Fro THE EDITOR or THE "SPECTATOR.") SIR.—In his Litter in
your issue of August 11th Mr. Powell ebserves that " hook-swinging is not, I believe, ' forbidden' in the sense of being illegal." In the year 1990, or thereabouts, the cere- mony was to be performed in a village near Madura. The Magis- trate forbade it. The priests of the temple appealed to the Govern- ment of Madras. The Law Officers, to whom the facts were sub- mitted for opinion, advised that according to the evidence the ceremony was not likely to cause death, and therefore was not illegal. The Order was withdrawn. On an occasion soon after the man died, and it was found that his death was caused directly by the swinging, which was consequently considered to be illegal, rendering these who helped and promoted the act liable criminally. I had left India in 1892, before this death occurred. I believe that legal proceedings were taken which went up to the High Court of Madras. The result would be sure to appear in the Indian Law Reports of that or the next two or three years. I em writing from memory, and am not in a position to ascertain these later facts. The eases referred to by Mr. Powell may have occurred in is Native Stete, in which the Indian Penal Code is not in force.—I am,
fled. Civ. Serv.), Retired.
Iticarshill, Cheltenham.
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