64 



CEYLON BRANCH —ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



ON THE STATE OF CRIME IN CEYLON. 

 By the Hon. Mr. Justice Stark. 



(Read on the 1st August, 1845. ) 



At the opening of the last General Meeting of the Society, 

 I had occasion to remark the great deficiency of statistical 

 information in the Colony. The observations then made, 

 apply to the subject before us ; but with a view to encourage 

 contributions on this important matter, I have thrown to- 

 gether some facts collected out of documents passing under 

 my notice. 



Tables I. and II. shew the number of cases on the Calendars 

 of the Supreme Court, in the years 1834 and 1835, and in 

 the years 1841 and 1842, the number of persons then accused, 

 and the numbers tried and convicted, with the offences of 

 which these were found guilty* 



Table III. shews the state of the several Circuits in refer- 

 ence to the same particulars, and the remaining Tables 

 carry the details into the several districts in the years 1841 

 and 1842. 



An opportunity is thus afforded for instituting a com- 

 parison of the above particulars, not only in the successive 

 years named, bat also as regards the Island, and its larger 

 divisions after the lapse of the seven years' interval ; and as 

 the Supreme Court has a jurisdiction in all cases of crime, 

 which is exclusive where the offence charged is punishable 

 with death, or transportation, or imprisonment for more than 

 12 months, the Tables, though confined to the proceedings 

 of that Court, may assist in forming some idea of the state 

 of crime throughout the Island. 



