298 JOURNAL R. A. S. (CEYLON). [Vol. 111. 



Statemen t of persons tried and convicted in the District Court of 

 Colombo, daring six //eats ending December 31st, 1857. 





Offences 

 against 



Offences against 

 Property. 



Other 



Total. 





Person. 



With 



Without 



Offences. 









violence. 



violence. 













OD 

 +3 



53 



V 



43 





5 







<D 



43 





43 









o 



■43 



o 



43 





43 



+3 



o 







o 



o 

 < 



Convi 



Acqu: 



O 



O 



Convi 



'£ 



o 



*i 



Convi 





1852 ... 



5 















7 



7 



8 



8 



20 



15 



1853 ... 



















10 



13 



3 



16 



13 



29 



1854 



















12 



27 



9 



4 



21 



31 



1855 ... 



1 







1 







13 



31 



18 



7 



33 



38 



1856 











3 







10 



29 



13 



16 



26 



45 



1857 



3 



4 











2 



12 



8 



4 



13 



20 



The capriciousiiess of the above totals, ranging, as the con- 

 victions do, between GO and 30 per cent, of the cases tried, 

 can only be explained by an analysis of the table. Adopting 

 this course, we find that many of the cases consisted of con- 

 tempts of Court, the offenders being generally dismissed with 

 a warning as to future conduct. A considerable number in 

 some years, were cases of Cattle stealing, an offence which 

 has, since 1851, been removed from the jurisdiction of the 

 Supreme Court, and made actionable in the District Courts. 



The following Table of such cases, from the records of the 

 District Court of Colombo, will shew the working of this 

 alteration in the law. 



Cattle Stealing Cases in the Colombo District Court for the six years 



ending December 31st, 1857 . 





Pei sons 

 charged. 



Convicted. 



Acquitted . 



With drawn 

 or dismissed. 



1852 ... 



12 



5 



4 



3 



IS.h{ ... 



23 



10 



12 



1 



1854 ... 



32 



8 



22 



2 



1855 ... 



42 



13 



9 



20 



1856 ... 



17 



9 



7 



1 



1857 ... 



10 



2 



8 







