means, we may justly suspect, and keep a watch over them. These men having received large quantities of stolen property, either re-manufactured, or brushed up and cleaned by the smiths, jewellers, and braziers, employ agents, who are called Pykars or Gushtwallas, and these pedlars carry the property from the district in which it is stolen, and dispose of it at the hauts, fairs, and in the villages of the neighbouring and of distant districts. In this most lucrative traffic, the Gomasthas, Mundils and Paiks of the villages are often engaged, and detection, where the interests of all are con cerned, becomes very difficult.

In the discovery of such receivers, who, from the extent of their power in the villages, will suppress every means of information, the employment of Goindas alone will be found effectual. But until their information wears an appearance of strong probability, or is confirmed from other cir

cumstances,

cumstances, it ought not to be acted upon; and wherever it proves unfounded, the Goindas ought to be severely punished. The warrant granted should in all cases be for the search of one house only, and not, as is too often the case, a roving commission, permitting the bearer to search the houses of any one in the village. These Goindas have always three methods of making money, viz. by the rewards they receive from the Magistrates for the apprehension of criminals, by the rewards they receive from criminals, for conniving at their offences, -and by the money they can at all times collect from their power in the villages. Let it always be kept in mind, that where one of these sources becomes more fertile than the others, the Goindas will draw their gains from it. We must, therefore, make the rewards allowed them for apprehension very liberal, and not be too severe on them when they may be found levying money. Unless a Goinda is an object of ter‐

ror

ror in a village, he will not be a check upon offenders. But let it not be imagined, that I am an advocate for never punishing Goindas. This practice I have seen more than once publicly defended; but I know at the same time, that the Goindas under such management are the scourge of the districts in which they were employed; and I also know, that occasional punishment by others has been attended with excellent effect, in restraining the Goindas, and has not by any means rendered them less efficient as instruments of police.

The second method for the discovery of receivers, is a careful examination of the records of the Kutcherry in the Zillah where you are stationed. This may be done by the officers of your Court, in the following manner. The trials for Dacoity, burglary and theft, must be carefully examined for several years back, and an alphabetical

phabetical list made out, shewing the names of the receivers mentioned in each trial, their profession, the names of their villages, the number of witnesses proving their guilt, and a column must be left for occasional observations.

thus drawn up.

The list will then be

On the occurrence of any theft, we shall then have recourse to the village, and we shall find whom to suspect and watch over. The names of the villages ought to be arranged in alphabetical order. ›

The third and most effectual means of discovering receivers, is from the evidence

or

or confession of thieves; and that there are times when it becomes necessary to make use of criminals, and to pardon them, for their information, no Indian Magistrate will doubt; but in this case, as in all others where the information of accomplices is used, their pardon ought to be the consequence of a general law passed in favour of all accomplices, not of a special declaration in any particular case. For this, as BECCARIA observes, "prevents the "union of villainy ;" and it alone allows of a criminal's putting implicit confidence in the Magistrate, who cannot break the law, by afterwards punishing criminals.*

VOL. II.

C

Nor

* Government have, since the writing of this, by Regulation I. of 1811, sanctioned the pardon of individuals convicting their receivers. But unfortunately, they have made a previous reference to the Sudder Court necessary: this causes delay, and dimi

nishes