Star.
London, England, 1803-05-11 00:00:00

CORONFIS

Mr. DicestisoN moved the Order of the Day
for the third reading of the Coroners' Compenfa.
tion Bill.
Mr. Srssece having put the queftion, " that
the Bill be now read a third time,"

General TAR I. iroN role, and apologifed for hav-
ing trefpaffed on the attention of the Houfe, which
he did at all times with great deference and reepeet:
he did it now, becaufe he felt it his duty to give
this Bill his decided ovation, even in its !aft
Rage, notwithflanding it had furvived all refift•
mice in its former progrefs through the Houle.—
If this Bill fbould finally pals into a law,he thought
the confequence would be, that many other Offi-
cers in public departments of the State, conceiving,
like the Coroners, that their emoluments were in
adequate, would be encouraged by the fuccefs of
this Bill, to come forward and demand fimilar re-
muneration; and many of whom might prefer fuch
claims upon infinitely better grounds than thole
afecrted by the Coroners, whole pretenfions, lure-
ly, could not (land in competition with thole of I
many gallant Officers in the Army and Navy, who
devoted their whole lives to the public fervice of
their country, and chearfully encountered every
danger and difficulty attached to that fervice, with
remuneration confiderably !hurt indeed of that
which the Coroners enjoyed at prefent, for the Cafe
and peaceful performance of his nccafional duty. I
A Captain in the Army purchafes his commillion
at an expence of t sool. and after fighting the bat-
tles of his country for the greater part of his life,
on the pay of about cool. per year, when worn out
in the fervice, hi. finds himfelf reduced, on what is
called half pay. to an annual (Upend of about
4701. or 801. and retires to veil himfelf in oblcurity
in tome remote diltriet, where his (Upend can pro-
pare him the means of bare exillence. Yet thole
gallant Officers accepted this (Upend in filence,
without covering the table of that Houfe with me-
morials for additional allowances. The Coroner
demands the means of his conveyance to the fcene
of his duty on horfehack, in a gig, or a poft-chaife,
while many a brave Officer trudged on foot to
thofe aefive and perilous fcenes where lay the du-
ties of his arduous yrofeffion, and this without a
murmur at the inadequacy of his means, or the
fcantinefs ;of his pay. At the prefent awful mo-
ment he was Cure it could not be the with of the
Officers of his Majefty's Army and Navy to prefs
upon Parliament the confideration of their (tipepds
fo far (hors of their cervices, as they would be war-
ranted to do by the example of this Bill, if it (hould
pats into a law. But he hoped the Jay would
come when their performance of arduous duties,
meritorious as it was of fo much more liberal re-
ward, would be taken into conlideration, and this
Houle he hoped would do its duty by tliem For
the prefent he fhould not trefpafs farther on the
Houle, than by declaring his decided oppofition
to the Bill.
- - - - -

Mr. HURST depended the Bill upon the fame
ground as it had formerly been fupported; name-
ly, the inadequacy of thole allowances which had
been fettled as the fees of the Coroner fifty years
ago, and which mug now be utterly inadequate,
when every expence in the necegaiies of life,
and the charges of travelling were more than
doubled. The Bill had already undergone full
and repeated dilcogions, and had repeatedly teceiv•
ed the fupport of majorities. It had been pro-
poled by the friends a the Bill to extend the al-
lowance of the Coroner to eighteen.pence per mile
for his travelling charges ; but inflead of this, even
the grongeft oppofers of the Bull had acceled to
the principle of placing the Coroccr at the dircre.
lion of the tefpalable Magigraies of the County,
and making him only fuck allowance as thole Ma-
gigrates ihOilid fairly and conkieittioufly conflict
enti led to, for his Aetna' trouble and experces.
Yet after this had been fettled, and cv, r y sealoa-
able ohjetlicn to the Bill removed, the lion. Gen.
slcinaii now role to ppofe it in its lait gage ; but
he truled the Honk would ru ppm, its oss n futmer
decifioris, by paiLng this Bill into a law.

Mr. Stair LfTIVIII thought the BiII extremely
objedionable; that the regulations it propofed were
improper, unneceffary, and impolitic ; that it
would go to impofe upon the Magiftrates of the
Country a duty extremely irkfome and invidious,
and to excite amongfi them heated difputes, which
would deftroy that amity and good•fellowfhip in
which they ought to fit down together, after hav-
ing done the bufinefs of the different Counties for
which they affembled. Befides he could not think
the emoluments already received by the Coroners
were inadequate, knowing, as he did, the warm
oppofition and rivalry in which the elation for
Coroners was ufually contefted, as much lb to the
full as feats in that Houfe. An inflance had oc-
curred in the County of Buckingham, where a va-
cancy having occurred for the office of Coroner,
the elellion was contefled by no left than fix Can-
didates. In the prefent ciifis of Affairs he was
extremely averfe to levying upon the people any
new affeffments not adually called for by the pub
lic fervice. He therefore thought, that as the du-
ties of the Coroner were the biilinefs of the Crown,
and concerned the weal of the country at large,
the payment fhould be difburfed by the Receiver-
General of the County, and not affdred on the dif-
trid. He concluded by moving, that in place rifJ
the word ' uow,' the words • this day fix months'
be inferted.
After fome oppofition from Mr. DENT, the quer-
tion was put, and the Houfe divided, when there
appeared, Ayes 67, Noes 63. Majority for the
Amendment 4; confequently the Bill is 1011.