3. 282
the working of the measure having been considered impracticable.
Apart from the repugnance which most people entertain to any system of Legislation under which the innocent may be made to suffer for the offence of the guilty, the institution of the Kap would most probably open the door to those abuses which have been so often exposed by writers on the Manners and Customs of the Chinese. For instance, a person might be produced by the Kap as the real offender, but the difficulty would be insuperable of detecting whether he were the real offender or someone whom they had combined to accuse or who, for a consideration, was willing to be made the scape-goat.
Indeed, it has been found necessary to repeal all Ordinances in which any sort of power beyond that of a constable is entrusted to Chinese. For instance, Ordinance No. 13 of 1844, introduced by Sir J. Davis for the appointment of Chinese Peace Officers (Prouchong and Prantea), had to be repealed, and the excellent Ordinance No. 3 of 1853, introduced by Sir George Bonham for the amicable settlement of civil suits among Chinese, although drafted with great precaution so as to prevent abuses, met with the same further... In fact, I believe the Chinese themselves prefer availing themselves of the Summary Jurisdiction.