book. t h e i r o w n o p i n i o n u p o n e a c h m a t t e r , a n d i h a l l t h e n la y t h e
—i —< w h o l e b e f o r e t h e p e rm a n e n t c o u n c i l f o r i t s f in a l d e c if io n .
.In the department, when.there ihall happen to be no m;-
nifter, the fenior fenator ihall prefide. Each prefident has,
he fide his common vote, a calling voice, in cafe of an equa-
.lity of fuffrages. In all the departments, as well as in the
council in plena, the loweft member in rank ihall give tire
.firft vote.
The council fir all alfemble Jn pleno, as often as neceffity
j-equires, in prefence of the king, when he is pleafed to be
prefent; and in his majefty’s .abfence, the primate during
his turn ihall prefide^ and in his abfence, the firft fenator.
The king ihall firft propofe whatever he thinks proper,
and the queftion ihall be decided, i f not unanimoufly, by a
plurality of voices. In all cafes, when the king is not prefent,
the primate, or, in his abfence, the firft in rank, ihall
have the power of propoiing.
A f t e rw a r d s , t h e m a r l h a l o f t h e e q u e f t r i a n o r d e r , a n d t h e n
- e a c h c o u n f e l l o r , i h a l l f u c c e f l iv e ly h a v e t h e l i b e r t y o f p r o -
ip o f in g .
Then the feeretary of the council ihall read the xegifters
-of the five departments, that the affairs which they treat
may be finally decided by the permanent council in pleno,
or returned to the department from which it was delivered
■for more exadt information. When the king is not prefent
in the council, the firft fenator and the mar(lial of the
equeftrian order, ihall, in the name o f the council, make reports
of the affairs in agitation to the king. The king,
having received them, ihall, if he pleafes, give his two votes
in writing, which ihall be as valid as if he had been prefent.
I f the king gives no vote before the next meeting, thequef-
itioB ihall be decided by the majori tyand, in cafe of an
equality,
equality, the firft in rank who prefides in the council ihall ct^ p*
have the calling voice. . / <
I f the king is abfent from Warfaw with the permiflion of
the council, the council muft repair to the place where he
refides ; but i f his majefty quits Warfaw of his own accord,
the election of the candidates, and the diftribution of the
charges, ihall be fufpended two months ; at the expiration
of which term, one of the members of the department for
foreign affairs ihall attend his majefty, to the end that a cor-
refpondence be preferved between the king and the council.
The memorials, in all public matters cognizable by the
council, may be prefented to any member of the council,
or even to the feeretary ; but in all private affairs equally
cognizable by the council, the memorials muft be prefented
by thofe perfons whom they concern.
The member who prefents a memorial, having firft figned
it, ihall fend it to the feeretary of the council, and the latter,
having made extraéis from it, ihall read them to the council
at the next meeting, bringing with him, however, the
original to be examined in cafe of neceffity.
But if the counfellor, who fends a memorial to the fecre-
tary, perceives it to be of fuch great importance as to deferve
the infpeélion of the council, he ihall add after his name
the following words, f| This memorial admits no delay.” -
But ihould a memorial be of fuch a nature as to require fe-
crecy, and to be laid before the council in the firft refort,
then the counfellor, to whom it has been given, ihall him-
felf, without fending it to the fecretáry, lay it before the
council.
In all queftions, if the members o f the council are not
unanimous, the firft in order, whoever he be, marihal, minified
or member of the council, ihall diftribute, in the
V ol. I* L manner