a legislative, and a judicial branch, all intricately related The general legislature was composed of two houses Hie House of Sisters and die House of Mothers Each house was composed of thirty three women, the House of Sisters elected from the order at large and the House of Mothers elected by and from the Rever end Mothers-twelve from chapter houses, twelve from schools, and nine from the Reverend Mothers at large The legislature drew up the budget, determined general policy for the order, and taxed the Sisterhood using a system called the 'tithe " Although the prop-erty of the order (chapter houses, Mother house, and schools) was owned by the Sisterhood, individual Bene Gessents could possess private property and income The records show quite wealthy Reverend Mothers, and m some cases, those of Hidden Rank were among the wealthiest people in die empire Thus the legislature had an interesting source of revenue to tax The Treasury records (BG fitenos F22Q77547-F9563872) also indicate that both the order and some individual Sisters and Reverend Mothers were involved in CHOAM dealings Only in the reign of Leto II do these records show financial distress, particularly after he had confiscated most of the holdings of the order and some Of the wealth of individual Reverend Mothers At this point, the legislature appears to have become dependent on revenue derived from the schools now open to the general public The execuuve branch consisted of a General Council of thirteen Reverend Mothers Ten of these women the Matres Fehcissimae, were elected by the Proctors General and the Proctors Superior from Reverend Mothers m these ranks The other three members of the Council, the Matres Executnce, held hereditary positions, supposedly in direct descent from the three Controlling Mothers directing the Bene Gessent prior to the Great Revolt Mother Glenna Riche, Mother Sabhaatha Mpyiam, and Mother Shanm bin Aqid The Council met regularly to consider and ratify motions from the legislature In the ratifica tion process the Matres Felicissunae, with majority consent held a general veto but mis veto could be overturned by the Matres Executnce, who also held individual vetoes on any action If (he Matres Exetutnce found severe disunity among themselves during a ratification process, they were privileged to adjourn to executive session, allowing privacy in which to resolve their differences The five Matres Aequus of the Judiciary Council were appointed for life by the Matres Executnce from members of the Mater Superior rank The Judiciary Council had quarters within the Mother House on Wallach IX as did the members of the General Council The Matres Aequus were housed in the Judi ciary Wmg, which held their apartments, residential accommodations for their staff, their offices, the Canonical Library, and the Great Court Great Court sessions occurred three times a year for three weeks per session The Sisterhood maintained a subsidiary sys tern of local courts within the outlying elev en chapter houses to deal with minor infractions ot canonical law Appeals of the minor court judgments were held quarterly with single Matres Aequus presiding on a rotational basis A case concerning major canonical infractions was heard by the Judiciary Coun cil itself, with the Matres Executrice in attendance The Matres Executnce served as an appeals court for decisions made by the Judiciary Council and no decision of the Judiciary Council was final until approved by the Matres Executnce The Bene Gessent Judiciary Files show decisions of interest to histonans concerned with the God Emperor period In 10177 the BENE GESSERIT GOVERNANCE 118 BENE GESSERJT GOVERNANCE Judiciary Council found the Lady Jessica guilty of violating pellex instructions, in con ceivmg a male rather than a female from the Atreides line In 10192, however, the punishment cited by the Council was negated at the request of a Mater Executrix (who according to evidence from encoded hies and from The Book of Voices, might have been the mysterious R M Gams Helen Mohiam) In 10211 the Judiciary Council, this time with the complete support of the Mattes Executnce, found Aha of the Knife to be an "Abomination to be Abhorred'' Hie Council threatened severe punishment for any Bene Gessent who accepted her as a participant in the 'Waters of Life" cycle Records show a ruling of a later Judiciary Council which found Leto II guilty of bestiality m die 250th year of his reign From later notations, it appears that this decision was never made public Actually, none of toe work of the Judiciary Council seems to have affected history in any significant way, but the files add notes of historical oddity The Executive Council itself met only when the Judiciary Council and the legislature were in session The Matres Executrice, however, were in residence at the Mother House and were in perpetual session From all the information available, it appears that these three women, for all practical purposes, ran the Sisterhood with the aid of their Familia.