The Commissioners of Insolvent Debt ors make circuits thrice a year through out England and Wales, for the purpose of discharging insolvent debtors. There are four circuits, corresponding with the number of commissioners. The Home Circuit comprises five towns, the Mid land twenty-six, the Northern twenty two, and the Southern twenty-six,—in all seventy-six towns.
The Romans used to divide their Pro vinces into districts, and to appoint certain places, at which the people within the seve ral districts used to assemble at stated times for the purpose of having their disputes settled by legal process. These places were called Conventus, "meetings," a word which properly signified " the act of meet ing," and the assembly or people who met ; and the term "Conventus" was also used to clxpress the jurisdiction exercised by the governor at such district courts, and also the districts themselves. The practice was for the governor to make a circuit through the province and hold his courts at each Conventus at stated times, as we see from various passages in Cice ro's works and Caesar's ' Gallic War.' (Cicero Against Verres, vii. c. 11 ; Caesar, Gallic War, i. 6, v. 2.) During his Gallic War Caesar used to go his Circuits in the winter after the campaign for the year was over. Some towns in the
Roman Provinces obtained the privileges of having magistrates of their own (Jus Italicum), but as the governor (procon sul, or praetor) had the supreme authority, there was probably an appeal to him from the decision of such magistrates. Pliny (iii. 1. 3 ; iv. 22) states that in his time Hispania Citerior, which lay between the Ebro and the Pyrenees, was divided into seven Conventus, or judicial districts, and Hispania Baetica, which was com prised between the Ebro and the Guadi ana, was divided into four judicial dis tricts. The Province of Lusitania, which corresponded pretty nearly with modern Portugal, was divided into four judicial circuits. Strabo (xiii. p. 629) has some remarks on the judicial districts in the west part of Asia Minor. The business done at the Conventus was not confined to the settlement of legal disputes ; but other matters were also transacted there which required certain forms in order to have a legal effect, such as the manumis sion of slaves by those who were under thirty years of age (Gains i. 20).