Blacks Law Dict. 1st ed

278

CORONER

CORPORATION

CORONER. The name of an ancient of ficer of the common law, whose office and functions are continued in modern English and American administration. The coroner is an officer belonging to each county, and is charged with duties both judicial and minis terial, but chiefly the former. It is his spe cial province and duty to make inquiry into the causes and circumstances of any death happening within his territory which occurs thiough violence or suddenly and with marks of suspicion. This examination (called the "coroner's inquest") is held with a jury of proper persons upon view of the dead body. See Bract, fol. 121; 1 Bl. Comm. 346-348; 3 Steph. Comm. 33. In England, another branch of his judicial office is to inquire con cerning shipwrecks, and certify whether wreck or not, and who is in possession of the goods; and also to inquire concerning treas ure trove, who were the finders, and where it is, and whether any one be suspected of having found and concealed a treasure. 1 Bl. Comm. 349. It belongs to the ministerial office of the coroner to serve writs and other process, and generally to discharge the du ties of the sheriff, in case of the incapacity of that officer or a vacancy in his office. C O R O N E R ' S COURT. In England. A tribunal of record, where a coroner holds his inquiries. CORPORAL. Relating to the body; bodily. Should be distinguished from cor poreal, {q. v.) A non-commissioned officer of the lowest grade in a company of soldiers in the army. CORPORAL OATH. An oath, the ex ternal solemnity of which consists in laying one's hand upon the Gospels while the oath is administered to him. More generally, a solemn oath. The terms "corporal oath" and "solemn oath" are, in Indiana, at least, used synonymously; and an oath taken with the uplifted hand may be prop erly described by either term. 1 Ind. 184. CORPORAL TOUCH. Bodily touch; actual physical contact; manual apprehen sion. CORPORALE SACRAMENTUM. In old English law. A corporal oath. Corporalis injuria non recipit eesti mationem de future A personal injury does not receive satisfaction from a future course of proceeding, [is not left for its sat isfaction to a future course of proceeding.] Bac. Max. reg. 6; Broom, Max. 278.

CORPORATE. Belonging to ft corpo ration; as a corporate name. Incorporated; as a corporate body. CORPORATE NAME. When a corpo ration is erected, a name is always given to it, or, supposing none to be actually given, will attach to it by implication, and by that name alone it must sue and be sued, and do all legal acts, though a very minute variation therein is not material, and the name is ca pable of being changed (by competent au thority) without affecting the identity or ca pacity of the corporation. Wharton. CORPORATION. A franchise possessed by one or more individuals, who subsist as a body politic, under a special denomination, and are vested by the policy of the law with the capacity of perpetual succession, and of acting in several respects, however numer ous the association may be, as a single indi vidual. 2 Kent, Comm. 267. An artificial person or being, endowed by law with the capacity of perpetual succes sion; consisting either of a single individual, (termed a "corporation sole,") or of a collec tion of several individuals, (which is termed a " corpoi ation aggregate.") 3 Steph. Comm. 166; 1 Bl. Comm. 467, 469. A corporation is an intellectual body, cre ated by law, composed of individuals united under a common name, the members of which succeed each other, so that the body contin ues always the same, notwithstanding the change of the individuals who compose it, and which, for certain purposes, is considered a natural person. Civil Code La. art. 427. A corporation is an artificial person cre ated by law for specific purposes, the limit of whose existence, powers, and liabilities is fixed by the act of incorporation, usually called its "charter." Code Ga. 1882, § 1670. Classification. According to the accepted classification of corporations, they are first di vided into public and private. A public corporation is one having for its object the administration of a portion of the powers of government delegated to it for that purpose; such are municipal corpora tions. All others are private. Code Ga. 1882, § 1672. Corporations are either public or private. Pub lic corporations are formed or organized for the government of a portion of the state; all other cor porations are private. Civil Code Cal. § 284. Public corporations are generally esteemed such as exist for political purposes only, such as towns, cities, parishes, and counties; and in many re spects they are so, although they involve some pri vate interest; but, strictly speaking, public cor

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