Hankow,
came upon a Tls. 50[*] note lying in the road and payable to bearer.
His first impulse was to cash it, but reflecting that the sum was
large and that the loser might be driven in despair to commit suicide,
the consequences of which might be that he himself would perhaps get
into trouble, he determined to wait on the spot for the owner and rest
content with the "thanks money" he was entitled by Chinese custom to
claim as a right. Very shortly he saw a stranger approaching, with his
eyes bent on the ground, evidently in search of something; whereupon
he made up to him and asked at once if anything was the matter.
Explanations followed, and the Tls. 50 note was restored to its lawful
possessor, who, recovering himself instantaneously, asked where the
other one was, and went on to say that he had lost _two_ notes of the
same value, and that on recovery of the other one he would reward the
finder as he deserved, but that unless that was also forthcoming he
should be too great a loser as it was. His benefactor was protesting
strongly against this ungenerous behaviour when the "second Prefect"
happened to come round the corner, who, seeing there was a row,
stopped his chair, and inquired there and then into the merits of the
case. The result was that he took the Tls. 50 note and presented it to
the honest finder, telling him to go on his way rejoicing; while,
turning to the ungrateful loser, he sternly bade him wait till he met
some one who had found _two_ notes of that value, and from him
endeavour to recover his lost property.

[*] Fifty taels, equal to about 15 pounds.

JURISPRUDENCE, NO. II

From the previous sketch it may readily be gathered that the state of
Chinese law, both civil[*] and criminal, is a very important item in
the sum of those obstacles which bar so effectually the admission of
China--not into the cold and uncongenial atmosphere euphuistically
known as the "comity of nations"--but into closer ties of
international intercourse and friendship on a free and equal footing.
For as long as we have ex-territorial rights, and are compelled to
avail ourselves thereof, we can regard the Chinese nation only _de
haut en bas_; while, on the other hand, our very presence under such,
to them abnormal conditions, will continue to be neither more or less
than a humiliating eye-sore. Till foreigners in China can look with
confidence for an equitable administration of justice on the part of
the mandar