Page:EB1911 - Volume 21.djvu/98

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PENALTY—PENANG

years later that inventors applied themselves seriously to their construction. Joseph Bramah patented several plans, one was to employ a tube of silver or other metal so thin that it could be readily squeezed out of shape, the ink within it being thus forced out to the nib, and another was to fit the tube with a piston that could slide down the interior and thus eject ink. In modern fountain pens a feed bar conveys, by capillary action, a fresh supply of ink to replace that which has been left on the paper in the act of writing, means being also provided by which air can pass into the reservoir and fill the space left empty by the outflowing ink. In another form of reservoir pen, which is usually distinguished by the name stylograph, there is no nib. but the ink flows out through a minute hole at the end of the holder, which terminates in a conical point. An iridium needle, held in place by a fine spring, projects slightly through the hole and normally keeps the aperture closed; but when the pen is pressed on the paper, the needle is pushed back and allows a thin stream of ink to flow out.

See J. P. Maginnis, “Reservoir, Stylographic and Fountain Pens”, Cantor Lectures, Society of Arts (1905).

PENALTY (Lat. poena, punishment), in its original meaning, a punishment inflicted for some violation of the law or rule of conduct. Although still freely used in its original sense in such phrases, for example, as “the death penalty,” “the penalty of rashness,” &c, the more usual meaning attached to the word is that of a pecuniary mulct. Penalty is used specifically for a sum of money recovered by virtue of a penal statute, or recoverable in a court of summary jurisdiction for infringement of a statute. A sum of money agreed upon to be paid in case of non-performance of a condition in a bond or in breach of a contract or any stipulation of it IS also termed a penalty (see Damages).


PENANCE (Old Fr. penance, fr. Lat. poenitentia, penitence), strictly, repentance of sins. Thus in the Douai version of the New Testament the Greek word μετάνοια. is rendered “penance,” where the Authorized Version has “repentance.” The two words, similar in their derivation and original sense, have however come to be symbolical of conflicting views of the essence of repentance, arising out of the controversy as to the respective merits of “faith” and “good works.” The Reformers, upholding the doctrine of justification by faith, held that repentance consisted in a change of the whole moral attitude of the mind and soul (ἐπιστρέφεσθαι, Matt xiii. 15, Luke xxii. 32), and that the Divine forgiveness followed true repentance and confession to God without any reparation of “works”. This is the view generally held by Protestants. In the Roman Catholic Church the sacrament of penance consists of three parts: contritio, confessio, satisfactio. Contritio is in fact repentance as Protestant theologians understand it, i.e. sorrow for sin arising from love of God and long before the Reformation the schoolmen debated the question whether complete “contrition” was or was not in itself sufficient to obtain the Divine pardon. The Council of Trent, however, decided that “reconciliation” could not follow such contrition without the other parts of the sacrament, which form part of it (sine sacramenti voto, quod in illa includatur) Contrition is also distinguished from “attrition” (attritio), i.e. repentance due to fear of punishment. It was questioned whether a state of mind thus produced would suffice for obtaining the benefits of the sacrament; this point was also set at rest by the Council of Trent, which decided that attrition, though not in itself capable of obtaining the justification of the sinner, is also inspired by God and thus disposes the soul to benefit by the grace of the sacrament.

The word “penance,” applied to the whole sacrament, is also used of the works of satisfaction imposed by the priest on the penitent, i.e. the temporal punishment (poena). This varies with the character and heinousness of the offences committed. In the middle ages “doing penance” was often a process as terrible and humiliating to the penitent as it was possibly edifying to the Church. Public penances have, however, long been abolished in all branches of the Christian Church (See Confession).


