COR 241 COR 



Corona, Females 113,357 the manner of death, when any person is slain, «r dies 



Coroner, Total 216,667 suddenly, or in prison. This enquiry must be made 



"T™"' Population in 1801 188,117 super visum corporis, at the very place where the death 



happened, in presence of a jury of four, five, or six of 



Increase since 1 SOI 28,550 the inhabitants of the neighbouring towns. If any per- 

 son be found guilty of murder by this inquest, the core- 

 See Worgan's Agriculture of Cornwall ; Maton's Ob- ner is to commit him to prison for further trial ; and to 

 servalions on the Western Counties ; Magna Brittan- enquire also concerning his lands, goods, and chattels, 

 nia, vol. i. ; Beauties of England and Wales, vol. ii. ; which are forfeited thereb)', &c. This is called the 

 England Illustrated, vol. i. ; Carew's Survey of Cornwall; coroner' s inquest , ov inquisition, which must be certifi- 

 and Transactions of the Geological Society, (w. s.) ed to the court of King's Bench, or to the next assizes. 

 CORONA. See Optics. It is also the duty of the coroner to enquire concerning 

 CORONER (enronator, from corona, the crown) is shipwrecks and treasure-trove. 

 the name given to a very ancient officer of the realm at The coroner, in his ministerial capacity, acts only as 

 the common law of England, of whom mention is made the sheriff's substitute, when any just exception can be 

 so early as king Athelstan's charter to Beverley, in the taken to the sheriff. See Blackstone's Comment, b. i.. 

 year 925. He is called coroner, because he has prin- ch. 9 ; and Jacob's Lam Diet, (s) 

 cipally to do with pleas of the crown, or such as more CORONILLA, a genus of plants of the class Diadel- 

 immediately concern the king. According to this view, phia, and order Decandria. See Botany,, p. 282. 

 the Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench is the sove- CORPORATION, is a body politic, or artificial per- 

 reign coroner of the whole kingdom, and may, if he son, of capacity to grant and receive, to sue and be 

 pleases, exercise the jurisdiction of that officer in any sued, maintaining a perpetual succession, and enjoying- 

 part of the realm. But there are also special coroners a kind of legal immortality. 



for every county in England, %vho are, along Avith the A corporation may be either sole or aggregate. It is 



sheriffs, conservators of the peace in the counties where sole, when the corporate rights are vested in a single 



they are elected ; and it is to these particular coroners individual ; and aggregate, when they are vested in a 



that the following observations apply. number. 



The coroner is chosen by all the freeholders assem- Corporations, of which there are various species, have 



bled in the county court ; for which purpose, there is a been instituted for the advancement of religion, of 



writ at common law de coronatore eligendo, in which learning, and of commerce, with the view of preserving 



the sheriff is expressly commanded, " quod talem eligi for ever entire those rights and privileges, which, if 



J'aciat, qui melius et sciat, el velit, etpossit, officio illi in- vested only in the persons of individuals, would, like 



tender e.'' By the statute of Westminster, i.e. 10, this all other personal rights upon their death, be utterly 



officer ought to be a sufficient person, that is, the wisest lost and extinct. These political bodies would appear 



and discreetest knight that best would and might at- to have been originally invented by the Romans, and, 



tend upon such an office ; there is also a writ in the re- according to Plutarch, were first introduced by Numa 



gister, Nisi sit miles, &c. from which it would appear ' Pompilius, who instituted separate societies of every 



that a coroner must be a knight, and have, at least, an mechanical trade and profession. They were recogni- 



hundred shillings rent of freehold ; and there is an in- sed, and much considered by the civil law, under the 



stance in- the 5 Edward III. of a man being removed name of uitiversitates or collegia; and adopted by the 



from this office because he was only a merchant. But canon law, for the purpose of maintaining ecclesiastical 



at present it seems to be sufficient, if a man possess discipline. The Romans, however, had no notion of 



lands enough to be made a knight, whether he be really sole corporations ; with them the number of three was 



knighted or not ; for the coroner ought to have estate requisite ; although a corporation, originally consisting 



sufficient to maintain the dignity of his office, and to of three persons, might still subsist when reduced to a 



answer any fines that may be imposed upon him for his single number. 



misbehaviour,- and if he has not enough to answer, Corporations, whether sole or aggregate, may be di- 



the fine shall be levied on the county, as a punishment vided into ecclesiastical and lay. The former consist en- 



for electing an insufficient officer. The office of coro- tirely of spiritual persons, and are erected with the view 



ner, however, has now been suffered to fall into disre- of promoting religion, and perpetuating the rights of 



pute ; and instead of being filled by gentlemen of pro- the church. Lay corporations are either civil or elee- 



perty, who neither required nor woidd condescend to mosynary. Civil corporations are erected for different 



receive payment for serving their country, and who, temporal purposes, for the good of government, for 



indeed, were expressly forbidden by the above men- the advancement and regulation of commerce and ma- 



tioned statute of Westm. i. to take any reward, under nufactures, &c. Eleemosynary corporations are consti- 



the pain of great forfeiture to the king, it has for many tuted for the perpetual distribution of the free alms or 



years past been conferred upon inferior persons, in in- bounty of their founder ; such as hospitals, &c. By the 



digent circumstances, who have offered themselves, civil law, it does not appear that any authority was re- 



with a view to the emoluments of the office, being al- quired to create a corporation beyond the mere volun- 



lowed certain fees for their attendance, by the statute 3 tary act and association of the members, provided it was 



Hen. VII. c. i. The coroner's office is for life ; but he not established for purposes contrary to the existing 



may be removed, in obtaining any other situation in- laws. But in England, the consent of the king is ab-- 



compatible with its duties ; or by the king's writ de solutely necessary to the establishment of a corporation, 



coronatore exonerando, wherein the cause of incapacity and this consent may be either express or implied. The 



must be assigned. royal consent is implied in those corporations which ex- 



"lhe duties of a coroner are either ministerial or ju- ist by force of the common law, to which former kings 



dicial, but principally of the latter description ; and are ju'esumed to have given their concurrence, and in 



they are, in a great measure, ascertained by the statute all those which exist by prescription. The king's con- 



4 Edw. I. de officio coronatoris. He is to enquire into sent may be given expressly, either by act of pailie.-- 



vol. vn. part u ' 2. a 



CofniiilJa, 

 Corpora- 

 tion. 



