A History of Assam c23.14

c23.14

The Principal Assistants and two of the three junior assistants were military officers. These officers were for many years recruited from the staff of the Assam regiments, to whom a pledge was given that they should have a preferential claim to the post of junior assistant, if duly qualified by character and knowledge of the local languages. In 1861 the designations of the officers serving under the Commissioner were changed; the Deputy Commissioner, whose powers were those of a District and Sessions Judge, was thenceforth known as the Judicial Commissioner; the Principal Assistants became Deputy Commissioners; the junior assistants, assistant commissioners*; and the sub-assistants, extra assistant commissioners. The separate establishment of sadr amins and munsifs was abolished in 1872, when some of these officers were made extra assistant commissioners, and the officers of the ordinary district staff were invested with civil powers; the Deputy Commissioners became Sub-Judges and the assistant and extra assistant commissioners were invested with the powers of a munsif. At first several of the sub-divisional officers exercised the powers of Sub-Judge, but after a short time they were placed on the same footing as other assistant and extra assistant commissioners.