The history of Sumatra : $b Containing an account of the government, laws, customs and manners of the native inhabitantsMarsden, William
History
The history of Sumatra : $b Containing an account of the government, laws, customs and manners of the native inhabitants
Marsden, William
Natural history -- Indonesia -- Sumatra; Sumatra (Indonesia)
If a man surprises his wife in the act of adultery he may put both man
and woman to death upon the spot, without being liable to any bangun. If
he kills the man and spares his wife he must redeem her life by payment
of fifty dollars to the proattins. If the husband spares the offender, or
has only information of the fact from other persons, he may not
afterwards kill him, but has his remedy at law, the fine for adultery
being fifty dollars, to be divided between the husband and the proattins.
If he divorces his wife on this account he pays no charo.
If a younger sister be first married, the husband pays six dollars, adat
pelalu, for passing over the elder.
GAMING.
All gaming, except cock-fighting at stated periods, is absolutely
prohibited. The fine for each offence is fifty dollars. The person in
whose house it is carried on, if with his knowledge, is equally liable to
the fine with the gamesters. A proattin knowing of gaming in his dusun
and concealing it incurs a fine of twenty dollars. One half of the fines
goes to the informer, the other to the Company, to be distributed among
the industrious planters at the yearly payment of the customs.
OPIUM FARM.
The fine for the retailing of opium by any other than the person who
farms the license is fifty dollars for each offence: one half to the
farmer, and the other to the informer.
EXECUTIVE POWER.
The executive power for enforcing obedience to these laws and customs,
and for preserving the peace of the country, is, with the concurrence of
the pangeran and proattins, vested in the Company's Resident.
Done at Laye, in the month Rabia-al akhir, in the year of the Hejra 1193,
answering to April 1779.
JOHN MARSDEN, Resident.
...
LAWS OR ADAT OF MANNA.
Having procured likewise a copy of the regulations sanctioned by the
chiefs of the Passummah country assembled at Manna, I do not hesitate to
insert it, not only as varying in many circumstances from the preceding,
but because it may eventually prove useful to record the document.
INHERITANCE.
If a person dies having children these inherit his effects in equal
portions, and become answerable for the debts of the deceased. If any of
his brothers survive they may be permitted to share with their nephews,
but rather as matter of courtesy than of right, and only when the effects
of the deceased devolved to him from his father or grandfather. If he was
a man of rank it is common for the son who succeeds him in title to have
a larger share. This succession is not confined to the eldest born but
depends much on private agreement in the family. If the deceased person
leaves no kindred behind him the tribe to which he belonged shall inherit
his effects, and be answerable for his debts.
DEBTS.
When a debt becomes due and the debtor is unable to pay his creditors, or
has no effects to deposit, he shall himself, or his wife, or his
children, live with the creditor as a bond-slave or slaves until redeemed
by the payment of the debt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account