Conciliar indecision might be resolved by reference of a cause to the bailiff and jurats to rehear. 247 Because of the prevalent political disturbances, procedural requirements were waived to enable litigants to be heard on the merits of their causes. 248 This brief interlude had no great institutional importance, but for Jersey, at least, it did preserve the appeal tradition. Under the Commonwealth use was made of various committees by the Councils of State to expedite matters relating to the Channel Islands. 249 During this interval, however, no appeals appear to have been made from the islands. 250 After the Protectorate was established, appeals once again came from the islands to the Privy Council. 251 In October, 1655, a committee was established to hear all Guernsey appeals. 252 In July, 1656, the identical group was authorized to treat Jersey appeals in the same manner. 253 In April, 1658, 247 See de Carteret v. Du Parq (PC 2/54/22). 248 Failure to prosecute the appeal within the usual time limited was waived in Blundell v. Roualt (supra, n. 245); Batterill v. Bisson (supra, n. 245); de Carteret v. Du Parq (PC 2/54/22). Appellant was allowed a longer period than the usual forty days to enter his appeal in de Carteret v. Le Febure (PC 2/54/ 10). 249 There were eight councils of state previous to the Protectorate (1 Turner, op cit., 245). For early Guernsey committees see CSP, Dom., 1649-50, 383; ibid., 1650, 8. Under the third council of state there existed a Jersey committee (CSP, Dom., 765/, 205) and one for Guernsey (ibid., 450). The fourth council referred some Jersey petitions to the Committee for Trade and Foreign Plantations (CSP, Dom., 1651-52, 502). The fifth and sixth councils utilized the Scottish and Irish committee for Channel Islands references (CSP, Dom., 1652-53, 256, 341, 345)- 250 Probably because recent disturbances in the islands had left the judicial systems disorganized; see CSP, Dom., 1651-52, 502; ibid., 1652-53, 116. There is also evident a tendency to avoid complaint jurisdiction; see ibid., 1651, 200; ibid., 1651-52, 149; ibid., 1652-53, 438; ibid., 1653-54, 203. But in a February, 1651/2, account of the civil government of Jersey made by Bailiff Lempriere to Parliament appeals to the King in Council were included (2 Hoskins, op. cit., 397-98). A 1652 pamphlet treats of the appeal to the King in Council as an existent institution. "Of the Court of Heritage, the last part of the Court of Cattell, and Extraordinary, appeales might be made to the King and Counsell; for moveables, not for under the value of twenty pounds sterling, but for matter of inheritance, there is no limitation, appeales must be made immediately after sentence given, yet sedente curia, and two sufficient sureties given within a sennight for the prosecution of them within the time limited which is, the said appeales must be entered in the booke of Counsell causes widrin three moneths, and prosecuted within one yeare; and in case the appealant doe not reverse the sentence, and procure an order from the counsell of mal juge, bien appelle, then he forfeits twenty crownes to the bailly" (Stocall, Freedome; or, The Description of the Excellent Civill Government of the Island of Jersey [London, 1652], 5-6). 251 The conciliar body under the Protectorate was known as the Protector's Council or the Privy Council. 252 Governor Bingham petitioned the Protector and Council that the inhabitants had always been allowed appeals from the island courts to the King in Council, that some inhabitants had long attended at great charge on appeals in the hands of Jessop, clerk to the Council, and prayed a hearing. It was ordered in Council that Whitelocke and Widdrington, Treasury Commissioners, the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, the Recorder of London, and John Sadler and Nathaniel Bacon, Masters of Requests, receive all appeals of the inhabitants of Guernsey, hear the parties, inquire into the truth of the cases, and report to the Council, with their opinions (CSP, Dom., 1655, 362-63). Quaere the import of the Act establishing the commonwealth (2 Firth and Rait, Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum, 122) upon appeals. 253 CSP, Dom., 1656-57, 19. An earlier petition of appeal from Jersey was not acted upon,