The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-05-03 00:00:00

on the ereoiwg alluded to, be was desired' by the Sheriff
of Dublin to give a contradiction. He was surprised to
hear, on an incidental cenversalon on Thursday, that
this affidavit had no jurat, and he now wished to know
if the affidavit alluded to by his Hon. Friend was simi-
larly circumstanced.
Mr. BENNET said a few words, which we could. not
catch. _ _ _ e _

Mr. PLUNKETT said that he had produced that docu-
ment for the purpose of repelling the charge brought against
him—that he had been guilty of improper conduct in the dis-
charge of the duties of his office. He admitted that that
affidavit had uojurat, but because that was so circumstanc
the Hon. Gent. was not to infer that the other was in the
same predicament.
Mr. R. MARTIN rose, but was called to order by Mr.
oulbu rn . . .

Mr. MUNDY presented a petition from some place (the
name we did not hear) in Derbyshire, praying for the eman-
cipation of Slaves.—Ordered to be printed.
Sir E. HARVEY presented a petition from the county of
Essex, signed by the High Sheriff, complaining of Agricul-
tural Distress.
After a few words from Lord MILTON and Mr. lIONY-
WOOD, the petition was ordered to be printed.
Sir E. HARVEY presented a petition from the Inhabit-
ants of Cogge.shall, in the county of Essex, praying fur a
repeal of the Duty on Coals.—Ordered to be printed.
Mr. HUNIE postponed a motion of which he had given
notice relative to Carlisle.
Mr. GOULBOURN presented a petition from Joseph
Stephenson, of Dublin, praying for a repeal of the Daty on
Coals.
Col. BAGWELL supported the petition, and stated
that not only the public but the local Duty on Coals, in
Dublin. was a source of great grievance to the inhabitants.
Mr. HUME stated, the Chancellor of the Exchequer had
an immediate opportunity of conferring a great benefit not
only on the people of Ireland, hut of England and Scotland
also, if he would remit these duties, ana take so much from
the Sinking Fund. He bdieved the Right lion. Oeutteman
looked as if he was half inclined to take his advice.—(A
laugh).

CORONERS IN IRELAND.
Mr. GOULDURN presented a petition from the Coroners
of the county of Cork, complaining of the great inconveni-
ence of their small salaries.—(A laugh). They stated that
the county of Cork was 120 miles in length, and 60 in width ;
that there were only four Coroners in the county, who were
obliged to attend all the inquests, and that their salaries
were totally inadequate to their laborious duties.
Mr. HUME said he understood that whenever a vacancy
occurred there were a good many candidates, and he there-
fore presumed the office was well paid.—The petition was
laid on thetable and ordered to he printed.
Colonel BAGWELL presented a similar petition from
the Coroners of the County of Tipperary. fie stated, that
by a late Act of Parliament, a person before he became
candidate for the office of Coroner, was under the neces-
sity of finding large security, and making oath that he
had either 2001. a-year in possession, or 4001. in reversion.
In Ireland, it should be also recollected, that the Grand
Juries were limited by their Bill to give not more than
forty guineas amongst all the Coroners of each county.
In 'he county of Tipperary, there were ten Coroners, and
each was necessarily obliged to keep a horse for the per-
formance of his duties, while the ten had not more than
forty guineas between them. They might have been en-
abled still to perform their duty, if their case was not
rendered still more severe, by being excluded by the late
Act, from fees to which they were before ,entitled. lie
hoped the injustice of this Art would satisfy the Hon.
Gentleman opposite of the necessity of giving the Coro-
ners a salary sufficient to enable them to perform their
duties.
Sir JOHN NEWPORT said, that one of the mis-
chiefs caused by the late Act was, that of preventing
the Coroners from executing the duties of their office.
His Hon. Friend. the Member fur Aberdeen, had said
that there were many candidates on every vacancy, that
held perfectly true, before the late Act was paesed, but
since the case was the contrary, because ne twin could
be adequately remunerated for the duties of eo laborious
an office by four pounds a-yeer, and yet every body must
ba aware .how essential it was to the peace and tran-
quillity of Ireland, that these duties should be properly
executed. Now so great was the distance that Coroners
bad to go on many occasions, and co inadequate was
their remuneration to their expenses, that in many cases
no inquests were held at all. He hoped the House would
see the justice of the complaint of the petitioners, and
take the case into consideration.
Mr. R. MARTIN said, that he was the great means
of passing the late Bill. Ile was ready to acknowledge
that since it passed, the Coroners were by no means
adequately paid, and if they were not well paid, it was
impossible the duties of the office could be properly dis-
charged. Forty guineas a-year was not enough for one
Coroner, much less for all the Coroners of a county.—
By his Bill, Coroners were deprived of a great portion
of their fees, by being prevented from executing writs,
which he thoughts most useful and salutary measure.
He had known one Coroner in his county, who, after
getting 60,000?.:from debtors, put it into his pocket and
walked off to America.—(A laugh.)
Mr. BECHER, in supporting the prayer of the Peti-
tion, said that he believed forty pounds for each Coro-
ner had been contemplated by the Act, but when the
Grand Juries came to examine it closely, they found that
.tbe words would not bear that interpretation.
Mr. C. HUTCHINSON said that it should be ob-
served, that the extent of the county of Cork being 120
miles in length and 60 in width, made the case of the
Coroners of the county of Cork particularly hard. The
object of the petitioners was not so much to call the at-
tention of the House to the smallness of their salary, as
to the injustice of the late Act in depriving them of
fees, which they would much rather have, than any
remuneration the House would be pleased to give them.
The petition also prayed that the House would take into
consideration a law which deprived them of a right they
bad enjoyed for two hundred years.
Sir N. COLTHURS'I' said that it was clear that
forty guineas was not enough for four Coroners. He did
not see why a clause could not be introduced into the
late Act, empowering Grand Juries to remunerate them
according to their services.
After a few words from Mr. ELLIS, of Dublin, whom
we understood to support the prayer of the pe ition, it
was laid on the table, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. JONES moved the order of the day for the second
reading of the Great Sessions in ;Vales Bill, for the pur-
pose of postponing it to Monday.
CALLING OF WITNESSES IN THE CASE OF THE

SHERIFF OF DUBLIN.

Mr. S. RICE moved that Lucius O'Reilly and Te-
rence hlacnamara, be ordered to attend the bar of the
House, on the 9th of May, to be examlued as witnesses in
the case of the Sheriff of Dublin.
Mr. PLUNKETT said that he was anxious to take ad-
vantage of the opportunity afforded him by the motion
of the Hon. hleuibrr, before the more immediate busi-
ness of the evening cater on, to 'Lite a few facts which
were essential to the defence of the charge brought
against him on a furtive evening. He was charged wade'
baying, in the execution of the duties of his office. diet
bills of indictment bad been ignored by a Grand Jury,
resorted to eono.le of proceeding, in tiling an ex-officto
information, for which no precedent could be found sine*
the Norman Congitest. At the time the charge was
made he suhmitted all the cases lie could find which h ire
any auslogy to the course he had pursued. He stived,
then, also, thst though he could nut produce cases inure-
diately in poirt, of Attorney-tienerals having Weil es- I
o:ficio ititousetions after bills had been ignored by t r 11
Juries, net it would be unfair to infer that no ;case ex•
istrA. because, from the nature of the proceeding, no
c record could be referred to to prove its existence.—
sfolvrver, it so turned iltit by accident time the diactisdeOl
on this question, that a Mr, Foley,. actuated by a Host