A Masterpiece of Constitutional Folly. held supreme control of the rights and privi leges of its American subjects, and only the King could interfere therein. In addition to the Palatine there were seven other chief officers, Admiral, Cham berlain, Chancellor, Constable, Chief Justice, High Steward, and Treasurer. Including the Palatine Court provision was made for eight Supreme Courts, each taking its name from a chief officer named above. The Chancellor's Court held control of all matters of State, the direction of Indian affairs, and the supervision of printing. The Chief Justice's Court had jurisdiction over appeals, both civic and criminal, except such as came under the jurisdiction of the other Proprietors' Courts. The Constable's Court was an embryo War Department, since it had the ordering of military affairs and the supervi sion of arms, ammunition, etc. The Ad miral's Court, or, in other words, the Court of Admiralty, had the power of appointing judges for port towns, as well as the admin istration of affairs concerning the commerce of the seas, the seizure of vessels, and the like. The Treasurer's Court had full con trol of the direction of all matters concerning the public revenues. The High Steward was a kind of general utility man, for he had charge of all matters pertaining to floods, drainage, sewers, public buildings, highways, bridges, the surveying of lands, and the care of foreign trade. The Chamberlain was a man of ceremony. He had direction of pub lic assemblies, of the reception of messengers, the keeping of pedigrees, the registration of births, marriages, and deaths, as well as "the regulating of all fashions, habits, badges, sports," etc. In addition to these courts there was to be a Grand Council, to consist of the Pala tine, the seven Proprietors, and forty-two counsellors selected from the different Pro prietors' Courts. In this council was invested the power to settle all controversies arising between the various Proprietors' Courts as to their respective jurisdictions. This body
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also had the preparation of matters for pre sentment to Parliament, and no matter was allowed to go up to Parliament from the Province that did not first pass through the hands of this Grand Council. The Palatine and each Proprietor was allowed a deputy to represent him in the council. Thus the Proprietors had dual power of supremacy, through the Palatine Court in England and the Grand Council in the Province. Provision was made for County and Pre cinct Courts for the trial of " small causes," civic and criminal. In order to try cases of treason, murder, and the like, a commission was granted twice a year to one or more members of the Grand Council who came as judge to county or precinct, and, together with sheriff and four justices, constituted the Court of Assizes. From this court the plaintiff could appeal to the Court of the Proprietors within the jurisdiction of which his particular case lay, but not until he had paid £$o sterling " for the use of the Lords Proprietors." The rules governing jurymen were exceed ingly crude and altogether unsatisfactory. Then, as now, twelve constituted the jury, but to reach a verdict it was not necessary that all should agree. Seven could carry the day against five if they so decided. There was no provision whatever in this wonderful piece of patchwork laws for counsellors-at-law. Indeed, the Grand Model made it an offense for any äave a near kins man " to plead another's cause " until he had first, in open court, made oath that he was not to receive money or reward of any kind. True to its conception and its purposes it had for its one tenor " patrician privileges." He who could plead before a court must not do so for money. The ignorant could not, neither could he employ counsel. The im mense influence this gave the governing class in the dispensation of the laws can readily be seen. Every two years there was to be a Par liament held in the Province, to consist of
