POSSESSIONS IN THE INDIAN AIICHIPELAGO. 137 
We have already mentioned the judicial organization. Some ad¬ 
ditional details will not be deemed superfluous. 
The action of the judicial order is independent of the administra¬ 
tive power, saving the restrictions suggested by necessity to prevent 
the indigenous aristocracy from being disquieted by too severe an ap¬ 
plication of the forms of European procedure, which would be 
contrary, according to their maxims, to the exceptional state in which 
they still find themselves in the social order of the Javanese. 
A high court sitting at Batavia clothed with the functions of a 
court of appeal and cassation, after the courts of justice established 
in the principal towns, takes cognizance as well in civil as in crimi¬ 
nal matters of the interests of the European population. These 
courts are guided in their decisions by the Colonial statutes and by 
the ancient Dutch laws, based upon the civil law. At this moment 
the finishing touch is being put to a labour having for its object the 
replacement of tins superannuated and incongruous legislation b^ 
the modified codes in operation in the kingdom of the Low Coun¬ 
tries, always maintaing in civil matters the authority of the special 
laws appertaining to each locality. 
The indigenous inhabitants are subject to tribunals composed en¬ 
tirely of natives, but presided over, in the cases indicated hereafter, 
by European funtionaries. These tribunals are the district tribunal 
('Districts raced), the tribunal of the regent (RcgenVs raadj , presided 
over by the Javanese Regent, the provincial tribunal (Rand mad), 
presided over by the European prefect or his delegate the Sub-Resi¬ 
dent, finally the tribunal of circuit (Regt bank van Ommcgaug ), 
composed of Javanese assessors and a European judge, who is con¬ 
tinually on tour, for the purpose of presiding at these assizes. This 
last tribunal only entertains criminal causes which are above the com¬ 
petency of the provincial tribunal. AH these tribunals judge accord- 
to the local laws, whether Mahomedan or other,—mutilations and cruel 
executions being proscribed. A Mahomedan priest fpanghuluj is 
present in order to enlighten the judges upon the sense of articles of 
the Koran and its commentators. The ministerial functions are con¬ 
fided to a Javanese officer named .Djaksa. 
The Supreme Court sitting at Batavia is charged with the revision 
of the sentences pronounced by the provincial and circuit courts, in 
order that by this means an uniform aud equitable jurisprudence may 
i>e insured. 
lii the three principal towns of J ava, as at Amboyna ; Banda, Ma- 
