their breasts the jurisprudence of the country, and unlocking the difficulties thereof at their pleasure.

The members of this assembly are the constitutional representatives of the people, and have from time immemorial consisted of twenty-four principal land-owners, or men of the first consequence, honour, and intelligence in the island; and they hold their important situation, during the term of their natural lives, upon the same principle with the " probe homines" of the ancient Saxons.

The first institution of this council is lost in the dark ages of the most remote antiquity, and probably was coeval with the kingdom itself; and it is now, perhaps, the only Celtic institution remaining upon earth.

The convocation of this assembly, as in the earliest period of the English House of Commons, was entirely at the will of the King or Lord; for, in the year 1422, "the deemsters and Twenty-four Keys gave for law, that there were never Twenty-four Keys in certainty, since they were first that were called Taxi-axi; those were twenty-four freeholders, namely, eight in the out isles, and sixteen in the Island of Man; and that was in King Orrye's days; but since they have not been in certainty. But if a strange point had come, the which the lieutenant will have reserved to the Tynwald twice a-year and, by leave of the lieutenant, the deemster there to call of the best of his council, in that point as he thinketh, to give judgment by; and without the lord's will, none of the Twenty-four Keys to be."

In more modern times, the assembling of the Keys, in their legislative capacity, as forming a part of the Tynwald, was periodical, to which they were summoned by the lieutenant or governor, who issued his mandate for that purpose; and they were also dismissed under his authority.

The Twenty-four Keys so assembled, together with the king, or lord proprietor, his governor, and council, constituted a Tynwald Court, or the Three Political Estates of the land, whose union, or concordance in opinion, was absolutely essential to every legislative act: and since the revesting of the island in the British Crown, instead of the king, or lord proprietor, every act, before it can obtain the force of law, must be allowed and confirmed by his Majesty, and ultimately proclaimed, or read in the English and Manks languages, and signed by the governor, or such of the council and Keys as are present, before the people at the Tynwald Hill. These constituted authorities may make, restrain, abrogate, or revive any insular law, and all mischiefs and remedies are within the reach of their tribunal,

Previous to the revestment, the Tynwald Courts, in which the legislative acts were considered, were held occasionally at St John's Chapel, which adjoins the Tynwald Hill; or at Castle Rushen, whichever happened to be most convenient to the lord or his governor, who occasionally resided at Peel Castle; but since the revestment, Peel Castle having fallen into decay, and his Majesty's governor usually residing at Castle Rushen, it has been found

inoie convenient to assemble the Tynwald at the latter of these places*. Here the Keys met to try such appeals from the common law court as were legally brought before them. This appellate jurisdiction was, by an act of Tynwald, of the year 1777, transferred from the Twenty-four Keys to the governor, in all cases where the title to land did not come in question; but the appellate jurisdiction to the Keys, was, by an act of 1793, fully restored, and the appeals are now heard and determined in the house built for their accommodation, under the authority of an act of Tynwald, passed in the year 1776.

The Twenty-four Keys, although they are acknowledged to be the constitutional representatives, and natural guardians of the people's rights and privileges, are not democratically elected; for they fill up all vacancies in their own body by co-optation. The form of the election of the members has been for time immemorial, in case of a vacancy by death, removal, or resignation, for the Twenty-four Keys to assemble by summons from the governor, and to agree, by a majority of votes, upon the persons proposed as proper to fill up the constitutional number of their body. In this case, two persons of full age, and possessed of landed-property in the island, are elected by the Keys, and immediately afterwards presented to the governor, for his approbation and

*The act of settlement, and many other acts of Tynwald, be tween the years 1704 and 1741, were passed at St John's Chapel; many others, between the years 1706 and 1753, were passed at Castle Rushen.

confirmation of one of them; and the person so elected and chosen by the house, and confirmed by the chief magistrate, immediately takes the oaths prescribed by law, and his seat, which he has the high prerogative of retaining for life, unless he chooses to resign; in which case he must petition the governor to accept his resignation, which he may accept or refuse at his pleasure; or is expelled by a majority of votes. of the members, for some crime or misdemeanor; or unless he accepts any office that entitles him to a seat in the council, or the office of deemster.

f

The meetings of the Keys are as frequent as the governor thinks proper to appoint; and it -appears clearly settled, that thirteen members are necessary to render any act in their legislative capacity valid.

The privileges claimed by the Keys are, a right to kill game; and an exemption from certain services which would otherwise have been due to the lord proprietor.

The Twenty-four Keys, in their character of judges, are the ultimum refugium of the common law in the island, by whom all appeals, in questions of title respecting lands, and other matters agitated at the common law court, are determined by a majority of the whole body, but from whom lies the definitive appeal to his Majesty in council.

The following is the form of the oath which has been administered on the election of a Key since the revestment:

"You shall be aiding and assisting to the deemsters of this isle in all doubtful matters :

his Majesty's council, your fellows, and your own, you shall not reveal; you shall use your best endeavours to maintain the ancient laws and customs of this isle; you shall justly and truly deliver your opinion, and do right in all matters which shall be put unto you, without favour or affection, affinity or consanguinity, love or fear, reward or gain, or for any hope thereof; but in all things you shall deal uprightly and justly, and do wrong to no man. So God you help, and the contents of that book."

With respect to the council, who are so virtute officii, they are convened at the pleasure of the governor, to assist and advise him in the nature of a privy or executive council; and also in the administration of justice, at his chancery, exchequer, and appellate courts; and usually consist of the lord bishop, the receivergeneral, the two deemsters, the clerk of the rolls, the water-bailiff, and attorney-general, together with the archdeacon, and the two vicars-general. The duty of the council, when not acting in their legislative or judicial capacity, is, in cases of emergency, to act for the public good in a summary way, as in laying an embargo on vessels, prohibiting the exportation of grain or victuals in time of scarcity, &c. &c.

Respecting the persons who compose and have a right to a seat and voice in the council, which, with the governor, forms the second branch of the legislative power in the island, various opinions having been offered, it would be highly presumptuous in the writer to ob