The Sun. — 1859-02-09 (London, England)

AND MAGISTRATES.-THE LAW OF INFANTICIDE.  Yesterday a special meeting of the Law Amendment Society was held in the society's rooms, Waterloo-place, for the purpose of considering the present state of the law relative to coroners and magistrates courts, and the necessity for a measure of reform, so as to prevent the existence of a jarring jurisdiction between the two courts, and, at the same time, to consider the desirability of placing the coroner's office in a more independent position. The Right Hon. Lord Brougham presided. Mr. HASTINGS, the secretary, opened the proceedings by reading a paper written for the occasion, in wkich the author (Mr. Dempsey) spoke of the question arising as to the desirability of entirely remodelling by a new act of Parliament the whole system pursued in this ancient and useful office, or of extending the duties of the coroner so as to make his office an unfailing check upon crime, a powerful sanitary engine, and one of the greatest boons founded by a liberal and wise administration. Although the law held the coroner responsible, under a fine, for not holding inquiries when called upon, yet county magistrates had, through a power they possessed, been in the constant habit in many counties of disallowing the coroner's fees, and to such a serious pitch had this system arrived, that inquests had not been held in cases the law imperatively directed they should be when coroners allowed themselves to be trammelled by the county magistrates, and tin consequence was the law was evaded and justice might be easily hoodwinked. Very recently such a state of things was brought under the notice of the Home Office as occurring in Kent. The coroner had no protection at present against such magisterial interference ; and the time had arrived when some more definite and intelligible rules should be laid down for the guidance of the coroner and the protection of the court. After then speaking of the coroner's as a people's court, " a shield against oppression and injustice," and drawing attention to its being a watchful guardian over the health of the community at large, the author observed :—" It is indeed highly dangerous to permit a meddlesome interference on the part of the magistrates, both county and stipendiary. The legislature for ages, it may be truth. fully said, has considered the office of coroner a wise and salutary check upon crime, and a great protection to the people, especially as far as their health and lives are concerned, and therefore why an uncalled-for magisterial interference with its functions." He would have the coroners salaried and not paid by fees ; he would give to the coroner's court a supervision over chemists and druggists in the sale of poisons and drugs, and the adulteration of food, as being injurious to the public health, should be an indictable offence through the court at the quarter sessions. Investigations in all sanitary matters should be left with the court, and parochial officials should be severely dealt with where death arose from their neglect, cruelty, or indifference. An important change the author further proposed as regards infanticide and concealment of birth. A case of infanticide was under existing circumstances, very hard to prove ; but he would check infanticide by obtaining a wider definition of concealment of birth, and punishing severely for the minor offence. In Scotland the law was  much clearer on this subject, and there could be no doubt a large population was thereby saved to minister to the state, for the law there held it to be concealment of birth, not only where the body was concealed after death, but where the mother concealed her pregnant condition for a certain period before confinement, as it was urged she thus probably would sacrifice the child's life by not having medical and other assistance at hand at the time of birth. Then it was proposed to abolish inquiry into the state of mind of persons who had committed suicide, and the author in conclusion proposed to establish a coroner system in Scotland. A long discussion then took place upon the points treated of in the paper of Mr. Dempsey, in the course of which the necessity of making some important alteration in the office of coroner, for an increase in the powers of that officer, was strongly insisted on ; after which it was decided to appoint a committee to consider and report on the matters contained in the paper. The meeting then adjourned.