The Houses Minor were represented in the Landsraad through forty "Circles," blocks of votes representing forty arbitrarily defined sectors of Imperial space; each Circle was allocated a certain number of votes, ranging from five to twenty, based upon population, relative wealth, political status, and growth potential; and votes given each Circle were apportioned a year before each Landsraad session by the Spacing Guild, presumably neutral upon such matters (but who were rumored to accept extracurricular emoluments). Representatives to the Circles were elected by the Houses Minor in each sector through an elaborate system of proportional voting; each Circle determined which Houses were eligible to vote, and each circle sent to the Landsraad three representatives, who consulted among themselves before casting that sector's vote in the Landsraad sessions; two of the HOUSES MINOR 315 three determined the Circle's vote in a dispute Although the Circles never organized their votes into a bloc, they tended to support the policies of the anti-Impenal faction of the Great Houses, except in those instances where their own aspirations might be jeopardized They supported, for example, reduced quah fications for Great House status thereby backing Imperial moves to dilute the power of the Great Houses Hence, ui a roll call vote on admittance of a new House to Great-House status the Houses Minor would vole aye virtually unanimously Similarly the Houses Minor generally voted against a blatant attempt to increase Imperial power at the expense of the high middle class but supported moves against the Houses Major many of whom have explojted the bourgeois Since issues of this kind required lengthy examination and passage of laws affecting the Great Houses or the Imperial power required consideration and approval in three successive Landsraads, few passed muster The Landsraad did provide a forum, however, for the aaraig of grievances of all kinds, and many of the Houses Minor gained a wider audience for their views through Landsraad speeches or publications The Houses Minor possessed certain legal nghts under Imperial law not granted to ordinary citizens, although laeir privileges did not approach those of the Houses Major The Head of a Minor House and his immediate family could not be jailed, exiled, or executed without a tnal conducted by their peers, when capital charges were brought against a House Minor or its official members, three Landsraad representatives from Circles other man that of the'House being tried were selected by lot, and sat in judgment as a court of last resort, subject to the final veto of the emperor The emperor could summarily convict a House Minor when he had proof of treason, but in no other circumstances, he could also overturn a conviction of a Landsraad court or suspend its findings, in each case making a report to the next session of the Landsraad concerning his rationale Houses Minor