The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-04-06 00:00:00

7. PTT

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ponied the unpopular dill of the question, which he
apprehended could rarely be the rase with a man
whose obi-^d vras pure justke. One Hon. Gentle-
man represented Coe Coroner: as having great emo-
luments already; while anmher stated, that no
wreck cbuld take place without the shore being vi-
sited by flights of curoners, like hungry vultures—( He
thought the Hen. Gentleman meant to have said
canrcraati—(A Lae) i but if there was any inconsis-
tency in this, let the Gentlemen settle it between
them. Ile did not, on an occasion like this, relish
such argument, as that the precedent would draw
down upon them numerous other applications The
only question was, whether the present was a claim
of justice ? And if it was, he would allow it, whatever
may be the consequences. All that Coroners had now
in the advanced price of every thing was a fceof 20s.
per inquisition, and nine pence a mile for travelling
expences, the same that was allowed to them fifty
years ago. If the population and inquests had en-
creased, that was far from being an advantage to
the Comer, whose trouble and expences were
more than proportionably augmented. If their
known fees were insufficient, and induced them to
accept of indire,cl emoluments, that was a strong
reason why, like the judges, they should be placed
in a situation inacces,:ible to temptation. As so
the observation of ;in Hon. Gentleman, that only 14
Coroners out of 32 petilioned for this allowance, he
would only assure him, that he would find no insu-
perable difficulty in forcing such as had not signed
to accept of the addition.
Mr. PYTCHFS observed, that the world WAS
now arrived at such a degree of luxury, that no
mess would now go down without some:awe tiquante
to season it. The office of Coroner was heretofore
considered as a good thing, and it seemed now as
if it was not worth retaining. But there could be
no use in applying remedies where there was no
wound. This was a season for the exercise of eco-
noniy, as well in individuals as in the Government.
The country was not without a variety of vehicles
for conveyance ; and he thought it would be as be-
coming ia Coroners to travel on horse-back, or in
sand-carts, as to race through and disturb quiet vil-
lages, with the rattling of their carriages, and the
cracking of their whips. The candidates for these
offices were already numerous enough, and would I
no doubt be more so a hundred-fold, were it not for
the expences of contested eledions ; only for that,
there were numbers who would cheerfully under-
take these functions gratis. Coroners were always
men of profession, who, in that situation, obtained
a great object in enlarging their connexions with fa-
milies of distinction, and in that pursuit had always
great prospeds of success. He never heard any
instance of these gentlemen complaining that their
dues were not paid, that they incurred debts in the
execution of their office, or were reduced by it to
poverty ; and, however great was his veneration for
all ancient establishments, he would rather see them
abolished, than rendered useless by additional emo-
luments.
Mr. ROBERT WILLIAMS rose merely for the
purpose of stating, that a contest for the election of
a Coroner, for the County of Denbigh, cost no less
a sum than four thousand guineas.
After a few more observations, the House divided
on the question for the second reading ; when the
numbers were,
Ayes 61
Noes 4)


Majority 12
The Amendment of the Lords to the Non-Resi-
dence Clergy Bill was read and agreed to, and Mr.
Diciatisou ordered to carry up the same to the.
Lords.
Adjourned till to-morrow.