As the king is considered the prosecutor in all cri minal proceedings, he is invested, by the constitution, with the prerogative of pardoning offences. Another branch of the prerogative, is the power of issuing pro clamations, by which laws already made arc enforced. The other prerogatives of the king, are the power of conferring honours and dignities, either by writ and letters patent, as in the creation of peers and baronets ; or by corporeal investiture, as in the creation of a knight, of creating new offices, and of regulating weights and measures, and coining money.
The maintenance of the king's household and the civil list, are supplied from the annual taxes. The re venues of the civil list consist at present of 800,0001,, granted by the 1st of George III.; 100,0001. granted by the 17th of George III.; 60,000/. by the 44th of George III.; 70,000/. by the 52d of George III.; aml 35,0001. the surplus of exchequer fees, granted by 23d of George III. but which fluctuates with the general expenditure of the country: the total revenue of the civil list is thus about 1,065,0001. There are 8 classes of expenditure from the civil list. The 1st class comprises pensions and allowances to the royal famiy. From the year 1804 to 1812, these amounted to about 220,0001. By addi tions made in February 1812, in consequence of the king's illness, they were increased to the sum of 390,0001. In the second class, are comprised allowances to the lord chancellor, speaker of the House of Commons, judges of the King's Bench and Common Pleas, barons of the Exchequer, and justices of the Court of Great Session in Wales : in all about 25,0001. In the third class, are comprised salaries to foreign ministers: these of course vary according to the extent of our relations with other powers. Under the fourth class, are comprised bills in the departments of the lord chamberlain, lord steward, master of the horse, and master of the robes : about 250,0001. In the fifth class, salaries in the above de partments about 75,0001. The sixth class, comprehends pensions and compensations to old servants, and late ministers at foreign courts: about 120,0001. The se venth class comprises small fees and salaries to the amount of about 36,0001. And the last class compre hends salaries to the commissioners of the Treasury, and chancellor of the exchequer: about 90001. Besides payments in all these classes, there are occasional pay ments, which may amount on an average to 150,0001.
It has already been mentioned, that the king is the chief magistrate in the country. The principal subor dinate magistrates are, the high sheriffs, coroners, jus tices of the peace, constables, surveyors of highways, and overseers of the poor. The high sheriffs arc elect
ed annually by the lord chancellor, the chancellor of the exchequer, the judges, and privy council. The powers and duties of the high sheriff are very great ; he deter mines the election of knights of the shire, and, as the keeper of the king's peace, is the first man in the coun ty, having the power of calling out the posse comitatus, or summoning every person above fifteen years old (ex cept peers) to attend him, on pain of fine and impri sonment for disobedience. In his judicial capacity, ho may hear and determine all causes of 40s. value. In civil cases, he is to serve the writ, to arrest, and take bail; to summon the jury in all cases, and to see judg ment executed. He has under him, the under sheriff, bailiffs, and gaolers.
In every county there are usually four coroners, and sometimes six. They are chosen by the freeholders. Their duty is to inquire into the manner and cause of the death of every person who is supposed to have died by violence, suddenly, or in prison. The inquiry is to be made, on view of the body of the deceased, by a jury, over whom the coroner presides. If, by the coroner's inquest, any one is found guilty of murder or manslaughter, he is to commit the offender for fur ther trial. The next denomination of magistrates are justices of the peace, the principal of whom is the cus tos rotulorum, or keeper of the records of the county. Justices are appointed by the king's special commission. In this commission some particular justices are directed to be always included, without whom no business can be done ; and, from the first word in the commission, these are called Justices of the Quorum. Every justice is re quired to have 100/. per annum in estate, clearing all de ductions. The Lord Chancellor, the Lord Treasurer, the Justices of the Court of King's Bench by their of fice, and the Master of the Rolls by prescription, are conservators of the peace throughout the kingdom. No practising attorney, solicitor, or proctor, is capable of acting as a justice of the peace. The number of act ing resident justices of the peace in England and Wales, is about 1560. There are two kinds of constables ; high constables and petty constables : the former preside over a hundred ; the latter are inferior officers in every town and parish. The duty of each class is to keep the peace in their several districts. The duty of surveyors of the highways consists, in puttii.g into execution the statutes for the repair of the public roads. The overseers of the poor are empowered to raise money, by levying rates on the inhabitants for the maintenance of the poor.