HIGH COURT OF MADRAS. 



123 



came to a resolution, in which the others found it necessary 

 to acquiesce, that the Mayor or one Alderman only should 

 attend the Eecorder at a time. They were actuated by two 

 considerations in proposing it, one on their own account, to 

 reduce the attendance as much as possible, as they had all 

 private business of their own to occupy them ; the other 

 for the sake of the public, that the administration of justice 

 might be no longer impeded or perverted. The resolution 

 took effect the second term after the publication of the Charter, 

 and from this time during the continuance of the Court of 

 the Recorder it was held in fact by him with one of the 

 members of the Corporation only, the Mayor and three 

 Aldermen serving for the particular time taking it by turns 

 to attend from day to day according to a rotation settled 

 among themselves. Under this arrangement the Master had 

 a seat assigned to him on the Bench on the left hand of the 

 Eecorder, and he attended also from day to day, the Eecorder 

 conferring with him occasionally on points as they arose, and 

 finding him upon all occasions a useful adviser. 84 



Eighteen of the cases decided by this Court are reported 

 in Strange's Notes of Cases at Madras, and to these may be 

 added the following as of some general interest, though not 

 deciding any important point of law. 



On the 18th March 1799 the Company's ship Dublin, 

 Captain Reay, recaptured and brought into the Madras 

 Eoads j:he ship Solemany and her cargo, which had been 

 taken by the French under Danish colours. The captors 

 claimed the property as prize, and were proceeding by their 

 agents, Messrs. Abbot and Eoebuck, to sell it as such without 

 previous condemnation. The owners, who were Mahomme- 

 dan natives, subjects of the Company belonging to the 

 coast, instituted a suit on the Equity side of the Court of 



84 Preface to Correspondence. — Letter from Sir Thomas Strange to Mr. 

 Dundas, dated 10th October 1799. 



