308 



MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. XII 



Recent 

 History. 



Coonoor 

 Church built. 



Small Cause 

 Court Judge 

 appointed at 

 Ootacamand. 



Proposal to 



appoint 



Civil and 



Sessions 



Court 



rejected. 



, continuing, and the Military police of Ootacamand transferred 

 to the civil authorities. The office of Commandant, which is now 

 represented by that office at Wellington, had existed thirty years. 



Meanwhile the station of Coonoor had been rapidly growing 

 in importance, partly from the extension of coffee plantations and 

 partly from the preference shown by many for its mild climate, 

 especially during the prevalence of the south-west monsoon. 

 About the year 1850 the residents and others subscribed a sum 

 of Eupees 6,000 for the erection of a church. Lieutenant- General 

 Kennett granting the land for the site and burial ground. The 

 designs were prepared by Captain Francis, the Executive 

 Engineer at Jackatalla. The sum not being sufficient to 

 complete the work — part of which, including the tower, having 

 been constructed of brick and clay, was washed down during the 

 monsoon rains of 1852 — application was made to Government to 

 complete the building at a cost of Rupees 6,500, and to take it 

 over for the use of the Chaplain who had already been appointed 

 for the charge of Jackatalla and Coonoor. This the Government 

 ultimately consented to do. Fresh estimates were prepared, and 

 the church with the tower finally completed at the beginning of 

 1854 at a total cost of Rupees 16,160, of which Rupees 8,982 were 

 provided by private contributions. 



The progress of the Nilagiris and the consequent increase of 

 litigation induced the Government, Lord Harris being Governor, 

 on the 1st November 1855 to establish a Principal Sudr Amines 

 Court at Ootacamand under Act VI, 1855, and Regulation VII, 

 1827, with Small Cause Court powers in suits of Rupees 500 

 and under. The Commandant was accordingly deprived of the 

 powers of District Munsif, but continued to be Joint Magistrate. 

 The salary of the new Judge, Mr. Burgess,^ a Barrister and First 

 Judge of the Madras Small Cause Court, was Rupees 800. 

 Arrangements were made also for the Judge of Coimbatore 

 holding criminal sessions at Ootacamand. 



It should here be stated that in the preceding year the Sudr 

 Court, in view to improve the judicial administration of the Hills, 

 proposed to establish a Civil and Sessions Court, as had been done 

 at Tellicherry and Honiir, on a salary of Rupees 1,750. The 

 Government rejected the scheme, partly because of the expense, 

 and partly because the intermediate character of the salary would 

 necessitate constant changes in the Judges. The Sudr Court 

 then proposed an auxiliary Civil and Sessions Court, with an 

 Uncovenanted Judge, who in criminal cases was to exercise the 

 exceptional powers of the Agent to the Governor in Ganjam and 



^ Mr. Burgess was succeeded by Mr. James Ouchtcrlony, who opened out the 

 coffee estates in the valley called after him. 



