All these held office for six months.
4. Casa della Mercatanzia. A tribunal for decision of Commercial Cases, which also acted as a Board of Trade.
5. Otto di Balía e Guardia, nominated by Signory, held office for four months.
A court of appeal from Court of Podestà and with powers of police.
The Signoria and the Otto had power to execute, banish, or imprison any citizen.
VI. Mode of Appointment to Chief Magistracies.
Originally elected by the Councils, but subsequently this replaced by system of ‘lot.’
For each office a purse (borsa), was formed every three or five years of all citizens eligible to said office, and names were drawn out of this purse.
In case of Priors, fifty wax balls, each containing eight names (six from Arti Maggiori, two from Minori), were put in the purse, and then a ball was drawn out.