Page 192 - A History of Siam

A HISTORY OF SUM
184
This news was
spare any ships. unpleasing conveyed
with valuable The latter
together many presents.
the for he treated
apparently placated capricious tyrant,
the Dutch with greater courtesy, though his expedition
to had to be off. The which had been
Singora put army,
at Nak'on was and the
waiting Srit'ammarat, recalled,
General in command was thrown into irons.
In 1655 another attempt was made to subdue Singora,
"
but the Admiral who had undertaken to overcome the
with the naval force ran so that returned
place away, they
to Siam with shame."
King Prasat T'ong was responsible, during his reign,
for a considerable amount of legislation. One is unwil-
to admire of the measures of this execrable
ling any man,
but it must be admitted that his activities were
legislative
not unsuccessful.
The most ir of the Laws associated with this
:sting
name are the
King's following :
i. The Law of Appeal, promulgated in A.D. 1633.
The of this Law was not to
underlying principle
as in modern for the
provide, times, Appeals concerning
facts or Law on which the original judgment was based,
but an Appeal was considered rather in the nature of an
Appeal against the Judge, for injustice, favouritism, or
slackness. A great many grounds for appealing against
a Judge were admitted, and the Judge hearing the Appeal
was empowered to fine the Judge of the Court below if
the complaints brought by the parties were found correct.
On the other hand, groundless Appeals might result in
the punishment of the Appellant. This last provision
be useful in modern
might perhaps Siam, where Appeals
are often made on frivolous
very grounds.
1
Cromwell declared war on the Dutch in July 1652, but the news of this
probably did not reach the Far East until well on in 1653.