Part 40 (1/2)

III. The Council of Ten (Consiglio de' Dieci).--After 1310 this Council absorbed some of the functions of the Senate. Brown, _Venice_, p. 177.

_How elected._

For one year, by the Maggior Consiglio, out of a list of twenty, of which ten were elected by the Consiglio, ten by the Doge, his Councillors, and the Chiefs of the Supreme Court of Justice. No member to be re-eligible for a year after holding office. The Doge and his six Councillors were _ex-officio_ members. Subsequently, twenty additional members were elected in the Maggior Consiglio for each important case.

_Functions._--(_a_) It looked after urgent questions of finance, public policy, and military organisation.

(_b_) Tried cases of treason, and other cases removed from the ordinary courts by the College.

IV. The Collegio proposed measures to the Senate, and was the _Supreme Executive Authority_.

_Members._--(_a_) The Doge, six Councillors, three Presidents of the Criminal Court of Appeal.

(_b_) Six Savii Grandi, elected by the Senate for a period of six months. Must be 38 years old.

These superintended the action of the boards below them, and fulfilled the work of the responsible ministers of State.

(_c_) Five Savii di Terra Firma, elected for six months. Must be 30 years old.

=1.= Savio alla Scrittura. Minister of War.

=2.= Savio Ca.s.sier. Chancellor of Exchequer.

=3.= Savio alle Ordinanze. Minister for Native Militia.

=4.= Savio ai da mo. Minister for execution of urgent matters.

=5.= Savio ai ceremoniali. Minister for ceremonies of State.

(_d_) Five Savii da Mar, or agli ordini.

The Board of Admiralty, elected for six months, worked under direct superintendence of the Savii Grandi. Had a vote, but no voice in the College. Filled for most part with young men, who here received their political education.

V. The Doge.--Elected for life, by forty-one electors, themselves chosen by ballot, and vote in the Great Council (cf. Brown, _Venice_, p. 150). His position ornamental. He, with his six Councillors, who were elected for eight months in the Great Council, presided over the Council, the Senate, the College, and all State affairs were conducted in his name. But he had no power without his six Councillors, and little even with them.

VI. Justice.--This was administered by four Supreme Courts formed of judges elected out of its own members by the Great Council, who held office nominally for one year, but were usually re-elected.

(_a_) _Criminal._--The members of this Court sat in the Senate, and its three presidents in the College.

(_b_) Three Courts of Civil Jurisdiction: of which one heard appeals from the inferior Courts in Venice, the other two from the Courts in the dependencies.

No decision of the appellant Court was valid unless it confirmed the decision of the inferior Court; and in the event of their decisions differing, the matter was constantly referred backward and forward until the Court of first instance and the Supreme Court could agree.

VII. Taxation.--Venice always objected to permanent direct taxation, and it was not till 1530 that she resorted to an income tax.

The chief taxes were:

=1.= Forced loans, redeemable or not, on which the State paid regular interest. This system, adopted in 1171, is perhaps the earliest instance of a national debt.

=2.= Each member of a guild paid--