286 ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.
I t fallows from the above, that each village has in’ itself the materials of
a good police, and that a right -of choosing their chiefs, gives to thé people a
considerable share of real liberty.* This right of election in-the inhabitants
of-the village, as before observed, would appear at one time to' have been
general throughout-the island. It is'still respected in the district's^Surabaya,
where'the office of Feting*gi Was always'elective, for although' fhe same
person might hold it fbj many years,*’ a ballot for the situation was regularly
held at specified periods, varying from one'to three years, f
The right ôf hleétion 'is 'also clearly ' acknowledged in the district's of
Japara and Jcewana. “ That' the Petingygi is elected "by the inhabitants of
“ a village,” observes the officer who introduced the settiejment int,o those
districts, + “ .there cannot be ajdoubt ^aod if even .the right pfi .election is
“ foregone by the people, though I have not met with a single instance of
“ the kind, it may be takenTor granted, that it is so only, in’ consecfuefice"
“ of the influence of thë^Regent, to serve some particular purpose. "While
“ the Feting1 gi continues in office, he'is looked up to and .obeyed, by the
“ ^people of .the village- to which he belongs as ,the immediate- chief.. He
“ generally occupies thepaséàan' usually to be found in villages ' of • eohse-
“ fluence, and has two or more men, inhabitants' of The village, appointed
“ to attend him wherever he goes. A Petmg’gi was usually"elpcjicff foTy fi p
«-year, during which time he could not, - according ,t^f.the.gncipnt.usage' he
“'Removed, except in consequence'of ' some gross misconduct, ^hut^fohis
| çonduct Was such" as to give satisfaction to the inhabitants,-they continued
“ Hun for several years. As far as I could learn,” contintfesv ïhé? same
officer, “ the Regent, or other superior native authority, seldom .interfered
“ in the election of a Peting’gi-, butt it was generallyj unde^oqd,-;that
“ although he could not forcé a Petmg’gi- upon -them who^ was disliked; by
“ the people, his confirmation was required before the person electedhould
“ _tac£ with gffect.51
■ in
In examining the; interior. of a village on Java, we find that, in common with the Hindu
usage, it possesses a constitution within itself indeggmieaitof the supreme governing power.
Here, as in Western India, it will be found'that each village possesses its Peimg’gpot,chief- its
Kabayan, who is the deputy or assistant to the head' of the village ; its Kamituah or elders,
generally men who have formerly been chiefs of ftbo village ; its Mudin or priest ; its Ulu-ulu
or Kapala Bandang an, or superintendent of watercourses ; its Jeru-tulis or writer, &c.-
* See Report of Mr, Hopkins oft the districts east of Surabâya.
. •)-' See Report of-Colonel Adams oa Surabaya.
t Mr. Me? Quoid. See his Report on the Districts of Japara and Jawâna.
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. 287.
In the Stinckt- districts'’ of Gkéribon mATegal, the appointment to this
office is ■ invariably made,' if notv by the-election, of the villagers/ generally
from- among themselyes, and - always / with their, concurrence. It' is s corn-
monpractice.for the .people of. a-village,, even where, the. right of election
3 not i® fee, to represent in a body .thei conduct of their, chief 'if incorrect $
and it hés alwaysobeen necessary.'for thé'chief native-authority to remove
him, if'theicomplaints were justly founded.'
A 'reference to -the judiöial regulations in the1 Appendix* will show how
desirous the British government on the island has-beed to protect the privileges
of these societies; 'and in particular the right of electing their- chief.
When-the British’authority was. established on .‘the’island, it was immediately
seen tha^something■ must be. done to supply; the" deficiencies and to
cofrect the imperfeptions.'loflithe »native code. All' the other changes in.
ccJhtemplation-jfofyth'e .tencouragemenfeilof industry and' for the abolition of
oppressive and impohtic-rexactions, would.havé been'nugatory, without
sÉfch an improvement in the judicial and police; regulations, as. would secure,
by a fall and impartial -administration of'justice,. the. rights and • privileges
about^ to be conferred. • It would'have-been'.in vain to define the limits of
power,' to 'issue -directions fo r ‘guiding, the eohductrof pubhc -servants in
their--transactions with the people, or to have '‘abrogated the oppressive
privileges of the chiefs,- and to have assured-thé people, of the!intention of
government to protect them, against all invasion of their rights, either by
open violence,'1 by the-' exaction of services; :©r. by-oppressive contributions,
without? 'establishing effective - means of'obtaMdg redress when Aggrieved.
Thé’ system'acted upon was at once'barbaroüs‘knd revolting.1; '"Practices prevailed
under the sanction of native law, which were abhorrent to the criminal.
jurisdiction, q f any enlightened nation-, w \ t ! ^ being at, a^neeessajy
to the due administration óf'jüstice,tt'I -altode^particularly to, torture and
mutilation.
*• Appendix'D.
. ".f .Among many others, the following enactments, which were ito,force -in some of the
Eastern districts when the English armed; ■ win'leW*Ó ‘shew the barbarities of-the law then
existing, in its operation ,on the people, and' its léniëncy towards the great. ‘
•« 'Anderson murdering his sh f^ r sUl'be h e f f e « fiïs body quartered and-given to the
“ wild beasts, and Ms head stuck upon arbambu. ,, . r .
'«'Any person disobeying his' superior 4 d attemfcSng'to murder him,-foay'-be kiHed by the
" Tiuperior, without giving any intimationdhereof to the chief "town. 1
■ -‘«I Any person daring to destroy any public advertisement prordflgated-by -government shall
« forfeit hirnght hand. « Bemfrgs,