Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/365

 Ch. 9. der or not, he mut enquire whether any deodand has accrued to the king, or the lord of the franchie, by this death: and mut certify the whole of this inquiition to the court of king's bench, or the next aies. Another branch of his office is to enquire concerning hipwrecks; and certify whether wreck or not, and who is in poeion of the goods. Concerning treaure-trove, he is alo to enquire who were the finders, and where it is, and whether any one be upected of having found and concealed a treaure; "and that may be well perceived (aith the old tatute of Edw. I.) where one liveth riotouly, hunting taverns, and hath done o of long time:" whereupon he might be attached, and held to bail, upon this upicion only.

miniterial office of the coroner is only as the heriff's ubtitute. For when jut exception can be taken to the heriff, for upicion of partiality, (as that he is intereted in the uit, or of kindred to either plaintiff or defendant) the proces mut then be awarded to the coroner, intead of the heriff, for execution of the king's writs.

III. next pecies of ubordinate magitrates, whom I am to conider, are jutices of the peace; the principal of whom is the cutos rotulorum, or keeper of the records of the county. The common law hath ever had a pecial care and regard for the conervation of the peace; for peace is the very end and foundation of civil ociety. And therefore, before the preent contitution of jutices was invented, there were peculiar officers appointed by the common law for the maintenance of the public peace. Of thee ome had, and till have, this power annexed to other offices which they hold; others had it merely by itelf, and were thence named cutodes or conervatores pacis. Thoe that were o virtute officii till continue; but the latter ort are upereded by the modern jutices. Rh