422 
TRAVELS IN 
nation of the monthly coinmiflioners, and afterwards to be laid 
before the full Court. As their charges, in fome degree, depend 
upon the quantity of paper written, fuch papers are generally 
pretty voluminous. The expences of a fingle fuit will fometimes 
amount to 400/. or 500/. fterling, when, at the fame time, the 
obje<Sl of litigation was not worth 100/. 
The office of Fifcal is one of the mod important in the co- 
lony. As public accufer it is his duty to profecute, in the Court 
of Juftice, all high crimes and mifdemeanors j and as Solicitor- 
General to the Crown he is to adt in all cafes where the intereft 
of Government is concerned. As Chief Magiftrate of the po- 
lice, both within and without the town, he is authorized ta 
inflidt corporal punilhment on flaves, Hottentots, and others, 
not being burghers, for petty offences, riotous behaviour, or 
other ads that cannot be confitlered as diredly criminal. The 
Fifcal has alfo the power of impofmg fines, and of accepting 
pecuniary compofition for mifdemeanors, infults, breach of con- 
trad in cafes where the offender does not wifh to rifk a public 
trial. The fum, however, that in cafes of compromife can be 
demanded by the Fifcal, was limited, under the Britifh Govern- 
ment, to 200 rix dollars. For it appeared that, under former 
Fifcals, many and enormous abufes had been pradifed in the 
levying of fines, particularly in cafes where the nature of the 
offence was fuch that the accufed chofe rather to pay a large fum 
of money than fuffer his caufe to be invefligated before a full 
court. The Fifcal, being entitled to one-third of all fuch pe- 
nalties, took care to lay them as heavy as he thought the cafes 
would bear. What a temptation was here laid for frail mortal 
man. 
