On the Office of Sheriff: 
been fixed, while others, with greater 
means and recommendations, are ex- 
empted ? 
The nobleman is properly enough 
exempted, on account of his duties in 
the House of Peers. And there are 
other reasons why the function of a 
peer is incompatible with that of She- 
riff: but the reasons are personal, and 
need not affect their lands. The nobi- 
lity, in general, being, individually, larger 
land-owners than others, and it being a 
situation charged on the Jand, they who 
hold a greater share of it consequently 
ought to contribute their quota. 
Irish peers, not representative, though 
possessing and living upon estates in 
this country, have contrived to get 
themselyes exempt—although their rea- 
sons are by no means satisfactory, and 
apply no more to them than any other 
individual: the liability of an Ivish peer 
to be called upon to serve ia Parliament 
not being greater than that of any other 
person. And, if so, why should the 
Trish peer be allowed the privilege of 
always keeping himself disengeged, more 
than another, who might wish to take 
advantage of a dissolution of Parliament 
to offer himself to his neighbours as 
their representative ? ; 
The Members. of either House are 
principally exempt, because their per- 
sonal attendance in the grand council 
of the nation would be incompatible 
with the duties incumbent upon Sherif 
of counties. But, this does not regard 
many other professions, which, never- 
theless, claim, exemptions, 
Persons holding commissions in the 
army and navy, are, by some strange 
fatality, if otherwise qualified, obliged 
to serve: and if an officer, naval or 
military, is resident upon his property, 
he stands almost a better chance of 
taking the shrievalty than another per- 
son, and of being forced to serve—al- 
though by law exempted. 
Other professions, though connected 
with the public, are of a private nature ; 
the public deriving little or no benefit 
from them—the profit of their publicity 
being to themselves. First in this’ class 
stand the barristers, who are consider- 
ablé land-owners, and who yet  elaim 
their exemption of having been called 
to the bar, whether practising or not.— 
This plea ought to be inadmissible, the 
barrister claiming only a like exemption 
with the banker; physician,* or any 
* Qy. Are physicians ever called upon 
to serve the office of Sheriff? If so, it is 
659 
other, viz. suspending for a time the 
routine of his calling, whilst he takes 
upon him the duties of office. 
It is unnecessary to enumerate others, 
who either are exempt; or are allowed 
to be so, from professions or conscience, 
like the Papist and Dissenter from the 
Established Church, and the numbers 
who put in the plea of nulla bona.— 
Many are liable to serve, provided the 
King chose to require their service; or 
are finable if they refuse: and yet their 
service is never called for ; or the most 
trifling excuse taken. If an individual 
is to be made responsible, there is no 
reason why the fundholder should not 
be taken into account with the Jand- 
holder.+, When sufficient lands to cover 
the 
a monstrous impropriety. What is. to be- 
come of his patients, while the doctor is 
Sheriffing it in processions, courts, and 
other duties of such an office ?—Epir. 
+ Will our correspondent’ excuse us if Wwe 
say, that this obsérvation’ confirms’ what 
many previous parts of this disqitisition have 
suggested, that he has’ not dulyfathomed 
the rationale of: the Shrieval -Office-+and 
that, principally, from not having, looked 
sufficiently into its antiquities, -.He .who 
would understand, the nature, objects. and 
utilities of any. of the. offices and. iustitu- 
tions peculiar to our coiistitution, faust 
carry his researches (a mere glance will not 
suffice) beyond the Norman Conquest. The 
reasons (which, fortunately, still remain in 
their operation, to a certain’ degree, thotigh 
the’ memory be lost) of those institutions 
may thus be traced, and the objects en- 
deared: and we.are much mistaken if our 
worthy magistrate would not, be quite as 
reluetant as we should be, to see, the stock- 
holder dabbling with the Shrieyalty; or to 
have the administrative presidency of our 
counties brought, with scrip and bonusses, 
and Colombian bonds, into the noisy mar- 
ket of the Stock Exchange. Many of the 
complaints of our correspondent are’ un- 
doubtedly well-founded. He ‘points to 
many hardships and many degradations of 
the person and office of Sheriff, that ought 
to be redressed ; and to some of his propo- 
sals we should not object. Yet his object 
in writing, and ours in publishing, are not 
exactly the same. It is evident that his 
motive is the argument—ouwr’s is the facts 
which, incidentally in the course of his argu- 
ment, he furnishes; and perhaps he would 
be a little startled if we were to state the 
very different conclusions whieh we some- 
times draw from them, and the very difte- 
rent principles to which we occasionally 
refer the innovations that have taken place. 
One observation alone, however, we will 
make upon the subjeet-—It is not the public 
that consigns the burthen of a worse than 
4P2 barren 
