54 REMBAU HISTORY, ETC. 
The Undang issues his orders (sabda) in his hall of 
audience (balac). He may not reconsider a decision once 
pronounced or revise a judgment once delivered; and only when 
the Hight lémbaga are in audience, can he hear a case or 
issue his order. 
Theoretically the Undang can take cognisance of no 
matter unless brought to his notice by a lémbaga. With the 
two exceptions of his own wife, and any unmarried mother, 
no one but a Lémbaga or an officer of the Undang (Bésar 
Undang) has the right of speaking in the audience hall, 
uninvited. But the lémbaga is bound to bring before the 
Undang every matter transcending his © buffalo”’ jurisdiction.’ 
He is the policeman who binds the egriminal.? The 
original jurisdiction of the Undang embraces. every offence 
for which death, or, in the case of a tribal official (orang 
béradat), deprivation of office is the penalty. The six Pantang 
Undang, the four offences enumerated in saying 38 and all 
cases of adultery were reserved for his court. 
He sat also as an appeal court to enforce or vary 
decisions of a lémbaga: but not without first referring to his 
council of eight tribal chiefs the question of the validity or 
justice of the lower court’s order. 
His power of enforcing the decree of a lémbaga was 
normally exercised in cases of debt of a Béduanda tribesman 
to a member of one of the eleven immigrant tribes. For if a 
tribal chief, who had admitted, however reluctantly, the 
liability of his tribesman, after session with the chief of an 
extra tribal plaintiff, did not exact payment, his failure was held 
to prove his weakness (lémahan), and incapacity for office, 
and rendered him liable to supersession. Why had he not 
exercised his power of attachment (tahan tarik) if not on the 
debtor’s own moveable property, then on the belongings of 
his nearest wealthy relative ? No excuse could palliate that 
omission. But warvs property was exempt from attachment 
by an immigrant tribe: so the question of payment was 
(1) Adat lembaga satu ekor kerbau. vy. Saying XXI. App. I. 
(2) vide App. T. Saying XIX, 
Jour. Straits Branch 
