The prelates, abbots, and abbesses of the empire were divided into two benches, the Swabian and the Rhenish, of which each had one vote. The counts and no bles of the empire were divided into four benches ; of Suabia, Franconia, West phalia, and of Wetterau, each having one vote. They belonged to the second college.
The free Imperial cities formed a col lege at the diet, divided into two benches, the Rhenish with fourteen cities, and the Snabian with thirty-seven. Each town had a vote.
The above-mentioned three colleges formed the Diet of the empire, whose ordinary meetings were formerly sum moned by the emperors twice a-year, in addition to extraordinary meetings. From the year 1663 the Diet sat at Ratisbon. The emperor at first appeared personally at the Diet, but in course of time he sent a delegate, called Principal Commissarius, who was always himself a prince of the empire, and who had an assistant, called Con-commissarius. The elector of Mainz, as arch-chancellor for Germany, or his deputy, presided in the Diet, and every despatch addressed to the Diet was di rected to him, and communicated from his chancery to the members of the Diet. The president of the first college was the elector of Mainz ; of the second, alter nately, the archbishop of Salzburg and the arch-duke of Austria ; and of the third, the representative of the town where the Diet was held. Every college voted separately ; and when their respective decisions on the subject under discussion agreed, the matter was presented for the ratification of the emperor ; after which it became law, and was called conclusum imperil. The emperor could refuse his ratification, but could not modify the de cisions of the diet.
The Diet enacted, abolished, and inter preted laws ; declared war : concluded peace ; contracted alliances ; and received foreign ambassadors. A declaration of war was decided on an Imperial proposition, by a majority of votes ; and when it was decided, even those states that had voted against it were obliged to furnish their contingents. The diet also imposed taxes for the general expenses of the empire.
There were two tribunals for the de cision of points in dispute between the members of the empire ; the Aurae Coux cu. of the empire, which had its seat always at the residence of the emperor; and the Cameral tribunal of the empire (Cameralgericht), which sat at Wetzlar. They were composed of members dele gated by the different states of the empire, and an imperial deputy presided.
The emperor was elected only by the electors, who could do it either personally or by deputies. The place of election was Frankfort on the Main, where the coronation alto took place, although the golden bull of Charles IV. declared that the emperor should be elected at Frank fort, and crowned at Aix-la-Chapelle. All strangers, even the princes of the empire and foreign ambassadors, were obliged to leave the town on the day of the election, which took place in a chapel of St. Bartholomew's Church. Mainz was the teller ; and after having collected the votes, he gave his own to Saxony. The emperor, immediately after the elec tion, swore to the constitution, or, as it was legally termed, capitulation. He could do it either personally or by deputy.