AULIC COUNCIL (Lat. auto, court or hall), one of the two highest courts of the old German empire, co-ordinate with the imperial chamber. It crime into existence in 1495, and seems to have been at first employed principally in preparing business matters regard ing the crown lands and the empire generally, in order to expedite the decisions of the imperial chamber. It soon, however, began to assume or acquire higher functions. After 1502, the states submitted important grievances to its independent consideration; lint it did not receive a fixed constitution before 1559. In 1654, it was formally recog nized as the second of the two supreme courts, and equal in dignity to the imperial chamber, It was composed of a president, a vice-president, a vice-chancellor, and eighteen councilors, who were all chosen and paid by the emperor, with the excep tion of the vice-chancellor, who was appointed by the elector of Mainz. Of the eighteen councilors. six were Protestants, whose votes, when they were unanimous,
could not be set aside by those of the others, so that -a religious parity was to some extent preserved. The councilors were divided into three classes—counts, barons, and men of learning—all of whom were on a footing of equality, except that the last men tioned received a higher salary, and were usually advanced into the ranks of the nobility. The council held aloof from politics, but under its jurisdiction were placed: 1st. All matters of feudality in which the emperor was immediately concerned; 2d. All questions of appeal on the part of the states from decisions in favor of the emperor in minor courts; 3d. Whatever concerned the imperial jurisdiction in Italy. On the death of the emperor, the council was dissolved, and had to be reconstructed by his successor. It finally ceased to exist on the extinction of the old German empire in 1806.