JUSTICE IN CHINA.

Northern Advocate, 30 August 1919, Page 6

JUSTICE IN CHINA.

HONEST JOHN

ROD FOR PERJURERS.

During a period of fifteen year 3 consecutive travel in China —most of it over unbroken ground—we never had anything stolen, and never became the victim of a swindle, save in the matter of ordinary squeezes, says an editorial in the "Central China Post," Hankow. We used to be more than astonished at seeing the way in which the natives left their property lying about in the inns, or dumped it on the road, with no particular pro tection, and yet it was exceedingly rare for thieves 1o take advantage of the opportunity thus offered. Even now strings of coolies may be seen jogging along the native streets carrying boxes of treasure, in the form of sycee or coin—and most of them open—without a guard and never does a box or a dollar go a-mis-siing. As regards the security of property, China in normal times was fully up to the level of European countries, although all police or other supporters of the law were conspicuous by their absence. OWN POLICING. The explanation was that the people did their own policing, and settled their own disputes. If they caught a thief they would handle him in such a way as often led to a permanent cure, and if two parties fell out their trade guild, or the local gentry, would be called in to decide the dispute. Through these, acting as mddlemen, the contention would be accommodated. As a final resort the matter could be carried to the Yamen for the district magistrate to settle. Every Hsien, or county, had its county town, generally a walled city, and here the Hsien magistrate exercis ed jurisdiction over all the happening 3 within the limits of his county, be it ever so big. In the case of its containing other large and important towns subordinate magistrates would be placed there to represent him. The Hsien was equally open to deal with a thief, a lawsuit or a riot, although he did not go out to look for business but waited till complaints were made to him. In the event of anyone ;being in difficulties, the Ya men presented many advantages com pared with the foreign systems, NO DELAY. To begin with everybody knew where to apply, and all kinds of complaints were in order—there was no such thing as hunting from office to office in search of the one authorised to deal with the particular kind of business. Then the Yamen was open' night and day and theoretically had no hours. On the right hand side of the entrance there was a big drum, which on being sounded, called out the magistrate but for some reason this was never used. Next the magis trate could proceed to action on the nail; it was not necessary for him to attend to a great many formalities before getting busy.' Finally, if his staff were in good working order, thfi magistrate, if he pleased," could put matters through with wonderful ex pedition. ■Supposing a robbery had occurred and the magistrate was determined to have the criminals captured and the plunder recovered, it was generally within his power to do so. He would call his head thief catchers and give them a certain number of days within which they must produce the man and the goods. In case of failure, they would be soundly bambooed and ordered to try again under the pain of a double dose in case they exceeded the second time limit. Once these gentlemen were convinced that the magistrate really meant business the plunder would be found and also persons who would confess to being the criminals. As the thief catchers were at the same time the head men of the

thieving fraternity it was easy for them to arrange matter:. Unfortunately unless pressure cou d be brought to bear on he magistrate himself, he preferred not to put the screw on.