would deliberate maturely on
this subject, and confer together in a body, as well as in private,
that they might proceed according to the ancient custom of the electoral
college, and take such 'measures as should be judged expedient for the
honour and advantage of the community. This circular letter was
answered both by the king of England and the elector of Bavaria, who
demonstrated, that it was the privilege of the electoral college only,
without any participation of the other princes of the empire, to elect a
king of the Romans during the life of the emperor, in order to maintain
the peace and preserve the liberties of Germany; and that the neglect
of this wise precaution hath produced bloody wars, and many fatal
consequences to the empire. They observed, that nothing could more
contribute to the establishment of the public tranquillity than this
measure, so ardently desired by the majority of the German princes; and
that, although the archduke Joseph wanted a few years of being of age,
and it might possibly happen that the reigning emperor should die during
that prince's minority, yet it would be much less prejudicial to the
empire to have a minor chief, than to see the succession altogether
unsettled. His Prussian majesty received a declaration to the same
purpose from the elector of Mentz; and understanding that this prince,
as archchancellor of the empire, intended to convoke an electoral diet
in order to propose the election of a king of the Romans, he wrote an
elaborate letter to his electoral highness, explaining at more length
his reasons for postponing the election. He quoted that sentence of the
treaty of Westphalia which expressly declares, that the election of a
king of the Romans shall be discussed and ordained by the common consent
of the states of the empire; and, therefore, he could not conceive
what right the electoral college had to arrogate this privilege to
themselves, excluding the other states of the empire. He observed, that
the imperial capitulations, which were the only laws of the empire that
treated of this subject, mentioned only three cases in which it was
lawful to proceed to such an election; namely, the emperor's leaving,
and long absence from, Germany; his advanced age, or an indisposition,
rendering him incapable of managing the reins of government; and any
case of emergency in which the preservation of the empire's prosperity
is interested. He affirmed that none of these motives at pr