The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-12-29
JUSTICE IN CHINA.


JUSTICE IN CHINA.
How the Law Is Administered In the
Celestial Empire.
In China no sentence can be imposed
upon criminal until he has confessed the
crime, writes HongfYen Chang in the Chris
tan Union. Even if found guilty, he is
compelled to do that. Various methods are
resorted to in order to compel him to make
confession; / never saw any of these
methods practiced, but il is pretty we'll
known that they exist, and draw from
English authorities for some information.
criminal is obliged to plead his own case.
He can have the assistance of a lawyer, or q
man learned in the law, who can instruct
him on his trial, telling him what questions
to ask aud what questions to avoid asking,
but lawyers have no standing in the courts
of China as they have in this part of the
globe. The witnesses in a criminal trial
are cross-examined, but the prisoner must
conduct the examination himself. It can
therefore be readily imagined that the legal
profession in China is not one that brings
much gain to those who follow it. Here it
is not only lucrative vocation, but an hon
orable one besides. Some OF the greatest
statesmen in the United States have come
from the ranks of the lawyers, while in
China the profession is largely composed OF
low class Of men.
The highest crime known to Chinese law
is treason and that is punishable by DEATH
and the only form of executing such sen
tence IS by decapitation. The criminal is
carried out in a box or cage, to the place OF
execution. The crime of which he has been
guilty, written on piece Of paper, is fast
ened to a small stick which is placed in his
hair. The sentence is carried out by reg
u]arly appointed executloner, one method
being to strike off the head while the Grim
NAL is !1nee!lng. Sometimes, before the be-
heading takes place the criminal is cut on the
breast and arms, and the additional punish
ment is regarded as lending special igno-
miny to the sentence.
The reverence with which the Chinese re-
gard the aged, especially their own parents
and tutors, is well known. And in this, and
some other classes Of crimes, relatives and
neighbours are often made to share the pun.
;sh1nent provided IN such cases There was
similar provision in regard to the punish
ment OF theft under the early Saxon laws
Of England.
Murder is punished by death, the killing
of a father, a mother or a preceptor being
the highest degree of that crime. From
early childhood the Chinese are taught to
hold in high reverence, not only their pa
rents, but their preceptors. Teachers IN
China are reverenced in about the same
way that clergymen are revereuced by re~
Ngious persons in this part of the world.
In the case Of murder the neighbors and
relatives are compelled to share q part Of
the responsibility. It should be said, how
ever, that, though this is the law handed
down from very ancient times and which
can not be changed, there are various meth
dds by which the enforcement Of it is evaded,
and judges are quick to give any legal adj
vantage to the relatives and neighbors, and
put the whole penalty on the criminal
Theft is punished by imprisonment,
whipping Or wearing what is called the
conyue, o square collar made of boards and
locked around the neck, resembling very
much the old English method of putting one
'sin the stocks" With this machine around
his NECK the criminal is compelled to stand
ia the street near where the offense was
committed; each evening q constable takes
charge Of him until the next morning, when
he is again taken out, He is kept thus on
public exhibition so that the public may
know him il the future and be on their
guard
There arc two ways Of whipping; the
FIRST is on the cheeks. The culprit kueels
down. and is beaten with g. leather strap
about twelve inches long by two CT three
inches wide The second method in ttis
part Of the world would be called 'spanlz-
ing" the instrument to do the work being
made Of bamboo, five feet long by two
inches wide The number Of blows ordered
on the cheek wilt be from twenty to thirty;
in using the other method forty strokes is
the highest number allowed by law. But,
with shorter banlboo--about three feet
long aud one inch WIDEN the second
method Of punishment, an indefna.e mum.
Der OF strokes can be inflicted.
Another form of punishment for the higher
crimes is strangulahon. The condemned
is fastened to frame, his hands tied
behind him, aud he is strangled by means
Of rope fastened to a post against which
be supports himself. Sometimes silken
cord is sent to him while ha is in prison
being hint that be can, if he chooses, be
his own executloner.
State criminals are often banjshed to a
territory in the northwestern part of the
Empire Murderers and robbers with
political influence, or whose crimes may ad
nit OF extenuating circumstances. some
times have their sentences COMMITTED tc
Punishment, and are obliged to reside in q
specified part Of the Empire for a certain
period. Fighting, thlevlng and man
slaughter are punished by q slighter form
OF exile, the offenders during their Danish
meng being obliged to wear badge, either
an iron god several feet long, or stone
weighing about tea pounds and hung
around their uecks.
The Scotch Thistle.
A cprresuOndent sends to the LondOr