Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/367

 Ch. 9. met with an untimely death. To prevent therefore any riings, or other diturbance of the peace, the new king ent writs to all the heriffs in England, the form of which is preerved by Thomas Walingham, giving a plauible account of the manner of his obtaining the crown; to wit, that it was done ipius patris beneplacito: and withal commanding each heriff that the peace be kept throughout his bailiwick, on pain and peril of diinheritance and los of life and limb. And in a few weeks after the date of thee writs, it was ordained in parliament, that, for the better maintaining and keeping of the peace in every county, good men and lawful, which were no maintainers of evil, or barretors in the country, hould be aigned to keep the peace. And in this manner, and upon this occaion, was the election of the conervators of the peace taken from the people, and given to the king ; this alignment being contrued to be by the king's commiion. But till they were called only conervators, wardens, or keepers of the peace, till the tatute 34 Edw. III. c. 1. gave them the power of trying felonies; and then they acquired the more honorable appellation of jutices.

jutices are appointed by the king's pecial commiion under the great eal, the form of which was ettled by all the judges, A. D. 1590 . This appoints them all, jointly and everally, to keep the peace, and any two or more of them to enquire of and determine felonies, and other midemenors: in which number ome particular jutices, or one of them, are directed to be always included, and no buines to be done without their preence; the words of the commiion running thus, "quorum aliquem vetrum, A. B. C. D. &c. unum ee volumus;" whence the perons o named are uually called jutices of the quorum. And formerly it was cutomary to appoint only a elect Rh