Two Kinds of Justice.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 149, 20 December 1902, Page 6 (Supplement)

Two Kinds of Justice.

The brigantine Canebieres, Captain Capededious, from Marseilles, dropped anchor one fine morning at La GouIctte, the port of Tunis. The weather was beautiful, and the captain, wishing to lose no time, went at once in his yawl to the main Customhouse of His Serene Highness the Bey. He wanted a permit to land his merchandise without delay. Therefore he explained to the Customhouse officers that his cargo was exclusively composed of nightcaps, which constituted a commodity absolutely indispensable to the welfare of the people, Mussulmans, Jews, and Christians alike. The representatives of the Bey had never heard of nightcaps, and Capededious knew that they told the truth in stating this fact. Therefore, he produced a few beautiful samples from his cargo, and delivered a grandiloquent speech to explain matters from the social, sanitary, and economical point of view. The officers were convinced by his arguments and also by a liberal and discreet apportionment of " douros."* But what could they do? Nightcaps were not mentioned in the voluminous list of articles subject to duty, and therefore they had to submit the matter to the Grand Vizier. Capededious returned to his ship very much disappointed, although he had the .promise that his case would be considered at the earliest possible opportunity. He subsequently made several visits to the Customhouse, each time bringing a little supply of " douros," but he could not secure the permission to land. He tried also to interview the Grand Vizier, but to no avail, notwithstanding the liberalities he bestowed upon the servants at the palace. One day he met one of his countrymen who knew the customs in Tunis,, and told him that his only salvation was to complain directly to the Bey. It was the easiest thing to do after all. Every Friday the Bey was going to the Mosque of Omar, and any one could approach him- on the way. Capededious was somewhat afraid to follow the advice ; but he had waited six long weeks, spent a good deal of money, and he decided ,to take his chances. On the following Friday he posted himself along th,e street, leading to the Mosque, dressed in his best clothes, and •wearing the finest nightcap he could find, really a poem in colours near which the rainbow would have faded. As soon as the Bey made his appearance he threw himself at his feet, asking justice in a loud voice. > The Bey, who had never seen a- nightcap, paid special attention to Capede- i dious, and ordered him to rise, requesting him at the same time to explain his case. The captain, who had prepared a j memorandum, handed it to the Bey and furnished all the information at his' command, exhibiting meanwhile his beautiful nightcap. " Your case is interesting," said the Bey; "you want justice, and justice you shall have. The question is, however, ' What land of justice do you want .'' You are a Frenchman and possibly you may prefer French justice to Mussulman justice." Capededious had heard a good deal about Mussulman justice and he was quite afraid to experiment with it. Therefore he expressed the opinion that the justice ot his own country, although hopelessly blind, w?.a good enough for him. " Very well," decided the Bey ; "it will be done according to your wishes ; return at once to your ship and wait for a decision ; all the machinery of justice will me put in motion at once to consider your rase." To say that the captain from Marseilles was fairly delighted is to put it mildly. He sang for joy all the way to his vessel. But, alas! he did not realise the imr>ennty of tho miataka ho had made. Truly tlio Bey had smiled at his request, but he did not know .what this smile meant. Weeks elapsed, and life became monotonous on board the Canebieres. Capededious became desperate, and at the end of thrco months of useless expectation he decided to see the Bey again. His Serene Highness recognised him at once, and gently asked him what he wanted. The captain explained his case again. "My dear friend," said the Bey, " you are mistaken if you think that I have forgotten you ; on tho contrary I have nothing in my mind but your case, which by tho way is very intricate. I have summoned th'a best jurists in the Beylick; they are at work with a tremendous force of scribes, looking for precedents, ransacking the archives, and exanunging records, and they report daily to me in person. I have all I can do (o keep up with them, as they bring mo every morning a wagon load of documents. Yet, believe me, your case is progressing nicely and the decision will satisfy you, even if I have to chop a few more heads to stimulate the zeal of my jurists," "But how long will that take?" asked Capsdedious ; " I have been already waiting during three lopg months." " Three long months !" exclaimed the Bey in surprise. "But this is nothing! You ought to know that! You wanted French just-ice, and French justice 1 gave you ! I have just now a little difficulty with your Government, and the French jurists have been at it during the last fifteen years. Do I complain about it? As a matter of course I do not, because I am satisfied that cverv- • thing possible is done to settle tho matter | satisfactorily." > | "I would rather try the Mussulman justice, if this is the case," pleadingly said Capededious. " This is another matter," answered the Bey; "return to your ship and wait." - The captain started at once, quite perplexed, ai:d,to tell the truth almost regretting the last request he had formu- j lated. Ho had hardly reached^he Cane- ' bieres, however, before he saw hundreds of barks loaded with Jews, making for his' ship in a hurry. These Jews were in a terrible state of excitement ; they all wanted to buy nightcaps in any quantity and at any price. Capededious had to summon all his crew to preserve order, as his customers were' fighting with all their might to secure the coveted article* of headgear. The whole cargo was sold in a tv.'irkling at extravagant prices, and the profit proved enormous. Furthermore the nightcap business fever invaded tho whole town of Tunis, all the Jews buying and selling nightcaps in the shops, in the streets, ih the'synagogues, everywhere. It appears that the Bey had issued the following " irade " : " All the Jews caught in the streets of Tunis without a nightcap will be beheaded." Captain Capededious was not ungrateful ; therefore on the following Friday he went to the Mosque again, gave his thanks to the Bey, and offered him a good-size bag well filled with " douros." " You are the only ' giaour 't who ever proved his gratefulness to me," said the Bey. "I want to reward you. Return to your ship ; you will have a last sample of Mussulman justice. But to-morrow you must leave Tunis, as it is not always wise to tempt Allah twice." The sense of these words was not very clear to the captain. Ho obeyed, however, with due celerity. But, behold ! He had not been ton minutes on board the Canebieres when be saw his cuEtomers, the Jews, frantically rowing toward him. It was a desperate race. The Bey had issued another " irade " reading thus: "All the Je-vvs caught in die streets of Tunis with a nightcap in their possession will be beheaded." Caplain Capededious Cfiught the situation at c glance, and bought back all his cargo

for a mere song. As usual the Jews had paid the costs of Mussulman justice. —Karl Melite, in the Akbar (Algeria). * Douro, a silver piece worth about one dollar, t Giaour, an infidel.