CONSERVATORS OF TIIE PEACE. The sovereign, by virtue of his office, is the prin cipal conservator of the peace within these realms. The function which lie thus possesses lie may delegate, thus constituting a subject a conservator of the peace. The office, i ce, however, must always be exercised in the sovereign's name, and it is for this reason that we always speak of the king's or of the queen's peace. Several high officers of the crown, the chancellor or keeper, the lord high steward, the lord marshal, and the lord high constable, when there are such officers, all the justices of the queen's bench, the master of the rolls, are C. of the P. throughout the whole kingdom, and may com mit breakers of the peace or bind them in cognizanees anywhere. Other judges possess this power only within the limits of their own jurisdiction. The sheriff and coro ner are C. of the P. within their respective counties, and constables, tithing-men, etc.,
within their jurisdictions But in addition to these official conservators, others were appointed expressly for the purpose, previous to the appointment of justices of the peace, in the reign of Edward III. Their powers were far inferior to those of the jus tices, being confined exclusively to the function which the name indicates. The lords of manors frequently possessed the powers of conservators within their manors by pre scription, and it was not unusual for lands to be held on the tenure of discharging the duties of a conservator of the peace within the county. Lastly, conservators were appointed by letters-patent from the crown in cases of emergency for the preservation of the peace iu particular districts. All these different kinds of conservators, with the exception of these judges and others who are conservators ex officio were superseded by the appointment of justices of the peace (q.v.).