The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-05-26
TIE ROMAN SENATE.
Ours Resembles II to a Marked Degree.

Ours Resembles II 10 a Marked Degree.
Some of the rules Of the Roman sem
ate resembled our own, said Senator
Turple, Of Indiana, in a recent speech.
No business could be transacted with
out the presence of a quorum. The
question of a quorum, as familiar in
that assembly as in this, might be
raised at any time, by any member, in
two words addressed to the presiding
ofilceT-numera senatum-cou the
senate. A senator desiring to speak
sometimes addressed the chair, but in
every case his fellow members collec-
lively as patres conscripti, The
speeches of the senators might be and
often were read from manuscript, a
practice which has lasted even until this
day. There was no previous question
or clOture. Debate was held without
limit as to time. Those who grossly
abused this right of speaking without
interruption were sometimes forced to
quit by the noise and clamor made by
their fellow members. Occasionally
the whole senate joined in these dem
constructions. The presiding officer at
tempted to interrupt, more than once,
an obnoxious speaker, but this was not
tolerated by the senate.
When a certain senator one day, in
order to prevent a decree from being
passed, tried to waste time in speaking,
/ Caesar, who was then consul and by
virtue Of his office the presiding officer
Of the senate ordered him to be ar
rested GaI taken to prison. but the
whole house rose to their feet to follow
him. which caused Caesar to rescind
his order. and the senator held the
floor. The debates were sometimes,
though rarely, prolonged into the
night, when lamps were ordered and
lighted, but night sessions of the SEN
ate were especiany discouraged by two
Of its rules. No new reference could
le made or question raised after the
! tenth hour, or o'clock in the after
noon; no decree could be passed after
sunset-rules the reasonableness OF
which might well be, in our own day,
worthy of consideration.
The senate held executive or secret
sessions, when everyone except mem
bers was excluded from the building
and a committee of senators was ap-
pointed in such case to make and keep
a journal of the proceedings of the
session. One of the consuls for tho
| year usually presided in the senate
/ In his absence some other of the high
officers of the government was desig-
mated by law to perform this duty
but the Roman senate does not appear
to have ever had the power to appoint
! it's own president. The vote of the
senate was taken by division. A ma
| jority vote decided all questions.
There are two very old DEGREES oil
the Roman senate yet in force and uni
versally obeyed They do hot relate to
general policy or jurisprudence. They
are in the strictest sense of the term
special legislation. These DEGREES
were passed after the death of the first
two emperors, and enacted that the
fifth and sixth months of the calendar
as then in use should thereafter be
named and called in memory and in
honor of julius and Augustus, so that
the whole world, in speaking of july
and August continues yet to pay a
certain verbal tribute to the Caesars
No other earthly rulers have their
monuments so well known or so endur-
ing.