238 



ADMINISTRATION OP JUSTICE. 



Hut none have as yet been made. Final ' appeals 

 are made to the King 1 in Council 



The Malays are less foud of practise*! litigation, 

 where the cause of continuing it rests wJlh themselves, 

 than the natives of India ; and however einhued with 

 the spirit of gaming a number of them are, yet ih»-y 

 do not exhibit much of it in Courts of Law, unless 

 over-ruled or excited by interested men. 



The Coroners select their Juries indiscriminately 

 from amongst Europeans, llie descendants of these, 

 and natives. It is from the latter Masses that, m% 

 most exclusively, the Juries in Province Wellesley 

 bare as yet been supplied, It must be confessed 

 that in the present condition of civilization there, the 

 process is rather a tedious one. Hut were the forms 

 to be simplified,, and rendered more intelligible 

 to the untutored capacity of the people, there can be 

 lit tie doubt that the ultimate effects of this part of 

 the judicial system on the native mind won hi be of a 

 very salutary nature. 



Th.e heads of sections and villages would willingly 

 pet lie minor disputes amongst their neighbours ; l>ui 

 the ryots have little or no faith in their impartiality — 

 and w here there is a European officer of Government 

 or other well-ace red i ted functionary, they invariably 

 resort to him for justice. I regret to observe that 

 in so far as my experience extends, there is not a na- 

 tive at this Settlement of Peuang who could be safely 

 entrusted with the power of a Justice of the Peace — 

 or even with a lesser judirial independent authority. 



Previous to the final settling of the Province it was 

 little better than a den of murderers and rnhhn*s. 

 A rogue, when opted fairly ensconced within its fast- 

 ue*se.>, could defy all pursuit. The pirate and rob- 

 ber £nca Manet, waw an instance in point, and of 

 crime going long unpunished. His depredations not 



