🚀 go-pugleaf

bought and sold, aged 11 years, is a very intelligent
    child, and described the negotiations for her sale with great
    clearness."

The Chief Justice then went on to repeat the little girl's testimony
as to these "brokers of mankind," and the child's knowledge, from
personal observation of these purchases and sales, to which he adds:

    "Let me here ask, Is the trade, or rather profession, 'broker of
    mankind,' also a sacred China custom? I will not ask the queries
    which would naturally arise in case the question were answered in
    the affirmative. At present, however, I must say that, custom
    or no custom, the practice of this profession is prohibited by
    statute, and it is my duty to meet its exercise by punishment."

The prisoner was sentenced to two years' penal servitude. The Chief
Justice concluded his remarks on that occasion by replying to the
statements made in the Chinese petition.

He called attention to the Chinese resting their claim on the
temporary promise of Governor Elliott in 1841; of the fact that
they ignored the proclamation of the Queen in 1845. He said that
infanticide was also a Chinese custom in the same sense that slavery
was, on the words of the petition:

    "Amongst the Chinese there has hitherto been the custom of
    drowning their daughters. The Chinese threaten the increase of
    this 'custom' of drowning children if their sale is put down....
    I can only say that in case father, mother, or relative were
    convicted of infanticide, Chinese custom would be no protection,
    and, unless I am grievously mistaken, the presiding judge would
    have no alternative but to sentence the perpetrator to death ...
    the one custom is tolerated just as the other custom is tolerated,
    and both alike or neither must be claimed as sanctioned