Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/49

Rh them. All that are capable of bearing arms, are exercied, and ready at a moment's call.

The overeign power of the republic was lodged, originally, in what they call the arengo, a great council, in which every houe had its repreentative; but, becaue they found too much confuion in uch a multitude of tatemen, they devolved their whole authority into the hands of the council of ixty. The arengo, however, is till called together in caes of extraordinary importance; and if, after due ummons, any member abents himelf, he is to be fined. In the ordinary coure of government, the council of ixty, which, notwithtanding the name, conits but of forty perons, has in its hands the adminitration of affairs, and is made up of half out of the noble families, and half out of the plebeian. They decide all by ballotting, are not admitted until five-and-twenty years old, and chooe the officers of the commonwealth.

No entence can tand that is not confirmed by two thirds of this council; no on can be admitted into it during; the life of his father, nor two be in it of the ame family, nor any enter but by election. The chief officers of the commonwealth are the two capitaneos, who have uch a power as the old Roman conuls had, but are choen every ix months. Some have been capitaneos ix or even times, though the office is never to be continued to the fame perons twice ucceively. The third officer is the commiary, who judges in all civil and criminal matters: but becaue the many alliances, friendhips, and intermarriages, as well as the peronal feuds and animoities that happen among o mall a people, might obtruct the coure of jutice, if one of their own number had the ditribution of it, they have always a foreigner for this employ, whom