1835.] 



History of the Ramoossies. 



227 



The charges against persons accused of felonious acts, 

 should be well investigated before they are handed up 

 before the session judge for trial, as the trial of any of 

 these desperate characters, if not convicted, is attended 

 with bad consequences, exclusive of the reasons before 

 alluded to about witnesses being summoned from a dis- 

 tance. I am sure it would prove highly beneficial to the 

 public interests, vvere a public prosecutor employed, or 

 some one deputed from the magistrate's office to attend 

 the Adaulut daring criminal trials. 



It may be stated that Government has, for some 

 years past, shown a most anxious wish to attend to all 

 measures connected with the Police, with the view of 

 rendering it as efficient as possible. As it is by the 

 hard labour of the cultivators and lower orders, that 

 the Government exchequer is chiefly filled, it is but just, 

 that every effort should be made to render their little 

 property secure from robbers and plunderers. These 

 men state, that it is with the utmost difficulty, and such 

 as entails much distress both mental and bodily on 

 themselves, that they can pay the demands of the Sir- 

 kar, for that gold and silver has gradually been disap- 

 pearing from among them for some years past ;* the 

 consequence is, that in the small villages at a distance 

 from our cantonments, and not near any large commer- 

 cial towns, they experience the greatest difficulty in rea- 

 lizing the money for which they may have sold the pro- 

 duce of their fields, for the purpose of paying their dues 

 to Government, During the period of the native Go- 

 vernment, large bodies of irregular horse and foot were 

 dispersed over the country ; this tended much to circu- 



* It is well known to them, that much of the valunhle currency of India 

 has been abstracted within these twenty years past from cii-cubition, to be 

 remitted to Europe by commercial men, as well as some of those retiring 

 from the Company's service, who have accumulated private property. 



