The constitution of these municipalities provided for a council consisting of from twelve to twenty-four members who, though elected for life, alternated in terms of office ranging from two to three years.  These members had the privilege of appointing their successors from among the eligible families of the Hanse town.  The heads of the council consisted of from two to four burgomasters, who presided at the meetings.  The position of member of the council was a purely honorary one.  The duties comprised the administration of municipal affairs; of military and judicial affairs; of the archives; the exercise of police supervision over the market, the marine service, and the guilds; and, most important of all, the administration of the finances.  They fixed the taxes, for which frequently no receipt was given or demanded; the money on such occasions being deposited unnoticed in a box set apart for the purpose—­a proof that the payment of taxes at that time was regarded as a point of honor by the burgher and without suspicion by the magistrate.

The general character of the municipal life of the Hanse towns in those days has been well compared by a modern writer to a family household.  The workman regarded himself within his circle as an official of the city—­a fact shown by the use of the word Aemter ("offices”) to designate the guilds.  Hence the strong municipal patriotism which animated these burghers and which compensates in some degree for the absence of that great political enthusiasm which is derived from the consciousness of a united country.  A quaint genre picture of the time, preserved at Bremen, represents a native of the latter city and another from Lubeck sitting together in a tavern and disputing as to the comparative merits of their respective towns.  The controversy reaches its climax by one of the disputants declaring stolidly that he too might “master such words” and taking a long and mighty draught.

The separate towns, usually upon a request of the Lubeck council, would send their deputies to confer jointly upon matters affecting the league, these conferences or diets usually being held in some Wendish city.  On no occasion, however, were all the towns of the league represented at these conferences.  Their constitution was absolutely free from all theoretical or rigid forms or ordinances.  Whoever found that his interests were especially affected by the subject under discussion sent representatives to the diet of the league, and these usually discharged their duties faithfully, without shirking the long and arduous trip even during the winter season.  The conferences held in this way were probably wider in their scope than those of any other power of the time.  Usually, however, not political, but commercial, matters were discussed.  There was no common treasury.  Whenever money was required an export duty was levied, with which absolute compliance was demanded.  An infraction of the laws of the league was punishable