Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-30
TIE EN0LISH SHERIFF.
a funesienary Whose Duties Are very DIFF
erens 70 Those OF the American sheriff.
London Teic1ranhI


coach, and OF others to be handled by the
hangman." There IL felicity Of analysis az
well as profundity OF thought In this obsar-
Va'ion; Tor by immemorlal law IL Is 10 the
snerln that capital criminals are delivered
over Tor execution, and II the sheriff
cannot md an execuiioner he must
"nandle that Is to say. bapr-the
nalefactor himself. The sheriff, OF
London and Middesex, who. by beredi.
'afy franchise, are chosen by their fellow
citizens, are very exalted municipal diyni-
taries; but the sheriff Of county 4 some.
ming more. He Is n grandee. Were IL
not the lord Lieutenant who confers COM
missions in the mlliiia, the high sheriff
| Would be the ereltest MN in the shire.
| HIS oihce, once elective. but for some cen-
| t'iles rast IN The nomination OF tue Crown,
| Is OF immense antiquity, extending at least
70 Anglo-SaXon time. Tie l. the reeve the
| Daliiii OF the shire. the Queens depute, and
not only "yice comes" but wholly inie-
| pendent OF the "c0mes the earl or
"tGrldeman F" who anciently "bos,edr
the sheriff, but who, growing lazy in Plan.
| tagenc' times, took TO dancing ATTENDING Al
The Kings court. reserying all the honor,
hut leaving the burden Of labor TO The sheriff.
who was partially compounded by being
emarcipatcti from the earl's control. The
sheriff can call out the posse co nitQtuS."
suDposing that mysterious body to be sus.
cepuble OF being called ont. lie l. bound
to pursue all murdercrs, traitors. and other
INSIDERS where and whatsoever he finds
them riding up and down in his bliIi-
wick. although at the firsi blush il would
appear likely that the offenders in question
would prefer to adopt some less con.
spicuous mode OF locomoti0n than
that OF riding up and down in baii-
wick. He Is empowered 10 arrest with
out warrant. cat sight," any pnrson
whom he eSteems law.breaSer-a power
eXG cistd by Sir Walter Scott when, rs
high sheriff Of his county, he collared "A
brawler at Radical meeting who wa. join
ing in the shout OF " Burke Sir Water!n
lie must seize all lands dcyolying TO the
Crown by cscheat or attainder. aud must
capture and keep all wTeckage. WAITS, es.
trays, and the like. II i his duty TO re-
ceiye Der Majesty's judges OF asizc when
they 20 on circuit, and provide them with
a sufficient escort OF armed men, he j. Of
ficiaily Superior III rank to any nobleman in
the county; and, finally. he may keep Il
state carriage with rs much carving and
gliding upon ii as ever he chooses 10 lavish.
tonsidering the antique and historic Dig
nifty which surrounds the office. the most
salient attributes OF which we have glanced
at. and looking at the fact that The most
CneTous portions OF the Shrip sal duties are
discharged by the under sheriff, there is
some cause for surprise in the growing ie-
luctaLce displayed by county gentlemen Of
position 10 take upon Themselves the OFF 70
OF high sheriff. IN the city Of London.
where the citizens have the Inheritance Of
the slriNealty Of MlddleScX vested In them
by charter, "that The commons might
choose such as would not be a burden TO
thCm,' any gentleman elected to the Office
who does not care 10 serve may. by virtue
of bylaw passed in 114S, obtlin eXemp-
ton on payment Of fine Of six hundred
pounds. Such immunity. however. is com
paratvcly seldom sought by the eminent
and usually atiluent cOrpOrItor-, who are.
a. q rule, pleasantly anxious 10 make an aD-
pcaTance in their robes and gold chains on
occasions OF c!vlc state. and who have NJ
objection to dispensing and receiving the
muniiicent hOspitalitiCs inseplrable from
their Office, which carries with il no cmOlu.
mcnts but good deal 81 municipal honor
and glory. The county magnates appear.
on the other hand, TO think that honor and
glory fail 10 compensate. not only for
tue absence OF any h0norIrium, but for
the heavy expense 10 which they are
put by serving the Office OF high sheriff.
