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ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF 



are, — decisory oaths of the parties, in civil causes, either party taking the 

 oath at their pleasure ; purgatory oaths of the accused in some penal causes ; 

 ordeals of various kinds, both in civil and criminal matters ; and lastly, 

 PmicMydts, chiefly applied, but not exclusively, to civil actions. 



§ 10. Course of a Civil Suit. 



Whoever has a complaint to make goes into court : the Sichdri asks 

 him against whom his plaint is, vrhere the defendant is, and of what nature 

 the plaint may be. The plaintiff explains, and then asks for a runner of 

 the court to go with him, to whom he may point out the defendant. The 

 Hichdri gives the necessary order to the jemaddr, the jemadar to the 

 havilddr, and the Jiavilddr to the sipdhis. The sipdhi ordered to go 

 immediately demands 8 annas from the plaintiff ; which paid, he goes with 

 him and arrests the defendant where the plaintiff points him out. 



On the arrival of the defendant in court, the Bichdri interrogates the 

 parties face to face, and usually brings them to such an understanding as 

 prevents the necessity of going to trial, in which case pdn phid, or some 

 small fees only, are charged to them. 



For instance, in a claim advanced for debt ; if the debtor, when called 

 on by the court, acknowledges the debt, and states his willingness to pay as 

 soon as he can collect the means, which he hopes to do in a few days — in 

 this case, the Bichdri will desire the creditor to wait a few days. The 

 creditor may reply that he cannot wait, having immediate need of the 

 money ; if so, one of the runners of the court is attached to the debtor, 

 with directions to see the producing of the money in court by every means. 

 The debtor must then produce money, or goods, or whatever property he 

 has, and bring it into court. The Ditha and Bichdris then, calling to 

 their assistance two or three merchants, proceed to appraise the goods pro- 

 duced in satisfaction of the debt, and immediately satisfy the debt, nor can 

 the creditor object to their appraisement of the debtor's goods and chattels. 

 In matters thus settled, that is where the defendant admits the cause of 



