QUARTER sessions. The sessions of the peace is a court of record holden be fore two or more justices, whereof one is of the quorum, for the execution of the authority given them by the commission of the peace, and certain statutes and acts of parliament. The justices keep their sessions in every quarter of the year at least, and for three days, if need be ; to wit, in the first week after the feast of St. Michael, in the first week after the Epiphany, in the first week after Easter, and in the first week after St. Thomas, and oftener, if need be.
Any two justices, one whereof is of the quorum, by the words of the commission of the peace, may issue their precept to the sheriff; to summon a session for the general execution of their authority ; and such session, holden at any time within that quarter of a year, is a general quar ter-session. and the sheriff must summons a jury under their authority.
There are many offences, which, by particular statutes, belong properly to this jurisdiction, and ought to be prosecuted in this court as the smaller misdemeanors, not amounting to felony, and especially offences relating to the game, highways, alehouses, bastard children, the settle ments and provision of the poor, vagrants, servants' wages, apprentices, and popish recusants. Some of these are proceeded
upon by indictment, and others in a sum mary way, by motion and order, which may, for the most part, unleSs guarded against by any particular statute, be re moved into the Court of King's Bench by certiorari, and be there either quashed or confirmed.
The business done at quarter sessions is become of the highest importance to the country, and the public are greatly indebted to those magistrates who have sufficient knowledge of law to perform the duties of their office and give their attendance. In Ireland a practising bar. rister is appointed at each session to assist as chairman. In England this is not ge nerally the case by law, but barristers are chiefly preferred, and the duty to be performed is so multifarious, that it re quires no small skill in law, accompa nied with much activity and industry, to execute it justly.