade is carried
ON with the Chinese. who trade silks
and teas for the goods made by the
Burmese. There is an annual fair at
Yunan. where the entire Chinese trade
Is carried on.
THE only beasts Of burden OF value
are the OK and buffalo. The horse
does not thrive, and, In common with
all European domestic animals In that
country, Is extremely liable to disease.
"Burinah has an area OF one hun
drcd and ninety thousand square miles
and is rather dcnsely populated. The
climate is generally healthfnl and cpl
denies are few. Coal abounds and
oil.wclls are extensively worked.
Sapphires, rubies and stone called a
fade are found, and such finds are the
property Of the King (if he hears OF
them).
with the exception Of the very
small denominations there Is no coin
In circulation In Burmah. The small
coins are made Of lead. Any person
wishing to buy q house or wife (wires,
by the way. being common articles OF
commerce), takes with him bar OF
silver bullion. which is melted up. as
sayed aud weighed for each transac-
tion-the Burmese, in spite Of rather
strict laws, evidently not having n per-
feet confidence in the honesty OF human
nature.
"Thc language, like the Chinese. Is
almost unattainable by European.
II is In many other respects similar to
the Chinese, being, like 1t, composed
of monosyllablcs, but is written In en-
tlrcly dissimilar characters. ."-Chitdgo
Neps.