Chinese Civilisation.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 843, 27 April 1888, Page 10

Chinese Civilisation.

The following is extracted from a review in Nature of ‘ China : its Social, Political, and Religious Life.' From the French of G. Eng. Simon. (Sampson Low and Co.) — The family has the power of passing judgment on any of its members for an offence, and can sentence the delinquent to whipping, exile, and excommunication. From the decision of the domestic tribunal an appeal is permitted to the ordinary courts of justice, but it is unusual for suoh an appeal to be made. Such is the respect paid by the Chinese to their traditions, that there are fsw who do not submit at once to the sentence passed on them by their family. No punishment inflicted on a Chinaman can be more terrible than exclusion from the family. Socially he becomes an outcast, and, driven from the shelter of his ancestral home, and the protection of the spirits of his ancestors, he wanders in search of employment over the world, and it is thethousands of these abandoned pnes who Hood the American labor-markets. In the family, ancestral worship is cultivated, and is one of the strongest incentives to -labor and progress ; each member looks on himself as the guardian of posterity, toiling for their benefit, and satisfying the ancestors who watch over the family home. Each family religiously preserves the records of its ancestors, their lives and acts; and to the assembled members these records are read by the head of the house at regular intervals. At each meeting one biography is read, then the next, and so on in order, till the last of the series is finished, when a commencement is again made with the first. With regard to these family records, M. Simon sees no more noble sign of the honesty and independence of the Chinese than the fact that, when any question is in dispute, an entry iu one of these saored family books referring to the dispute is looked on hy the authorities as decisive. To be .able to make the entries in this book, and to read it to his family, should he ever become its head, every Chinaman is taught to read and write ; of this, in connection with education, we shall speak later on. Property is collective and individual; and the living holders look on themselves as the trustees of posterity. The fee-simple belongs to the community, except m a few fast-diminishing cases, where small portions of land are owned by each family, and are considered inalienable ; and he who dares to introduce a stranger into this patrimonial land commits sacrilege, and becomes an outcast. China has been described as a despotic monarchy, but there is perfect liberty to all. Religions of all kinds are tolerated and are never interfered with except for political purposes. All public meetings and expressions of public opinion are freely permitted. To prove this, M. Simon says that in 18G3 he made in one province a collection of proclamations of great virulence, denouncing the Emperor for agreeing to the treaty with the Europeans after the sack of the Summer Palace and the burning of the great library, and they are very numerous : none of the mandarins, he adds, dared to prosecute their authors. Taxation is very light—not one-hundredth part of what it is in France. With regard to leffislation, the Academy of Sciences at Pekin is the legislative power. If any official thinks that a custom, generally observed in his province, might with advantage be used over the whole country, he Bends an account of it to this body, which examines it, and, if it thinks the custom useful, orders it to be tried in the other provinces ; if successful there it is finally adopted, inscribed in the code, and becomes law. Though M. Simon reserves a more extensive account of education in China another work, it is easy to gather his views from the present book. The Government gives full liberty to all to open schools. The children are well taught, and there is scarcely a Chinaman who is not able to read, write, add up accounts, and draw. The foundation of the education is laid in the

family. From their earliest years children are taught their duties and their rights. They are taught respect for others, and hence respect for themselves. Obedience to usages, humanity, justice, and right feeling—these are the foundations of their education. Besides the family education there are two kinds of public instruction—primary aud superior. Primary education is given in the institutions attached to the family temples, where there are such, or in private schools, which anyone is at liberty to open. The education of every child is provided for, apart from Governmental aid, the rich paying for their poorer brethren. Inasmuch, as each Chinese sign conveys an idea, the child that is taught to write the Chinese characters learns not only words but ideas, and he-is forced to explain and comment on these to his teachers. And it is to this fact, in addition to the influences of family councils and family readings, with the profuse inscriptions in every public place, that M. Simon ascribes the intelligence and precocity of Chinese children.