Uf old the ease was different. The hold
ing Of the courts Of ",herif t1cun"
brought in considerable fees to the - vice
comes; there were pickings TO be made
oul Of pirates and wrecks, attainders aud
e.cheas; and there were several manors
providing entertainment for the sheriff
when he held his county court. In Derby
a IL. l. ~ ~
pei &c out OF every bOyate OF lind rs she
rill-tooth," aiterward contracted into
"sluth." At present the prOyncillS are
more ambitious To have the "run OF their
teeth" at the expense OF the sheriff than t.
provide hun with anything for the entertain
ment Of bis own molars aud incirors. The
consequence has lately been that when on
''ihc morrow OF II. Martini" the Eth ~ No
Ncmber. thc gentlemen eligible for the ap-
poiutment OF high shcrI!fhave been "billcd"
Nv the high Judicial authorities. including
The Lord Chancellor. the Chinceller 81 the
EXchoqucr, the Lord President of the
Council, and tie judges Of the Queens
bench division, preparatory 10 their names
being submitted 10 her Majesty. who
.pricks" with a bOdsin one ont ~ every
three NAMES IN the list. the gentlemen
"billcd" have exhibited q llineDlable back
wardncss in coming forward 10 ill the
Office, and have. IN many instances. piteou,
pleas 10 show why they should not be
thigh sheriff. and ride in golden coach"
At the oycrof - billing Tor sheriff" which
took place on "Wednesday last, one ELI.
gible hut unwilling squire urged az
riculiural depression ~ an excuse. lie
represented that he had ju,t come into two
thousand acres of landed estate; that. not
witEstanding The large reductions which
lie had made in his rents, many of his ten
ans had LETT; that he haC Oeed compelled
10 raise Elu,O0O upon mortgage and 10
farm three fouths If his land himself; and
that if be were forced 10 serve ~ sheriff he
would have TO borrow money L. dcfriy the
cot, Ci office. The Lord Ch1nc,l lor was
80 Kind as 10 place the maine Oi thi. de-
pressed agricultmalist It The bottom OF the
h>t. Another gentleman mnde.ily de-
cincd The LOEcr which seemed imminent
on the ground that he had recently served
the office in another county. This was
he'd 10 De 4 valid apology. In another
ease the appellant had 10 hint at the most
aarming circumstances connected with the
state II lis health. and the necessity oi
passing the winter and spring al Bourne
mouth: while another and more SanguiHe
% tltOHCf objected 10 DilUS ul-u >ucIiI
because be intended shortly 10 "stind Tor
The county," In several instances i'll
health WAS sdduccd as an excuse, and one
yac:udinarian alleged that nc was subject
10 "hts Of droWSine,s." The Lord Chancei-
Tor placed the somnOlent gentleman third
on tie list. 20 that In all probability his
maze will not be pIicked by the royal
hodkjn.
\ gentleman who pleaded that he WAS 50
poor that he had been obliged TO let hi.
iamily mansion. and live in a much smaller
house, was placed second on the list:
but one name was wholly sruck
on, because tie owner OF it said
that be was sevcniy.fOur. stonCdeaf, and
very e0uiy, and that il he were compelled
10 serve he would have 10 break up llis
estai hshment. Then came the case OF a
gentleman who explained that he was only
entitled To devised estates duriag the lie
Of bis wife, ard hat she might die during
his wear 81 Office. The excuse Of the pJ-
tcnlill wiuoWcr Wa disIll0Ned. \ ,inli-
lar'y had fate was that Of gentleman who
mentioned that be held his land, in right OF
his wife, aud that rs the estates were hers,
he thought thai the lady, and not himself.
ouoht to serve o. high sheriff. TIE eX-
cllse was rejected, amid some mcfrlment.
But what, it nSy he asked. was there
to laugh it: There i, a memorable pre-
cCdCnt OF the vice.comiial Office being eX-
efcsed 10y a member OF the gentler sex.