ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF 



§ 11. Form of Procedure in a Criminal Cause. 

 The process in a criminal suit may be illustrated by the following 

 example : 



If any one come into court and state that a certain person has killed 

 such another by poison, sword, dagger, or otherwise, the informer is instantly 

 interrogated by the court thus ; how ? when ? before whom ? the corpus 

 delicti where? &c. &c. He answers by pointing out all these particulars 

 according to his knowledge of the facts, adducing the names of the witnesses, 

 or saying that though he has no other witnesses than himself to the fact of 

 murder, he pledges himself to prove it, or abide the consequences of a failure 

 in the proof. This last engagement when tendered by the accuser is imme- 

 diately reduced to writing to bind him the more effectually ; after which 

 one or more Sip&his of the court are sent with the informer to secure the 

 murderer, and produce him and the testimony of the deed in court, which^ 

 when produced accordingly, is followed by an interrogation of the accused. 

 If the accused confess the murder, there is no need to call evidence : but if 

 he deny it, evidence is then gone into, and if the witnesses depose positively 

 to their having seen the accused commit the murder, the accused is again 

 asked what he has to say, and if he still refuse to confess, he is whipped 

 into a confession ; which, when obtained, is reduced to writing and attested 

 by the murderer. The murderer is then put in irons and sent to jail. Thus 

 theft, robbery, incest, &c. are tried in Nepal, and the convicts sent to prison. 

 Each prisoner receives a daily allowance of a seer of parched rice and a 

 few condiments. 



§ 12. Jail Delivery. 

 " The necessity of lustrating the city at the Dasahara, has had the 

 casual consequence of causing a jail delivery to be held at that period. 

 The jail (which is situated within the city,) must then be emptied at all 

 events; and it is usual to empty it judicially, disposing of the convicts who 

 happen to be collected in the jail. 



