HOW THE MOORS ARE GOVERNED. TERRIBLE PENALTIES FOR GRIME. Scenes at a Double Execution.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 340, 6 February 1889, Page 3

HOW THE MOORS ARE GOVERNED. TERRIBLE PENALTIES FOR GRIME. Scenes at a Double Execution.

Some very interesting facts relating to the mode of government of Morocco were given by the Tangier correspondent of th° 'Times.' It seems that the legitimate sources of the revenuo of tho country are tho tribo on agricultural produce, the tax of 2 per cent, on domestic animals, the tax on shebbol, a h'&h which abounds in the rivers, the monopoly of tobacco and hascheesh, the poll tax on the Jews, duties of 10 per cent, on all good exported and imported, and a gate-duty levied on every camel-load of goods which enters the city or town. But, though these aro fixed imports, their scale is habitually set aside on some pietext or another. Fines are levied at discretion, and on all sorts of pretexts. A quarrol between two members of a Kabila may deprivo both of half their possessions. If a robbery is committod, onch inhabitant of the douar, or vil'age is fined double tho valuo of the stolen property. Every little village trouble, whether domestic or public, is made an instrument for extortion. Tho governors of provinces have the law absolutely in their own hands. They cannot nominally inflict sentence of death, but this difficulty they get over either by beating the victim to death, against which there is no law, or by some other form of cruelty. One of the favourite forms of torturing prisoners for the extortion of money is that called the wooden jellabeer (shirt). This is a sorb of wooden box, large enough to receive the patient in a sitting posture ; on the inside it is skidded with sharp nails. Prisoners have been kept in this instrument for months at a time, until at length lelcased by doath. Another favourite torture is by means of an iron collar, by which the victim is chained to the wall at such a height as to oblige him to stand on tiptoe bo avoid strangulation. The cutting off of a hand as punishment for theft, tho loss of an eye in return for the malicious destruction of an eye, the amputation of a limb for a limb, and the punishment of libel by rubbing the lips of the offender with cap&icum pods, are matters of daily practice in this country. Two products of the barbarous application of their savage laws aro the murder-cairn and the Zaonia, or sanctuary. One and the other are to bo found all through tho country. The murder-cairn is but a heap of stones over the spot where a murder was committed, to which every passer-by adds one. The sanctuary is a refugo in which the ciiminal who leachesit is for a time perfectly safe. The decrees of tho Sultan are held in absolute reverence by the people. This story illustrates their remarkable loyalty. Two prisoners, bound, hand and foob, passed an Englishman, who asked what ciime they had committed. 'Tho Sultan,' was the answer — 'may God prolong his days .'—has ordered their heads to be struck ofi' because they havo been engaged in smuggling on the Rill coast.' 'Itis a very severe pmnshment, 1 urged the Englishman. 'Do not argue with me, Nazareno,' said the officer; ' I have received my order?, and must obey.' A Moor, repulshe in appearance, and diessed as a butcher, was there awaiting the condemned. The butcher demanded 20fr a head. Then the butcher seized the Jlillin, throw him on the ground, and knelt on his chest. The Englishman turned away his head. Ho heard sounds of a horrible struggle, in tho midst of which a hoarse voice cried, ' Give mo another knife ; mine does not cut.' Another knife was brought, and the head hewn from the body. Tlie soldiers cried faintly, ' God prolong the life of our lord and master !' Then came the second^ victim. Ho had watched the operation. Again they wrangled over his blood : tho officer refused to remember his promise, and said he would only give 20 francs for both heads. The butcher accepted. The prisoner bogged that his hands might be unbound, and, taking off his belt, gave it to the butcher, saying, ' Take it, and for the love of God deal more quickly with me than with my brother,' Then he stretched himself on the earth in the blood, and bbc executioner knelt on him. ' A reprieve ! Stop !' cried the Englishman. A horseman galloped toward them. The butcher held his knife. 'It i& only the governor's son,' said a I soldier, ' come to see tho execution ; Avait for him.' They waited.