210 



Dialoo-ue between a Father and Son. 



Vol. IV. 



as these can be obtained, the size is not of 

 much importance. 



Father. — The Island is very small, but it 

 abounds in remarkable incident. It is a sort 

 of Republic, being governed by a chief magis- 

 trate, by the title of Lieutenant Baillie, who 

 is appointed by the crown of England ; and 

 twelve jurats or magistrates, chosen by tlie 

 people from amongst themselves — the chief 

 magistrate having only a single vote. A 

 throne and canopy are erected in the Ro7jnl 

 Court, as it is called, on which the Lieuten- 

 ant Baillie is seated, and the twelve jurats in 

 scarlet robes, range six on each side, on an 

 elevated platform. 



A military governor is appointed by the 

 crown, who is commander of the forces, it 

 being a strong garrison : he has also a seat 

 in the court, but no vote on any occasion, 

 and, to show his inferiority, he sits on the 

 right hand of the Lieutenant Baillie, on a 

 throne somewhat less elevated. The court 

 frames laws for tlie jurisdiction of the Island, 

 ii-om whence there is only one appeal, and 

 that is, to tlie King cr Queen in Council. 

 There is perfect freedom from taxation, and 

 every article imported for the use of the in- 

 habitants, is duty free: the duty remitted on 

 tea, amounting to about ninetj^-eight per cent., 

 and on tobacco about six hundred per cent. .' 

 Foreign spirits, however, is charged by com- 

 mon consent, with one shilling (25 cents) per 

 gallon on importation, as a duty ; the sum 

 which this brink's, about six thousand pounds 

 sterling per annum, is faithfully expended in 

 repairing and improving the wharfs and har- 

 bours of the Island — the government being 

 supported by fees of court — a custom there 

 is, of charging all purchasers at auction, with 

 two cents each lot that is sold ; these are 

 called God''s pence, and they are religiously 

 devoted to the relief of the poor, who are al- 

 ways foreigners — a Jerseyman would sooner 

 die than accept relief in the shape of public 

 charity. 



It has an Admiralty, as well as a civil and 

 criminal court. All the estates in the Island 

 are entered and described in a sort of dooms- 

 day book, deposited in court and are valued 

 at so many quarters of Vv'heat each, instead 

 of pounds sterling or dollars; this being the 

 ancient Norman law, in the time of Rolla: 

 and if a person has an estate to dispose of, 

 he takes the person wishing to purchase,- to 

 the court, and introduces him as such ; the 

 proper officer then turns to the description 

 of the estate in the book, and declares whe- 

 ther there be any mortgage upon it, &c. and 

 after the seller has lixed the price which the 

 purchaser is to give, all the rest of the busi- 

 ness is left to the court, who furnish title, re- 

 ceive the purchase money, and enter all pro- 

 ceedings in the Buoh of remembrance — so 



there are no disputed titles. A strange law 

 there is, if a son sees that his father, through 

 age or infirmity, is no longer capable of 

 managing liis afiairs, he has the right to take 

 him before the court for examination : and if 

 he be found incapable, the court places what 

 is termed a father over him, to take care of 

 liim. They tell of a young man, who com- 

 plained before the court, that his father had 

 lost his memory — that he could not remem- 

 ber any thing. " Not remember !" said his 

 father, " I shall never forget the cruelty with 

 which you have treated me !" and they drove 

 the son from their presence. The criminal 

 laws are very lenient. There is a saying, 

 " a man must have strong friends to get 

 hanged" — a punishment which has scarcely 

 been known to be inflicted for the last age : 

 for forgery tlie punishment is the loss of an 

 ear and banishment — to England I The post 

 of public executioner is so odious that no 

 Jerseyman has ever been known to fill it: 

 the oflice falls to the lot of some foreigner— 

 perhaps a culprit himself, who is never per- 

 mitted to associate with any one of respecta- 

 ble standing in society. 



The labours of his office are chiefly con- 

 fined to whipping criminals, sentenced by the 

 court, who are always from amongst foreign- 

 ers, with which the Island abounds : no fear 

 of Jerseymen being found delinquent, they 

 are proverbially sober, honest and industri- 

 ous, especially "the women. A curious story 

 is told of a former Jack Ketch, as the execu- 

 tioner is called: he was called upon, in the 

 way of his duty, to flog a house-breaker, who 

 was tied to the whipping-post, all ready for 

 action, when Jack said to the magistrate, 

 " Now I won't flog this fellow unless you'll 

 give me a new suit of clothes ;" the magis- 

 trate refused, saying, he had already received 

 his yearly allowance of a new suit. " You 

 won't?" said Jack, "then flog him yourself," 

 and tJirew down the whip ! and the magis- 

 trate was compelled to comply, for no one 

 could be found who would put the law into 

 execution. 



This same Jack Ketch, with his wife, were 

 afterwards detected in a burglary, and were 

 sentenced to be flogged, but as no one would 

 condescend to do it, they were ordered to 

 flog one another! Jack began and cut Mrs. 

 Ketch so severely, that she was not able to 

 perSirm her share of the operation — they were 

 then transported to France, but she took a 

 drnadfiil revenge, for on that very night, she 

 arose, and while her husband slept, she cut 

 his throat! But the most curious are the 

 bankrupt laws. It is necessary to premise, 

 tliat by law, any creditor is at ]il)erty, and as 

 often as he chooses, to call his debtor before 

 the court, and request to have him .and his 

 books examined, to ascertain if he have 



