The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-24 00:00:00

The following are extracts from a letter from the
Rev. James Kennedy, of Benares. This letter is
dated June 29, 1857 :
‘5 We have had many ups and downs since
wrote last ; but thanks to the Divine goodness we
are still in safety, and, though it is well nigh im-
possible to have a feeling of security, we think our
position is daily improving. The country in the
immediate neighbourhood is settling down into
quietness. For several days, so far as we know,
there has been no plundering or murdering within
several miles of our city. For this comparative
impunity, when the greater part of the country is
in a blaze, we are indebted under Gol to several
things. 1. We have no native soldiers worth naming
to keep us in dread, while we have a very considerable
body of European troops, to whoni d aily add itions are
made. Not a day passes without several arriving.
They are being constantly posted on, and yet we
have from 600 to 700 always here, with six 1 trge
guns. The dread of the European soldiers has fallen
remarkably on the people since the engagement on
June 4. They think them demons in human forms,
and to this opinion our safety is in a degree trace-.
able. 2. We have an officer in command of the station
of great vigour, 'in whom all have confidenze. 3.
Our judge is a man greatly feared by the people,
and during this crisis he has done most excellent
service. For daring vigour he has few equals : his
name is a proverbior swift, stern justice. There are
of course thouss Ills in this city set on mis lief, and
the dread of this one man has done more to keep
them quiet than anything else. The result is
that the city, notwithstanding its well-known
turbulence in even peaceiul times, remains astonish-
ingly quiet. Many of the people are petrified with
fear of our soldiers being let loose on them. Our
head magistrate also is well spoken of by the
community. 4. The gibbet is, I must acknowledge
a standing institution among us at present. There
it stands, immediately in front of the flagstaff, with
three ropes always attached to it, so that three may
be executed at one time. Two additional gibbets
were erected, with three ropes to each; but they
have been taken down. Scarcely a day passes with-
out some poor wretches being hurled into eternity.
It is horrible, very horrible ! To think of it is
enough to make one's blood run cal ; but such is
the state of things here that even fine delicate
ladies may be heard expressing their joy at the vi-
gour with which the miscreants are dealt with. The
swiftness with which crime is followed by the sc-
verest punishment strikes the people with astonish-
ment, it is
_so utterly foreign to all .our modes of
procedure, as known to them. Hitherto the pro-
cess has-been very slow, encumbered with forms,
and such cases have always been carried to the
supreme court - for final decision. Now, the
Commissioner of Benares may give commis-
sions to any he chooses (the city being
under martial law) to try, decide, and execute
on the spot, without any delay and withuot any
reference. The other day a-party was sent out to
Gopirang, some 30 miles distant, to seize a land-
holder who had proclaimed himself Rajah, and
. two men said to be his Ministers. The three men

were surprised and taken. They were tried on the
spot by a commission composed of five military and
civil officers. After h short trial the three were
condemned to be executed then and there. The
Rajah and the others protested they were innocent,
and appealed to the Sudder (the Supreme Court.)
They were told there was no appeal to the Sudder
in these days. To their utter amazement and hor-
ror prAparsttiona woro mado for their osoofution be-
fore their own door, and before the sun went down
they were executed. Whatever may be thought of
such doings one thing is certain, that these execu-
tions have struck terror into the hearts of the
mauranders in this district, and have done much
to awe them into better conduct. Roads near us
in which people were hourly plundered a fortnight
ago are now quite safe."