Masonry In China.

" Criminal Code . " The folloAving passages have been translated by Sir George Staunton : — "All persons AA ho , without being related or connected by intermarriage , establish a brotherhood or association among themselves by the

ceremonial of tasting blood and burning incense , shall be held guilty of an intent to commit the crime of rebellion , and the principal , or chief leader , of such an association shall accordiugly suffer death by strangulation , after remaining for

the usual period in confinement . The punishment of the accessories shall be' less by one degree . If the brotherhood exceeds twenty persons in number , the principal offender shall suffer death by strangulation immediately after conviction , and

the accessories shall suffer aggravated banishment into the remotest provinces . If the brotherhood be formed without the aforesaid initiatory ceremonies of tasting blood and burning incense , and , according to the rules of its constitution , be subject

to the authority and direction of the elders only , but exceed forty persons in number , then the principal shall suffer death by strangulation as in the first case , and the accessories a punishment less by one degree .

" If the authority and direction of the association is found to be vested in the strong and useful members , that circumstance alone shall be deemed a sufficient evidence of its criminality , and the principal shall accordingly suffer death by

strangulation immediately after conviction , the accessories , as in the preceding cases , undergoing aggravated banishment .

" If the association is subject to the authority and direction of the elder brethren , and consists of more than twenty , but less than forty , members , the principals shall be punished with one hundred blows , and sent into perpetual

banishment to the distance of three thousand lei ( about one thousand statute miles ) . If the association , under the last-mentioned circumstances , consists of any number less than twenty persons , the principal shall suffer one hundred bloAvs , and wear

the cangue ( a heavy Avooden collar ) for three months . In both cases the punishment of the accessories shall be one degree less severe than that of the principals . "Whenever vagrant and disorderly persons

form themselves into a brotherhood by the initiation of blood , as aforesaid , and endeavour to excite factions or leading men to join them , or tamper with the soldiers and servants of public tribunals

with the same intent , having for their ultimate object to injure the people and disturb the peace of the country ; and further , when such criminal practices have been duly reported by the country people and head of A > illages to the magistrates and

governors of the division or district , if the said magistrates and governors refuse or neglect to take measures for suppressing such proceedings , or iu any other way countenance or connive at them , so that in the end an open sedition breaks

out , and rapine and devastation ensue , such culpable officers of Government shall be forthwith dejjrived of their dignities and employments , and prosecuted for their misconduct by accusation laid before the Supreme Court of Judicature . NeA

ertheless , if , after such associations had been suffered to take place through the neglect or connivance of the magistrates , those magistrates exert themselves successfully in stopping the progress of the evil , and in preventing the commission of any act of

open violence , sedition , or rapine , and are moreover active in seizing the criminals and brino-ina ; O DO them to justice , their former neglect and omission shall , in such cases , be pardoned .

" All associations connected together by secret signals , Avhatever be their extent , are obviously instituted Avith the design of oppressing the Aveak and injuring the solitary and unprotected . Wherefore the leaders and principals of all such societies

shall be held to be vagabonds and outlaws , and shall accordingly be banished perpetually to the most remote provinces , the then members of such association shall be considered as accessories , and punished less severely by one degree .

"All those vagabond and disorderly persons Avho have been known to assemble together , and to commit robberies and other acts of violence , under the particular designation of Tien ti huei , or c The Association of Heaven and Earth / shall ,

immediately after seizure and conviction , suffer death by being beheaded ; and all those Avho have been induced to accompany them , and to aid and abet their said practices , shall suffer death by being strangled .

" This law shall be put in force whenever this sect or association may be revived . " It Avill be noticed that the ceremonial used at initiation into Triad or "Water Lily" Masonry is darkly hinted at in the foregoing extract . " The initiation of blood" evidently points to some cir-