Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-07-10
CHINESE
EMPEROR
MERCIFUL
Branding and MutiIation Done
Away With - Decaplta>
ti0n Being Enough

N=eetNN- -
New York, July 10.--Full details of
two important reforms in the Chinese
government, established by edict Of the
emperor, have just been reported to
the Presbyterian board Of foreign mis-
sions, which has important missionary
and educational work in China, and
copies Of the edicts have been received
through the state. department at WASH
ington. The reforms were recommend
ed by a commission on the revision Of
the criminal code on which WI Ting
Fang, former Chinese minister to the
United States, was the head. Tie first
edict abolishes cruel forms Of punish
ment; and the second ends what has
long been a crying evil in China, the
use Of torture in courts Of law. The
edicts read as follows:
"Wu Ting Fang, sheng Chia-pen and
others, having been appointed to revise
the criminal code, have submitted a
memorial, praying that frst of all cer-
tain severe forms Of punishment may
be modified.
"When our dynasty first came
through the great wall, decapitation
was the severest form of punishment
used; but in the reign Of Shun-chih
(1644-1662, A. d. when the laws were
being revised, following the long es-
tablished practice Of the Ming dynasty,
dismemberment and other severe forms
of punishment were adopted, and, al
though these were Intended TO serve
as warning to tho criminal and the
stupid, yet investigation shows that
they are not in harmony with the orig
inal intention Of the imperial house TO
temper justice with mercy. Now that
the laws are being revised, we decree
that henceforth the severest form Of
punishment for capital offenses shall
be immediate decapitation. The three
forms Of punishment known as dismem.
berment, exposure Of the head, and
beheading the corpse, are hereby abol-
ished forever. The sentences Of dis
memberment and exposure Of the head,
provided for in the present laws are
hereby changed to immediate decapita-
tion. Crimes to be punished by imme-
date decapitation shall be punished by
immediate strangling; those punished
by immediate strangling shall receive
sentence Of strangling after the autumn
assize, provided the investigation at
the autumn assize shall show the facts
to be as alleged. Sentences to decapi-
tation after the autumn assize. and
criminals sentenced TO strangulation
after the autumn assize are still 10 be
allowed an investigation at the said as
size, and TO have sentence carried out
or commuted as the facts shall show.
As 10 the provisions for the punish
ment Of accessories in crime, while pun.
ishment is still TO be inflicted accord
ing to the circumstances Of the case,
such persons are entirely relieved from
tho penalty Of branding, which is
hereby abolished.
"In addition to the foregoing we
command the aforesaid vice president
(Wu Ting Fang) aad those associated
with him to consider carefully what
further changes and exeisions may be
necessary and without delay TO sug-
gest notifications, make selections
(from other codes) and prepare code
for tho promulgatiOn Of which they
shall ask an ediet, and we earnestly
hope that their deliberations may re-
suit in the adjustment Of the law to
present conditions, the avoidance Of
extremes and the adoption Of that
which is most suitable, thus fulfilling
the purpose of the court to instruct the
people in their duties by making plain
the system of punishments. Let this