Sentence:  The ſoveraintie lies in the Council of 200, and this Council chuſes out of its number 25, who are the leſſer Council; ... they are choſen by a ſort of ballet, ſo that it is not known for whom they give their votes, which is an effectual method to ſuppreſs factions and reſentments; ſince in a competition no man can know who voted for him or againſt him: yet the election is not ſo carried, but that the whole Town is in an intrigue concerning it: for ſince the being of the little Council leads one to the <WSD>Sindicat</WSD>, which is the chieffe honor of the State: this dignitie is courted here, with as active and ſolicitous an ambition as appears elſewhere for greater matters. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  The office or jurisdiction of a syndic; a body or council of syndics.