Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/354

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N a former chapter of thee commentaries we ditinguihed magitrates into two kinds; upreme, or thoe in whom the overeign power of the tate reides; and ubordinate, or thoe who act in an inferior econdary phere. We have hitherto conidered the former kind only, namely, the upreme legilative power or parliament, and the upreme executive power, which is the king: and are now to proceed to enquire into the rights and duties of the principal ubordinate magitrates.

herein we are not to invetigate the powers and duties of his majety's great officers of tate, the lord treaurer, lord chamberlain, the principal ecretaries, or the like; becaue I do not know that they are in that capacity in any coniderable degree the objects of our laws, or have any very important hare of magitracy conferred upon them: except that the ecretaries of tate are allowed the power of commitment, in order to bring offenders to trial. Neither hall I here treat of the office and authority of the lord chancellor, or the other judges of the uperior courts of jutice; becaue they will find a more proper place in the third part of thee commentaries. Nor hall I enter into any minute diquiitions, with regard to the rights and dignities of Rh