M 



W hen a Chinese is apprehended for, or accused <>t 

 ft crime, towever alrneious it may be, his whole eongst 

 are unanimous in (heir endeavours !o get him off. 

 Subscriptions for counsel, high bribes tn iuh i i>e 

 witnesses to keep them - away, and to furthcoming 

 ones to perjure 1 hemM res; dreadful threats to con- 

 scientious u it,u< ; ami eonnivanee at the escape or 

 secretin** of the accused, are the means resorted to as 

 matters Of course. 



Wliea a congsi is opposed to another by the cri- 

 minal accusation of feu i indi\ idual of one of (hem, no 

 bounds can be assigned to the use which is made of 

 these illegal means. 



\\ here ihe emigrant Chinese are left to the almost 

 unchecked operation of their own laws and usages— » 

 as happens in many ill-governed Main van countries 

 where the\ have set i led ;is traders ami cultivator*.— 

 they then appear to visit with appropriate severity any 

 infringement of these laws, where sach is confined 

 to one elan. It would seem that in peeking the pro- 

 tection of nations dissimilar to theuiMlves, the\ do 

 not h jsc si^lit of their fended superiority over all. 

 and therefore think it degrading, to he punished by 

 Harharhtn Eyes! lie this as it Bhty, if fa ptvn\ evi- 

 dent th;it self-interest, eold, sordid and far-sighted, and 

 the gratification of the senses are, in their relation to 

 foreigners, if not so absolutely, the solid substrata of 

 the Chinese character. On these, as a fixed base, rests 

 apparently , nine-tenths of their actions, public or pri- 

 vate. IS ut it i> die very selfishness inherent in their 

 disp Qgition winch renders them the most useful class 

 of native subjects in the Straits ; for when this fault 

 is found in company with energy and intelligence, it 

 often takes the form of a public good, if not carritd 

 too fa*; more especially as that selfishness is rarely 

 accompanied by avarice, and leads to a liberal 



