1 £ 84)
2 ‘is centrically situated, so that the suitor or other party living furthest off
3 could not possibly have to travel more than 14 miles, 7. e half of 28
4 miles, But again the great majority would not have to travel more than
5 half of even the latter distance, that is 7 miles, and many not more than
6 3 or 4 miles ; again, the above average area includes many thinly popu-
7 lated tracts. In the more compact*Divisions, such as Lahore or Cis-
8 Sutlej States, the average area of Small Cause Courts would not be more
9 than 600 square miles, or 25 miles long and as many broad, and 400
10 square miles, or 20 miles long and 20 broad. In such places, the most
11 distant resident would not travel more than 10 or 12 miles, and the
12 average 5 miles, while many would only go 2 or 3 miles. Thus justice is
13 Convenient situation brought near to the poor man’s door ; each person
14 of the Courts, leaves his home in the morning, promptly transacts
15 his business in Court during the day, and returns in the evening. This
16 method is calculated to be very popular. About two-thirds of the
17 Judicial business of the country is performed in the Small Cause Courts ;
18 besides these, there are Regular Courts held by the Deputy Commissioners,
19 their Assistants and Extra Aasistants at the central stations. There are
20 111 of these Courts. The total number of Regular and Small Cause
21 Courts is 215, sothat there is one Court of Justice to every 59,152 .
22 souls. But it should be explained that the only advantage of the Small
23 Cause Courts, over the Regular Courts, consists in the proximity of the
24 former to residence of parties and witnesses. The Procedure in the
25 Regular Courts is just as quick and cheap as in the Small Cause
26 Courts. The same system prevails, and the same results are obtained,
27 in both.
28 8 The amount of business has as yet increased slightly year
29 Extent and nature of by year. In 1854 there were 59,848 suits tried,
30 litigation. and the value of property litigated amounted to
31 Rupees 43,36,203 or £433,620. In 1855 there were 61,829 suits at
32 a value of Rupees 45,05,797 or £450,579. The average value of suits
33 is small, amounting to Rupees 72 or £7-4-0 per suit for 1854, and
34 Rupees 73 or £7-6-0 per suit in 1855. About two-thirds of the
35 suits are for sums less than £5, and about four-fifths for sums less than
36 £10. That the people are tolerably litigious after their own fashion
37 may be seen from the fact, that in 1854 there was one suit to
38 every 220 souls, and in 1855 one suit to every 209 souls. A large