AU'LIC COUNCIL (Lat. milieus, Gk. ai.(soc, aulikos. from Gk. aiX11, aub', hall court). One of the two highest mutts of the Holy Roman Empire, coiirdihate with the Imperial Chamber. It was created in 1501 by :Maximilian 1., as a rival to the lniperial Chamber. which the Diet had forced upon him. It seems to have been at first employed principally in preparing business matters regarding the crown-lands and the Empire generally, in order to the decisions of the Imperial Chamber. lt soon, however, began to assume or acquire higher func tions. Later, the States submitted important grievances to its independent consideration; but it did not receive a fixed constitution before 1559. At the Peace of Westphalia, 164S, its powers were greatly limited, but in 1654 it was formally recognized as the second of the two supreme courts, equal in dignity to the Imperial Chamber, and the highest court of appeals in the Empire. 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 exception of the vice-chancello•, who was ap pointed by the Elector of Mainz. Of the eighteen
councilors, six were Protestants, whose votes. when they were unanimous, were an effective veto, so that a religions parity was to some ex tent preserved. The councilors were divided into two classes, barons and counts, and jurists. The seat of the Aulic Council was at the 'Imperial residence, that is, at Vienna. The Council held aloof from politics, but under its juris diction were placed: (1 ) All matters con cerning the reserved rights of the Emperor; (2) all questions of appeal on the part of the States front decisions in favor of the Emperor in minor courts: (3) whatever concerned the 'Imperial jurisdiction in Italy. On the death of the Emperor, the Council was dissolved, and had to he reconstructed by his successor. It ceased to exist on the extinction of the Holy Roman Empire in ISM. Consult Herschenhalm, Gesehichte des kaisorlichen leriehshofraths (Mannheim, 1791-9:3) .