|
|
|
Tribunus Plebis Diana Moravia Aventina Quiritibus SPD Senate Voting Results published on June 14 2756.The Senate has finished its latest session and the votes have been tallied as below. Formal debate ended at June 10th, 12:01 Roman time) and voting began immediately after. Voting ended at June 12th, 12:01 Roman time. Results were officially published by the presiding magistrate Titus Labienus Fortunatus on the Senate list June 14 2756. [Some procedural discussions in the Senate took place as to whether a Tribune could be the presiding magistrate in the Senate as the Tribunes are constitutionally empowered to call the Senate to order and as historical precedents show that Tribunes sometimes - if rarely - did preside over Senate meetings. Some Senators strongly objected to this on the basis of the current Senatus Consultum on Senate procedures and out of fear for Senate dignitas (LSAO). It was decided - as a compromise - that the fasces bearing Consul for the month Titus Labienus Fortunatus would be presiding but Tribune Lucius Pompeius Octavianus would present the item for a vote (ius referendi). This is the first time in Nova Roma that a Tribunus Plebis had the honor of calling a Senate session and defining the agenda. A proposal for a new Senatus Consultum about Senate procedure will be drafted by Consul Titus Labienus Fortunatus.] The following 19 Senators cast votes in time. They are referred to below by their initials, and are listed in alphabetical order by nomen:
The following Senator did not cast a vote Marcus Minucius Audens (MMA). The necessary majority for a Senatus consultum was therefore 11 votes in favor. "UTI ROGAS" indicates a vote in favor of an item, "ANTIQUO" or "NEGAT" is a vote against, and "ABSTINEO" is an open abstention. Square Brackets [ ] indicate explanations by the reporting Tribune. The item for consideration was as follows: Appointment of a fifth Tribune [19 passed in favor - 0 opposing]"After I have been officially given floor by honorable consul T. Labienus Fortunatus, I do hereby ask for a Senatus consultum regarding the appointment of the fifth Tribune. After the failure of five runoff elections, I ask that the Senate grant the Tribunes the right to co-opt G. Popilius Laenas as the fifth tribune, since he has the relative majority at the last runoff elections, thus respecting the plebeians' will." [This item was presented to the Senate by Tribune Lucius Pompeius Octavianus. According to the Nova Roma constitution five Tribunes have to be elected by the Comitia Plebis Tributa for a term serving one year. A total of six lawful elections yielded no result for the fifth Tribune position in 2756 and little more than six months remain of the current term. The Lex Salicia de suffragiis in comitia plebis tributa is quite clear in that it declares that multiple runoff elections are a "serious waste of time and effort" and should be avoided. The Constitution and the Lex Grylla provide for an extraordinary power of the Senate to appoint magistrates if positions are vacant. In the case of the Tribuni Plebis in historical times co-optation was used as a means to fill vacant Tribune positions if the main election did not yield a necessary majority. The Tribunes therefore asked the Senate to delegate its (in Roman Republican terms) unhistorical appointing authority to the Tribunes to enable them to stay in line with both historical precedents and the spirit of Nova Roman law.] The votes were cast as follows: MAM UTI ROGAS MCJ UTI ROGAS PC UTI ROGAS LCS UTI ROGAS LECA UTI ROGAS I'm pleased to have the opportunity to vote for my friend Laenas. I'm sure he will carry out the duties of Tribune in the same dignified manner in which he worked as Quaestor last year when he carried out the tax collection, very professionally CFQ UTI ROGAS QFM UTI ROGAS CFD UTI ROGAS (proxy vote) AGG UTI ROGAS (proxy vote) AICPM UTI ROGAS Frankly to say I do not feel comfortable that the Senate is voting on something which is the pure right of other. I think nobody /even The Senate and other Tribunes / have the right to substitute the will of the Plebs nevertheless the legal background of such procedure could be found. On the other hand I am sure C Popillius Laenas will do his job as a Tribune in a very good way, so why to create needless obstructions? DIPI UTI ROGAS TLF UTI ROGAS CMM UTI ROGAS I vote to allow it. MOG UTI ROGAS LPO UTI ROGAS GSA UTI ROGAS LSAO UTI ROGAS LSD UTI ROGAS ATMC UTI ROGAS 16 June 2003 jsm |