Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/364

 348 decend to be paid for erving their country, and they were by the aforeaid tatute of Wetm. 1. exprely forbidden to take a reward, under pain of great forfeiture to the king; yet for many years pat they have only deired to be choen for the ake of their perquiites; being allowed fees for their attendance by the tatute 3 Hen. VII. c. 1. which ir Edward Coke complains of heavily ; though ince his time thoe fees have been much enlarged.

coroner is choen for life: but may be removed, either by being made heriff, or choen verderor, which are offices incompatible with the other; or by the king's writ de coronatore exonerando, for a caue to be therein aigned, as that he is engaged in other buines, is incapacitated by years or icknes, hath not a ufficient etate in the county, or lives in an inconvenient part of it. And by the tatute 25 Geo. II. c. 29. extortion, neglect, or mibehaviour, are alo made caues of removal.

office and power of a coroner are alo, like thoe of a heriff, either judicial or miniterial; but principally judicial. This is in great meaure acertained by tatute 4 Edw. I. de officio coronatoris; and conits, firt, in enquiring, when any peron is lain, or dies uddenly, or in prion, concerning the manner of his death. And this mut be "uper vium corporis ;" for, if the body be not found, the coroner cannot fit. He mut alo fit at the very place where the death happened; and his enquiry is made by a jury from four, five, or ix of the neighbouring towns, over whom he is to preide. If any be found guilty by this inquet of murder, he is to commit to prion for farther trial, and is alo to enquire concerning their lands, goods and chattels, which are forfeited thereby: but, whether it be mur- Rh