ELECTORS, GEInt.tx lucEnt.u, (Lat.. from cligcre, to choose). In the Holy Roman Empire. the college of lay and ecclesiastical princes in whom the right of choosing the King of the Romans was vested. With the extinction of the Carolingian line after the breaking up of the Empire of Charles the Great, the kingship in Germany became elective, the right of election residing in certain of the great feudato•cs, though just in whom or on what grounds is not clear from the early mediaeval accounts. An electoral body is vaguely mentioned in chronicles of 1152. 1198, and 1230. but there is no clear indication as to who composed the body. A letter of Pope Urban IV. in 1263 says that the right belongs by immeinorial custom to seven persons. The electoral college was first clearly defined in 1:356 in the Golden Bull, a constitu tion for the Holy Roman Empire, issued by the Emperor Charles IV. This document also prescribed the exact form and manner of election of the 'King of the Romans and future Em peror.' The statements in this document seem to indicate that the right of election had been attached to certain hereditary offices in the Imperial Court, as each prince elector is asso ciated with such an office. The electors were the Archbishop of Mains Chancello• of the Holy Empire for Ger many; the Archbishop of Colville, Arch-Chan cellor for Italy; the Archbishop of Treves (Trier). Arch-Chancellor for the Gallic Prov inces and Arles: the King of Bohemia. Arch Cuphearer; the Count Palatine of the Rhine, Arch-Steward; the Duke of Saxony. Arch Marshal; and the Ma•grave of Brandenbm•g, Arch-Chamberhin. These electors had special
dignities and privileges, which were elaborately set forth in the Golden Bull. They bad no especial legal powers beyond that of election, but through that they exercised a strong influence on imperial affairs. The German princes held that an election as King of the BOHM ns by the German electors was also an eleetion as ]loll- Boman Emperor: but the popes con tended that they alone. as vicars of God, could bestow the imperial dignity. The Peace of Westphalia (164S) created an eighth electorate for the heirs of the Count Palatine, Frederick V.. who had been despoiled of his elec torate in behalf of the Duke of Davaria in the Thirty Years' War. A ninth• that of Brunswick was created in 1602, and fully estab lished in 1710, a. the electorate of Ilanover. In 1777 the inheritance of Bavaria by the Elector Palatine restored the number to eight. In 1S03, just before the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, changes were made, the number tieing increased. Among the rulers raised at this time to the dignity of elector was the Landgrave of in whose house the title was re tained till the extinction of the State in 18613. From the fifteenth century the electors consti tuted a separate college in the Imperial Diet. Consuit : Bryce. The Holy Empire don, 1s92): Turner, The Ocraianie Constitution (New York. 18s8). The Golden Buil is trans lated in Ilenderson, Select Historical Documents of the Middle Ayes (London. 102). See IIOLY