except they have for their Labour 13/4s which is contrary to the
Common Law & also to the Statute before rehearsed whereby
great Inconvenience doth daily grow to the Kings Subjects.
It is therefore ordained That upon a Request made to a Core-
-ner to come and enquire upon the view of any Person
slain drowned or otherwise dead by Misadventure, the said
Coroner shall diligently do his Office upon View of the Bo-
-dy of every such Person or Persons without taking any thing
therefore upon Pain to every Coroner who will not endeavour
himself to do his Office (as aforesaid) or who takes any thing for
doing his Office upon any Person dead by Misadventures for
every Time 40sAnd that the Justices of Assized Justices
of Peace within the County where any such Default of the
Coroners be, have Authority & Power to enquire thereof &
determine the same as well by Examination as by Pre-
-sentment. And your Committee further observe that in sd.
Ch. J. Hales Pleas of the Crown it is expresly said That
where any Person dies in Goal the Coroner ought to be sent
for to enquire of the manner of his Death And Hawkins in
his Pleas of the Crown observes yt the Statute De Officis Co-
-ronatoris being wholly directory and in Affirmance of the
Common Law doth neither restrain the Coroner from any
Branch of his Power, nor excuse him from any Pact of his
Duty not mentioned in it, which was incident to his Office be-
-fore & that from thence it follows That tho the Statute men-
-tions only his taking Inquirys of the Death of Persons slain
or drowned or suddenly dead, yet he may and ought to en-
-quire of the Death of all Persons whatsoever who dye in
Prison, to the End that the Publick may be satisfy'd whether
such Persons came to their End by the Common Course of Na-
-ture or by some unlawfull Violence, or unreasonable Hard-
-ships put on them by those under whose Power they were
confined. From which Authorities & others which might be
mention'd