inistration, and from whom
they are nowhere safe I fear.

(Signed) W. H. SLEEMAN.

__________________________

Lucknow, 27th September, 1853.

My Dear James,

Under the circumstances you mention, I see but one course open to
you; and that is, to recommend to the Government of Bombay to do as
Lord William Bentinck did in the Bengal Presidency under similar
circumstances, appoint a special Commissioner for the trial of
offenders under Acts XX.[_sic_] of 1836, and XXIV. of 1843; or for
the revision of trials under these Acts, conducted by Sessions'
Judges.

The first would be the best if feasible; but the second would do,
since the Sessions' Judges seem now to be disposed to give their aid
to Government in putting down the evil, and the Sudder Judges do not.
Formerly, I believe, the Sudder Judges were so disposed, and the
Sessions Judges not. In my reply to the Government of Bombay, you
will see reference made to Lord William's appointment of Mr.
Stockwell as special Commissioner. He was at the time Commissioner of
the Allahabad division, and the work was imposed upon him in addition
to his other duties.

If the Bombay Government does not think it has authority to appoint
such a special Commission, they may apply to the Legislative Council
to pass an Act authorising the Government of every Presidency to
appoint such a Commission when circumstances may render it necessary.

This will be better and safer than to frame and enforce new rules of
evidence for the guidance of existing Judicial Courts. The one would
be for a special emergency, and temporary; and Government would not
be very averse to it; but the other they certainly would not venture
upon, particularly at this time. A great fuss would be made about it
here and at home; and lawyers are too influential in both places.

You can show that there is no alternative--that this system of crime
must be left to prosper in the Bombay Presidency, where alone it now
prevails, or such a Commission must be appointed; and as the Acts and
the machinery for giving effect to them have succeeded in putting it
down in all the rest, it would be hard to leave the people of Bombay
exposed to all the evils arising from the want of such a special
Commission. Such Commissions have been adopted to relieve the people
from the hardships of the resumption laws, which affected but a small
portion of t