PENANG (Pulau Pinang, i.e. Areca-nut Island), , the town and island which, after Singapore, form the most important portion of the crown colony of the Straits Settlements. The island is situated in 5° 24′ N. and 100° 21′ E., and distant about 21/2 m. from the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. The island is about 151/2 m. long by 101/2 m. wide at its broadest point. Its area is something over 107 sq. m. The town, which is built on a promontory at a point nearest to the mainland, is largely occupied by Chinese and Tamils, though the Malays are also well represented. Behind the town, Penang Hill rises to a height of some 2700 ft., and upon it are built several government and private bungalows. The town possesses a fine European club, a racecourse, and good golf links. Coco-nuts are grown in considerable quantities along the seashore, and rice is cultivated at Bālek Pūlau and in the interior, but the jungle still spreads over wide areas. Penang has an excellent harbour, but has suffered from its proximity to Singapore. There are a Church of England and a Roman Catholic church in the town, and a training college under the Roman Catholic missionaries of the Société des Missions Ếtrangères at Pūlau Tīkus, a few miles outside the town.

Administration.—Since 1867 Penang has been under the administrative control of a resident councillor who is responsible to the governor of the Straits. He is aided in his duties by officers of the Straits Civil Service. Two unofficial members of the legislative council of the colony, which holds its sittings in Singapore, are nominated by the governor, with the sanction of the secretary of state for the colonies, to represent Penang. Their term of office is for five years. The official name of the island is Prince of Wales Island and that of the town is Georgetown; neither of these names, however, is in general use. Among the Malays Penang is usually spoken of as Tanjong or “The Cape,” on account of the promontory upon which the town is situated. The town is administered by a municipal council composed of ex officio, nominated, and elected members.

Population.—The population of Penang at the time of the census of 1901 was 128,830, of whom 85,070 were males (69,210 over and 15,860 under 15 years of age), and 43,760 Were females (28,725 over and 15,035 under 15 years of age). The population was composed of 71,462 Chinese, 34,286 Malays, 18,740 Tamils and other natives of India, 1649 Eurasians, 993 Europeans and Americans, and 1699 persons of other nationalities. As in other parts of the Straits Settlements the men are far more numerous than the women. The total population of the settlement of Penang, which includes not only the island but Province Wellesley and the Dindings, was 248,207 in 1901.

Shipping—The number of ships which entered and left the port of Penang during 1906 was 2324 with an aggregate tonnage of 2,868,459. Of these 1802 were British with an aggregate tonnage of 1,966,286. These figures reveal a considerable falling-off during the past decade, the number of vessels entering and leaving the port in 1898 being 5114 with an aggregate tonnage of 3,761,094. This is mainly due to the construction of the railway which runs from a point on the mainland opposite to Penang, through the Federated Malay States of Pērak, Sālangor and the Nēgri Sēmbīlan to Malacca, and has diverted to other ports and eventually to Singapore much of the coastal traffic which formerly visited Penang.

Finance and Trade.—The revenue of Penang, that is to say, not only of the island but of the entire settlement, amounted in 1906 to $6,031,917, of which $2,014,033 was derived from the revenue farms for the collection of import duties on opium, wine and spirits; $160,047 from postal revenue, $119,585 from land revenue; $129,151 from stamps The expenditure for 1906 amounted to $5,072,406, of which $836,097 was spent on administrative establishments, $301,252 on the upkeep of existing public works; $415,175 on the construction of works and buildings, and of new roads, streets, bridges, &c. The imports in 1906 were valued at $94,546,112; the exports at $90,709,225. Of the imports $57,880,889 worth came from the United Kingdom or from British possessions or protectorates; $23,937,737 worth came from foreign countries; and $3,906,241 from the Dindings, Malacca and Singapore. Of the exports, $23,122,947 went to the United Kingdom, or to British possessions or protectorates; $37,671,033 went to foreign countries, and $2,754,238 went to the Dindings, Malacca or Singapore.

History.—Penang was founded on the 17th of July 1786, having been ceded to the East India Company by the Sultan of Kēdah in 1785 by an agreement with Captain Light, for an annuity of $10,000 for eight years. In 1791 the subsidy was