Senate Report MMDCCLX September 10 (Nova Roma)

Marcus Curiatius Complutensis Tribunus Plebis omnes civibus Novae Romae SPD

REPORT OF SENATE SESSION

The Senate was called to order by the Praetor Gaius Equitius Cato on pridie Nones Septembris (Sept. 2007, 4th).. with the following Agenda:

AGENDA

"The Senatus Consultum de Ratione Senatus is amended as follows:

B. Any Senator who is unable to be present during the debate phase of a Senate session may give their proxy to another voting member of the Senate. This proxy will consist of an open letter to the Senate list that states the reason for the absence and the name of the Senator to whom the proxy is given. The proxy will last one Senate session unless specifically noted to last for a longer period of time."

The contio will begin at 12.00h Rome time on prid. Non. Sept. (Sept. 2007, 4th) and conclude at 12.00h Rome time on a.d. VIII Id. Sept.(Sept. 2007, 7th).; voting will then begin, concluding at 12.00h Rome time a.d. IV Id. Sept (Sept. 2007, 10th).

On Sept 10th 2007 the latest session of the Senate of Nova Roma was declared closed by the Praetor Gaius Equitius Cato.

Here is the list of the voting Senators, listed by date and and reception time of their votes in the list of the Senate:

• GEC : Gaius Equitius CAto

• GPL> G Popillius Laenas

• GEM: Gnaeus Equitius Marinus

• QSP: Quintus Suetonius Paulinus

• LECA> L Equitius Cincinnatus Augur

• TGP> Tiberius Galerius Paulinus (Proxy LECA)

• GFBM: Gaius Fabius Buteo Modianus

• PMS> P Minucia Strabo

• TOPA> Titus Octavius Pius Ahenobarbus

• MMPH> M. Moravius Piscinus Horatianus

• CFBQ> Caeso Fabius Buteo Quintilianus

• DIPI> Decius Iunius Palladius Invictus

• ATS> A Tullia Scholastica

• AMA> A. Moravia Aurelia

• QFM> Q Fabius Maximus

• GSA> Gnaeus Salvius Astur [cast after voting had ended]

15 SENATORS EMITTED A VALID VOTE

RESULT OF THE VOTATIONS

VTI ROGAS 7

ANTIQUO 8

ABSTINEO 0

NO VALID VOTE 1

THE ITEM IS NOT PASSED

DISCESSIONES:

• GEC : In the matter before the Senate, the amendation of the Senatus consultum de ratione senatus, I say UTI ROGAS

• GPL> On the proposed change in proxy procedures: Uti Rogas

• GEM: On the sole issue before the Senate, concerning the assignment of proxies, I vote Uti Rogas I would cast the same vote for M. Minucius Audens, who assigned me his proxy, were it permitted by current law. Hopefully this amendment will pass and in the future I will be able to do so.

• QSP: On the proposed change in proxy procedures: Uti Rogas

• LECA> Vti Rogas, Praetor Cato’s proposal is reasonable extrapolation of what *should have been* the proxy policy since its inception. If a Senator *knows* he will be absent for a *specific* period of time he should certainly be afforded the privilege of having his voice heard, and vote counted, despite his temporary absence. (My apologies to the ladies for my exclusive, and old fashioned use of the pronoun he. I am a RoMAN after all ;-)

• TGP> Cincinnatus Augur: On behalf of Consul Tiberius Galerius Paulinus, Vti Rogas

• GFBM: On the matter of proxy votes I vote: Antiquo.

• PMS> On the agenda item of a change in proxy language: Antiquo

Our longstanding practice of giving out proxies *only* during the discussion period promotes informed and educated Senate votes. I think the people of Nova Roma deserve no less.

A leave of absence, excusing a Senator from his duties for a time is, to me, far preferrable than allowing Senators to give proxies away ad lib, irrespective of any future agenda items to which their votes are to be attributed. I'm not taking credit for it, but I do applaud the Leave of Absence notion.

Perhaps proxies have been issued here and there in the past outside contio proceedings , and what is done is done...but they've been issued against longstanding Senatus Consultum language. Errors are made every now and then...but we are voting on what we ought to do as lawful practice, and what is of the greater benefit to the republic.

• TOPA> Antiquo.

I agree with the statements made by some of my colleagues; The final sentence, "The proxy will last one Senate session unless specifically noted to last for a longer period of time.", is prone to misuse. Proxies should only be allowed on specific issues named in the message conferring the proxy vote.

• MMPH> ANTIQUO

• CFBQ> My vote is: ANTIQUO

• DIPI> On the current item, I vote Antiquo.

• ATS> Antiquo.

• AMA> My vote is: ANTIQUO

• QFM> UTI ROGAS

• GSA> I vote AGAINST this proposal. "Voting proxies" are against Roman tradition, and do not make any sense in a consultive body like the Senate. How can you say: "I leave my experience and my capacity to give advice to this fella o'mine while I go fishing this week-end"? If a senator can not vote on a given occasion, so be it. But this "I vote for me and for my buddy" nonsense simply doesn't make sense.

Curate ut valeate

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