本論文所探討的主題為清代北臺「民事糾紛」中的調解者。藉由《淡新檔案》民事編的案件,將清代北臺糾紛調解途徑分為三種,分別是民間調解、半官方性質的調解與官府調解。發現當時的人們一旦發生糾紛無法自行解決時,除可以求助於官方的司法訴訟體制外,也可以向民間調解機制與半官方性質的調解機制尋求解決,更重要的是這三種途徑是可以並行無礙的。而主持三種調解途徑的分別是州縣官、總理與鄉保,以及親族與士紳,他們在調解紛爭時,判斷孰是孰非固然重要,但是更多時候,反而是基於情理考量,協調出兩造均大致可以接受的調解內容。然而,在《淡新檔案》的民事類檔案裡,除了人事類型的案件,我們很少看到一般的百姓涉入其中。一般平民百姓大多以旁證的角色出現,很少是呈控官府的當事者。
The subject is peacemakers of civil disputes in Northern Taiwan during Qing Dynasty. By civil cases of Dan Shin Archives, mediating way of civil disputes in Northern Taiwan during Qing Dynasty will divide into the folk mediation, the semi official mediation and official mediation. When people was unable to solve disputes voluntarily, they seek help from the official judicial system, the folk mediation and the semi official mediation .These ways were not contradictory .Managing three mediation ways is the state county magistrates, premiers , town guarantees, as well as members of the same family and the gentry. When they mediates disputes, judging who is right or who is wrong is important. But Basing on the reason consideration results to that both sides of the case would be satisfied. We rarely saw the common people among the civil cases of Dan Shin Archives , besides the human affairs cases.The common people are mostly witnesses. They are not the persons concerned who bring up accusations.