Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/72

 34 Readings in European History The method of voting by orders, not by individuals. Execution of the diet's decrees. The free towns. In reaching decisions on important matters the diet is wont to have but three votes, or ballots : one is cast by the electors, the second by the princes, and the third by the representatives of the free towns. . . . When the diet is about to come to an end, these three votes are compared, and the decision sanctioned by two of them is regarded as conclusive and established ; and each prince of the empire whether present or absent, and similarly every free town, is obliged to obey that which the diet decides, under heavy penalties, both as to furnishing money and sending troops in the manner prescribed. The king, or emperor, has full authority, as soon as the diet has dissolved, to order every one to obey its decisions. If, nevertheless, some one ventures to disobey, the whole Empire, in order not to see its commands disregarded, always turns upon the offender, as happened in recent years in the case of the count palatine, who, for his refusal to accede to what was determined upon at the diet of Augs- burg, which was especially concerned with the heritage of Duke George of Bavaria, roused the anger of the king and the whole Empire against him, and in a brief space of time was destroyed. For this reason all the princes and free towns are careful to follow the decisions of the diets, nor do they venture to contravene in any way what has been estab- lished. Decisions of the diet cannot be changed except by another diet similar to that which first ratified them. As for the government of the free towns, each one rules itself by its council, to which are admitted citizens, traders who are not citizens, and artisans ; yet not all the members of these classes are included in the council, for the number varies with the size of the place, and changes from time to time. These councils appoint the magistrates, who admin- ister justice for the time being and, moreover, regulate the revenues and public affairs of the town precisely as if it was a free and independent state. Some of the towns owe their freedom to privileges granted by the emperor for deeds of valor in the struggle of the Em- pire against the infidels, who were earlier very troublesome,