HINTS of OCCURRENCES, &c.

57

Aix la Chapelle is fituated on the fouthern confines of its own territory, which, though it extend not aboveone German mile in diameter, bears the pompous title of the empire of Aix la Chapelle. The town is veryancient, and occupies the firft rank among the free cities of the holy empire. Formerly it was the place of coro-nation of the German emperors ; but Frankfurt on the Main being, on account of its central fituation, deemedmore convenient for the meeting of the eleftors, Aix la Chapelle was deprived of the advantages which the cir-culation of fpecie at fo auguft and expenfive a ceremony ufed to produce; and the magiftrates now content them-felves with fending to Frankfurt fome earth, faid to be part of that on which flowed the blood of St. Stephen,when he was beheaded. The new chofen emperor takes his oath handing on this earth, which to Aix la Cha-pelle affords perhaps fome matter of pride, and occafions the expence of a deputation to Frankfurt.

The government of Aix la Chapelle is democratical. The magiftracy, compofed of one hundred and fixty-three members, are chofen every year from the different trades and profeflions. Every trade, in a body corpo-rate, prefents eight members to the fitting magiftrate, or magiftracy, who out of them fele6t four; and thefefour replace four other members of the old magiftracy; fo that, properly fpeaking, one half only of the fittingfenate is changed every year. This body, called the magiftrate, ele<5t a Burgermeijler , who is their prefident, andthe executor of their decrees. He is likewife ele£led every year, and when his time is expired, is made treafurerof the town, and keeps his feat in the fenate as an affeffor or afliftant to the newly chofen burgermeifter for theyear following ; at the expiration of which he may be, and often is re-ele<5ted ; efpecially when poffeffed of thofearts, by which an able politician feldom fails to captivate the minds of the public.

The magiftrate is divided into the grand and little council: the former meets only four times a year, and isexclufively inverted with the legislative power; the latter confifts of one fourth of the grand council, and meetsevery week for the adminiftration of juftice and the regulation of the police.

The grand and little council have their meetings at the town-houfe, an ancient Gothic building of tolerablygood archite£lure; but rather defaced by pretended modern improvements, which do not altogether harmonizewith the reft of the edifice.

The Ele6lor-Palatine, as Prote6lor of Aix la Chapelle, names a mayor, called Mayer , who rcprefents him,and prefides chiefly over the police. He is at the fame time prefident of the Schojfen-Stuhl , a magiftracy confidingof fourteen members, who have the exclufive right of deciding in all civil and criminal caufes concerning fo-reigners, and together with the town-magiftrate judge the civil caufes of the inhabitants.

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