Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/355

 Ch. 9. mayors and aldermen, or other magitrates of particular corporations; becaue thee are mere private and trictly municipal rights, depending entirely upon the dometic contitution of their respective franchies. But the magitrates and officers, whoe rights and duties it will be proper in this chapter to conider, are uch as are generally in ue and have a juridiction and authority diperedly throughout the kingdom: which are, principally, heriffs; coroners; jutices of the peace; contables; urveyors of highways; and overeers of the poor. In treating of all which I hall enquire into, firt, their antiquity and original; next, the manner in which they are appointed and may be removed; and, latly, their rights and duties. And firt of heriffs.

I. heriff is an officer of very great antiquity in this kingdom, his name being derived from two Saxon words,, the reeve, bailiff, or officer of the hire. He is called in Latin vice-comes, as being the deputy of the earl or comes; to whom the cutody of the hire is aid to have been committed at the firt diviion of this kingdom into counties. But the earls in proces of time, by reaon of their high employments alid attendance on the king's peron, not being able to tranact the buines of the county, were delivered of that burden ; reerving to themelves the honour, but the labour was laid on the heriff. So that now the heriff does all the king's buines in the county; and though, he be till called vice-comes, yet he is entirely independent of, and not ubject to the earl; the king by his letters patent committing cutodiam comitatus to the heriff, and him alone.

were formerly choen by the inhabitants of the everal counties. In confirmation of which it was ordained by tatute 28 Edw. I. c. 8. that the people hould have election of heriffs in every hire, where the hrievalty is not of inheritance. For antiently in ome counties the heriffs were hereditary; as I apprehend they were in Scotland till the tatute 20 Geo. II. c. 43; and till continue in the county of Wetmorland to this day: Rh