1840—OCTOBER 29—At the Michaelmas Sessions the magistrates became embroiled in a dispute with Mr. W. S. P. Hughes, one of the county coroners, arising out of a complaint made by the constable of Rock, who accused Mr. Hughes of “extorting” a fee of a shilling from him illegally. The fee was “for the crier of the court,” which the coroners in this county had always been in the habit of requiring, but after the passing of the act, 1 and 2 Victoria, certainly could not be sustained; and this Mr. Hughes admitted in a letter to the committee of magistrates which had been appointed to take the matter into consideration. This, however, the committee said came too late; as Mr. Hughes had been repeatedly warned that the fee was illegal, and they considered that he had rendered himself liable to a prosecution “for extortion and misconduct in his office,” or might be removed from the coronership altogether by a petition to the Lord Chancellor. Mr. Hughes applied to be heard against the report, by counsel, but this the court refused by a majority of 33 to 7. Mr. Hughes then protested against the proceedings of the committee as _ex parte_, and their report as showing an animus against him wholly unwarranted and improper. Mr. Charles Best, coroner, deposed that he and his predecessors in office had always been in the habit of requiring this shilling. After a discussion, the Rev. Thomas Pearson moved the adoption of the report, and that the chairman should inform Mr. Hughes that his charge was illegal, and admonish him accordingly. This was carried, and the chairman “admonished” Mr. Hughes, who immediately said—“I do not consider you have any power to admonish me. I, as coroner of this county, am an officer far superior to the magistrates of this court; and I take leave to tell them that they by no means adopt a proper course when they take upon themselves to admonish a superior officer of the crown.” 1841—JANUARY 4—Mr. Helm unanimously appointed county solicitor. The Quarter Sessions advertisements ordered to be inserted in the _Worcestershire Chronicle_, but not in the _Kidderminster Messenger_. 1841—APRIL 5—At the Easter Sessions, a new assessment of the county by surveyors was ordered, on which to base the county rate, and £500 placed at the disposal of a committee to obtain it. 1842—JANUARY 3—At the Epiphany Sessions, the court agreed to memorialise the Government to pay the cost of the rural police. Memorials from five parishes were presented, complaining of the expense of the police, and declaring that the county rates were nearly doubled by them.