b o o k may aii propofe themfelves, as well as recommend others,
l'_ . giving in their petition to that purpofe in writing.
The fecret balloting being finifhed, the marihal of the
equeftrian order, and the marihal minifter, ihall break each
his feal and open the Vafe; and then, in conjun&ion with the
two deputies from the fenate and two from the equeftrian
order, ihall declare the number of balls or billets.
After which, the marihal o f the equeftrian order ihall read
aloud the names of the candidates, and the number of votes
in favour of each candidate, and ihall declare for whom is
the majority, which the fecretary ihall immediately regifter.
The king has the privilege of convening an affembly of
the permanent council; and,in his abfence, the firft in rank
neither o f whom can refufe to fummon a meeting upon the
requeft of any one member, reprefenting the neceffity of
difcuffing an affair of great importance. Each member of the
council has the liberty of delivering his opinion in a decent
manner; but whenever any affair, relative to any member,
is in agitation, that member Ihall have no vote.
Two perfons of the fame family, and even of the fame
furname, cannot be cl ccled into the council, at the fame
time, as members of the fame eftate, namely, two fenators,
or two perfons of the equeftrian order; but only one perfon
for each eftate.
All the decrees of the permanent council ihall be iffued
in the name of the king, without any payment for the
affixing of the feal, in the following manner: “ We the
“ king, with the advice of the permanent council.”
In order to prevent too frequent interruptions, no member
of the council ihall be abfent more than fix months in the
year,
year, either at one or at different intervals, but with the con- CI^ P‘
lent of the permanent council granted by the majority. *— .— 1
The members who exceed their leave of abfence ihall lofe
a proportionate part of their falary; the fame ihall be un-
derftood of thofe who, being at Warfaw, do not attend the
fittings of the council; excepting, in both cafes, perfons em ployed
in other public offices, or thofe who produce proof
of ficknefs.
The deduilion of the falaries from the abfent members
ihall, at the end of the year, be divided among thofe who
have affiduouily performed their duty.
The members of the permanent council cannot be fent
beyond the frontiers as minifters to foreign courts : a perfon-
may decline being elected a member; but, when once admitted,
he cannot refign upon any pretext.
At each ordinary diet, when the council expires, a third of
the members of the laft permanent council, namely, fix from
the fenators, and the fame number from the equeftrian order,
ihall be continued, by ballot, members for the following
years; and this is done to the end that the council may always
contain perfons experienced in bufinels.
At the next ordinary diet, a particular place in the fenate-
houfe ihall he affigned to the council, to anfwer any complaints
which may be brought againft it, and to receive a
public teftimony to be inferted in theconftitutions of the diet;
either that the diet received no complaints againft the permanent
council; or that, having received them, they were
proved upon examination to be ill-founded ; or that, having
acknowledged their validity, juftice was accordingly inflidted.
The fenators and minifters in the council ihall have their
ufual places in the fenate. In the ordinary diets, the coun-
feliors of the equeftrian order iliall fit next to the minifters.
N o n e