Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/84

46 little and great council, having for chiefs two avoyers, who are alternately regents. There are five hundred citizens in the town, from whom a council of one hundred are choen, who are nominally the overeignty; out of this body are formed the two diviions, the little council, enate, or council of tate, confiding of thirty-ix members, divided into two equal parts of eighteen each, one of which makes choice of the other every half year. The whole power is actually exercied by this body, the two diviions of which adminiter the government by turns. They are ubject to no controul, are neither confirmed by the overeign council, nor by the citizens; the diviion which retires confirming that which comes in. As the vacancies in the enate are filled up by themelves, all power is in poeion of a few Patrician families. The fon ucceeds the father, and the brother his brother.

The grand council conits of ixty-four perons, taken from the citizens, who are aid to have their privileges; but it is hard to gues what they are, as the elections are made by the little and great council conjointly.

The adminitration, the police, the finances, and the whole executive power, is in the enate, which is contantly itting.

The grand council is aembled only upon particular occaions, for the purpoe of legilation. The enate has cognizance of criminal caues, but in capital cafes the grand council is convoked to pronounce entence: in civil caues an appeal lies from the enate to the grand council; but thee appeals can be but mere forms, the ame enators being in both courts.

As the enate contitutes above a third of the grand council, chooe their own members, confer all