§ MR. COBBETTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to introduce any measure during the present Session to alter the Law as regards the payment of Coroners' Fees and Expenses.
SIR GEORGE LEWISsaid, there was considerable uncertainty and inconvenience in the present state of the law with respect to the payment of those fees and expenses, on account of the conflicts between county magistrates and coroners as to the fees and expenses of the latter. The county magistrates frequently disallowed the expenses, and there was no appeal to any third power. The Secretary of State was often applied to, but had no jurisdiction in the matter. It was his intention, under these circumstances, to bring in a Bill for the purpose of giving to the 562 coroners an appeal to the Court of Queen's Bench in disputed cases respecting the payment of fees and expenses. He hoped that before long that power of appeal would lead to a decision of all the principal points in dispute, and if the law laid down by the Court were not satisfactory to the House, an amending measure might then be introduced.