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at the Vestry Hall, to which the mortuary is adjacent, convenient
and suitable for the purpose. Accordingly, the
Works, Sanitary, and General Purposes Committee authorized
me to communicate with the Churchwardens, who,
as trustees of the Vestry Hall, kindly consented to place a
room at the disposal of the Coroner whenever required, on
due notice being given, and subject to the payment which
the Coroner is authorized to make, and does make, for such
accommodation provided elsewhere for the same purpose.
About 150 inquests are held annually in the Parish, and
the majority of them, probably, could be held at the Vestry
Hall, were it the pleasure of the Coroner, in whose power it
is, as already mentioned, to order bodies to be removed to
the "place provided for post.mortem examinations," when
such examination is necessary. In such cases—about two.
thirds of the whole number—it would seem a natural thing,
for a judge, for such the Coroner is, to hold his Court in a
public building ; but, for whatever reason, the Coroner continues
to hold inquests at public houses.
On more than one occasion juries have recently complained
of being taken to public houses in the discharge of their
duties, and have expressed a desire that the Coroner would
hold his court at the Vestry Hall. Jurymen have also complained
that, because they live in the vicinity of the mortuary,
they have been summoned to serve on inquests held on
bodies removed from a distance to the mortuary. The Coroner
stated that a jury should, for obvious reasons, be summoned
from the locality where the death took place, and this no
doubt is a right view of the matter. The objection was
anticipated, and it is one that could be easily overcome by
the Coroner's officer, viz.:—by his making a judicious selection
of jurymen from different parts of the parish, and so arranging
his list as not to have to call with undue frequency upon
any person to serve on a jury.
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