24 



THE PREDECESSORS OF THE 



Bett to go to Timothy Wilkes, one of the Justices of the 

 Town, to desire him to send some sufficient gentlemen of the 

 English nation to go along with him, the said Wilkes, and 

 then to make enquiry how the death happened before the 

 burial, which accordingly was immediately performed. The 

 Serjeant and Corporal after a long imprisonment were sent 

 to England for trial during the government of Mr. Streyns- 

 ham Master. 5 



On the 18th March 1678, by which time the inhabitants of 

 Madras had greatly increased, and many complaints had been 

 made of the want of an administration of justice in cases 

 which could not be decided by the Justices of the Choultry, 

 the Agent and Council resolved that under the Royal Charter 

 of 13th Charles II they had power to judge all persons living 

 under them in all cases whether criminal or civil according 

 to the English laws, and to execute judgment accordingly ; 

 and it was determined that the Governor and Council should 

 sit in the Chapel in the Fort on every Wednesday and 

 Saturday to hear and judge all causes ; and that the Justices 

 of the Choultry and Constables under them should execute 

 all orders of the Court such as writs, summonses for jurymen, 

 executions after judgment, and apprehensions of criminals. 

 This High Court of Judicature was not however intended to 

 supersede the Court of the Justices of the Choultry. All 

 small misdemeanours, breaches of the peace, and actions for 

 debt not exceeding 50 pagodas, were still to be decided by 

 these Justices. 6 



By a subsequent Charter dated 9th August 1683 (35th 

 Charles II) His Majesty granted to the Company the ordering, 

 rule and government of all forts, factories and plantations 

 settled by or under the Company within the parts of Asia, 

 Africa and America beyond the Cape of Bona Esperanza to 



5 Wheeler's Madras, vol. i, p. 106, 



6 Ibid., p. 104. 



