112 



THE PREDECESSORS OF THE 



and the Court of the Eecorder of Bombay, respectively, in 

 the name of the King's Majesty, his heirs and successors to 

 nominate and appoint such and so many of the covenanted 

 servants of the East India Company or other British inhabit- 

 ants as the said Governor in Council of Fort St. George and 

 the said Governor in Council of Bombay, respectively, should 

 think properly qualified to act as Justices of the Peace within 

 and for the said Provinces and Presidencies and places there- 

 to subordinate respectively. 



It will have been observed that under these statutes the 

 only persons capable of being appointed Justices of the Peace 

 were the covenanted servants of the Company or other British 

 inhabitants, and so the law continued down to 1832, when by 

 the Statute 2 and 3 William IV, c. 117, the Governor- General 

 in Council and the Governors in Council of Madras and 

 Bombay, respectively, were authorized to appoint any persons 

 resident within the territories in the possession and under the 

 Government of the East India Company, and not being the 

 subjects of any foreign States, whom the said Governor- 

 General in Council and Governors in Council, respectively, 

 should think properly qualified, and who would bind them- 

 selves by such oaths or solemn affirmations as might from time 

 to time be prescribed in that behalf by the said Governor- 

 General in Council and Governors in Council, respectively, to 

 act within and for the towns of Calcutta, Madras and Bombay, 

 respectively, as J ustices of the Peace ; and it was enacted that 

 the persons so to be nominated and appointed to act as 

 Justices of the Peace within and for the towns aforesaid should 

 have full power and authority to act as such Justices of the 

 Peace, but according only to the tenor of the respective 

 commissions wherein such persons shall be so nominated and 

 appointed. 



