History of the Parsis : including their manners, customs, religion and present position : with coloured and other illustrations : in two volumes

276 HISTORY OF THE PARSTS. [CHAP. Vv.

tion and commanded the respect of all classes of Her Majesty’s subjects, was forwarded to the Legislative Council of India, strongly recommended by the Government of Bombay, with the suggestion that the draft Acts relating to Parsis, as amended by the Commis-

cretion, and experience, and withal of that courtesy and patience which haye made our work in this court so agreeable. For all your andness to us we take this public occasion to thank you most sincerely ; and in bidding you good-bye, we beg you to accept our best wishes for your health and welfare, and for the enjoyment of the repose which you have so well merited by your arduous and assiduous labours. Regretting as we do the occasion of your separation from us, we still hope it may be only temporary, and that you may return soon with renewed health to preside in this court for many and many a year.”

Mr. Justice Melvill, in reply, spoke neatly as follows :—“ Sir Jamshedji Jijibhai and gentlemen delegates, I am very much obliged to you for your kind sentiments and for your good wishes for my future welfare. As you have observed, the duties of a judge of this court are of a delicate nature, requiring some tact and discretion, but I cannot say they are arduous. I have had a return prepared for me by Mr. Jehangir (the clerk of the court), showing the number and nature of the cases decided during the period I haye been its presiding judge ; and I find that during a period of ten years there have been in all thirty-one suits, or, on an average, about three suits a year. Now, this is a very small number, and there must be some reason to account for this paucity of suits. It cannot be on account of the expenses of litigation being high. There is Rs.20 stamp for the plaint, and the other fees are proportionately small ; so that ifa party were to conduct his suit in person he could do it for a less sum than for a suit in the Small Causes Court. It therefore cannot be said that the expense of a suit in our court is heavy, and that parties are restrained thereby from seeking matrimonial relief. Nor can it be said, I think, that our cout, as it is constituted, is unpopular. We English are accustomed to think that no court can adjudicate so well on the merits of a case as that which consists of a judge anda jury. Now, the constitution of this court is even superior to a jury ; for the gentlemen appointed to assist the court are not selected haphazard, but are appointed after deep and