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be carried by a majority of twelve at least, is endorsed on each indictment, which is then handed to the clerk of court by the foreman and read aloud by him. If it is no true bill, the accused is discharged; if true bill, he is held; for the verdict of the grand jury is simply an accusation. The grand jury is a relic of the old law under which juries were witnesses to, rather than judges of, facts. THE CORONER'S COURT.
Prior to 1888, the election of coroners was governed by the following rules. The sheriff, on receiving a writ dc coronatore eligendo, summoned a special county court for the elec tion of a coroner. All persons having a legal interest in land amounting to free hold were qualified electors. The court was held not less than seven nor more than fourteen days after the receipt of the SIR JOHN writ. If a poll was demanded, the sheriff adjourned the court to the next day but one at eight A.M. Every elector was sworn before polling. The sheriff's declaration was final. The expenses of the sheriff, the polling officers and the clerks (the last named of whom were not allowed more than one guinea each per day) were divided in equal pro portion between the candidates. Under Sec. 5 of the Local Government Act, 1888, however, county coroners are no longer elected as formerly by the free holders. On any vacancy occurring in the
office, the writ de coronatore eligendo is directed to the County Council of the county instead of to the sheriff, and the County Council thereupon appoints a fit person not being an alderman or councillor to fill the vacancy, and in the case of a county divided into coroners' districts, assign him a district, and any person so appointed has like powers and duties and is entitled to like remuneration as if he had been elect ed by the freehold ers. Nothing in the Local Government Act, however, res pecting the appoint ment of a coroner has altered the juris diction of a coroner for the whole county, or any power of re moving such coroner whether by writ de coronatore exonerando or otherwise, and all writs for the election or removal of a cor oner are altered so as to give effect to that provision. These pro visions do not apply to coroners for coun BRIDGE. ty boroughs. A per son who holds the office of coroner is not qualified to be elected as an alderman or a councillor for the county for which he is a coroner. The duties of the coroner are prac tically judicial only. Upon receiving notice from the proper officer that any one is " slain or suddenly dead," the coroner issues his written precept or order to the constables of the parish in which the death took place, desiring them to summon a jury of not less than twelve, sometimes of twenty-three per sons, before him at a particular time. The coroner has power to compel the attendance
