them, used threatening language, and insulted the majesty of the law
by tearing up and spitting upon the respected summons of Her Majesty.
On this complaint I was accordingly summoned into Purneah. The charge
was a tissue of the most barefaced lies, but I had to ride fifty-four
miles in the burning sun, ford several rivers, and undergo much
fatigue and discomfort. My work was of course seriously interfered
with. I had to take in my assistant as witness, and one or two of the
servants who had been present. I was put to immense trouble, and no
little expense, to say nothing of the indignation which I naturally
felt, and all because I had set my face against a well known evil, and
was determined not to submit to impudent extortion. Of course the case
broke down. They contradicted themselves in almost every particular.
The second constable indeed admitted that I had offered them a letter
to the magistrate, and had not moved out of the verandah during the
colloquy. I was honourably acquitted, and had the satisfaction of
seeing the lying rascals put into the dock by the indignant magistrate
and prosecuted summarily for getting up a false charge and giving
false evidence. It was a lesson to the police in those parts, and they
did not dare to trouble me much afterwards; but it is only one
instance out of hundreds I could give, and which every planter has
witnessed of the barefaced audacity, the shameless extortion, the
unblushing lawlessness of the rural police of India.

It is a gigantic evil, but surely not irremediable. By adding more
European officers to the force; by educating the people and making
them more intelligent, independent, and self-reliant, much may be done
to abate the evil, but at present it is admittedly a foul ulcer on the
administration of justice under our rule. The menial who serves a
summons, gets a decree of Court to execute, or is entrusted with any
order of an official nature, expects to be bribed to do his duty. If