Curia Hostilia - Consulate of Scipio/Vetus

[Ozy]

MAGISTRATA IN ANNO 538 AUC

CONSVLES
T. DRVSVS SCIPIO - MARCVS AELIVS VETVS

PRAETOR
SPVRIVS HORATIVS LVRCO

TRIBVNVS
TIBERIVS GALLVS

QVAESTOR

DECIVS SERVILLIVS FIDELIS

[apple]

Marcus walks in to the Curia. Another term another war to be fought in the name of Rome he whisper to the empty hall.
The Curia remained silent, unable to reply to the new Consul. It did what it alway had done, kept listening.

[Raglan]

Marcus Felix entered the curia, he was disappointed at the close election result. He had lost by the narrowest of margins. Seeing the newest Consul he nods in greeting and takes a seat somewhere.

[Winter]

Aurelius stands from his seat in the Senate benches.

"Senators, I congratulate all on their electoral victories, but I must insist that we begin right away. Let us not forget; we are still at war with Macedonia AND Carthage. I suggest we consider a punitive expedition into Africa and retaliation for the lives lost at Dyrrachium. Further, we must consider the creation of provinces in Hispania and Sicily; these places should not go ungoverned."

Aurelius sits.

[Elendil of Númenor]

Rufus nodded somewhere in the back rows. He definitely did not feel like arguing and thought that for once, it would be better that the Senate not be divided between factions. Rome was already divided well enough...

[apple]

Lepidus I do agree with you. We must mobilise our armies agains Macedon. They have declared war on the Roman people and thus will be crushed by it's legions.
I do also agree that we need to establish a better governance of the newly conquered regions in Hispania and making it a province may very well be the best option.
However I do not agree with you to make a province of Sicily. I'm absolutely sure that the Quaestor is fully capable of handling the economic parts of that region and that ether me or Scipio would be able take care of the Greeks of Syrakousai if they would declare war upon the the Republic.

I feel that further seizing of Punic regions is not the best option right now. The Punics are blooded and will surly not threaten us in the nearest of terms. We need to use all of our forces and attention to repel the Macedonians now.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Scipio calls for silence.

Don't forget that we have also sanctioned a war of retribution against our northern enemies. I shall depart speedily, with the senate's blessing, to dispatch of this foe.

[apple]

Scipio wouldn't it be best to hear the Quaestor report before you leave for war?
We need to know if the Republic is able to support war in the north and in Greece during the same time and how large of a force we can muster for the cause.

[saxdude]

Ooc: i will give the report tommorow, right now im just too busy

[Winter]

Well in the meantime, I do not think we should have any trouble deciding on the matter of provinces; I have drawn up the following proposal for the Senate's consideration:

Lex Aurelia de Provincae Romae

I. All Roman land on the islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily will be partitioned into a province, henceforth known as Provinca Sicilia et Insulae Punici, and shall be given over to a governor of the Senate's choosing.

II. All of Roman Hispania shall be gathered into its own province, henceforth known as Provinca Hispaniae, and shall be given over to a governor of the Senate's choosing.

III. Governors shall have full authority in their respective province with regards to the construction of buildings, raising of soldiers, the construction of fleets, and other administrative duties. Governors shall have the right to repulse any hostile invasion by a foreign power, and shall have limited rights with regards to incursions into foreign land, in order to protect their province. The power of the governors in their provinces is thereby supreme, and they are subservient only to the will of the Senate.

IV. Governors may not make hostile actions towards a state that is not an enemy of Rome, and any treaties signed by said governors must pass the review of the Senate. Any treaties signed tentatively and not approved must immediately be withdrawn.

V. Governors shall be considered magistrates within their province, and are thereby subject to the same privliges and status their rank would afford them at home. Provinces, at election time, shall be distributed first amongst men of Consular rank, then Praetorian, and so on down the Cursus Honorum. Men that have not served as magistrates may not serve as governors, except under extraordinary circumstances.

VI. Governors shall be required to report to the Senate at least twice per year on the financial and military matters of their province.

[Crozimodo]

Lurco walks in pleased with how the elections went it was a very close call. He takes a seat and listens to the proceedings.

[Pontifex Maximus]

We already have two northern legions garrisoned to take part in the campaign. These troops have been set aside for months now.

[Ozy]

I think Senator Aurelius's proposal should be implemented. Now that our lands have expanded so far beyond the Viteliú, we should give such complicated responsibilities to a governor, pru taking the limited time of the House. If anything, I would only suggest adding an extra point, making it an extra responsibility for the governor to make at least 2 reports each term, preferably one as soon as he gets there and the other near the end of the year, pointing out the work he has done there, as well as other details regarding the actions he has taken during his time there.

[Elendil of Númenor]

I support the motion except for a tiny thing which should, in my opinion, be made clearer. What do we mean by 'Governors shall have limited
rights with regards to incursions into foreign land'? I'm sure we could specify this more clearly. My proposal for an additional paragraph:

X. The Governor [or Pro-magistrate] may not leave his Province with an army of any size or formation without the full permission of the Senate; He may, however, defend the Province from any incursions, but is prohibited to leave the borders of said Province.

[chaplain118]

The doors of the Curia swung open. Heads turned to see just who had the audacity to come so late. Gasps went up when the face of the Pallas Rutulus Aventinus, a man who is supposed to be dead, materialized from the light.

So, about to embark now to Macedon? Has Spain been conquered and pacified? Are we now capable of fully diverting our forces abroad to Macedon?

Senators, while Lepidus may have brought up the issues of governorship, I think in this time it is in our best interest to keep those provinces under Senatorial jurisdiction. Such an action would mean the men who may have been well served to be reserve commanders to support the consuls abroad are not being sent to pacify conquered regions.

[apple]

Marcus looked at Pallas without showing his surprise of seeing him. The rumors had said that he was dead, killed during an burglary at his home.

I disagree with you senator. Hispania needs a governor to maintain the stability in the region. However as I have said before Sicily and our other minor island should stay under the senates control.

[chaplain118]

What a governor can do in Spain, the Senate can also accomplish. Our commanders need to devote their full attention to Macedon. Then there is the issue of the dead senators, Maxentius, Merula, and so on. These were men that I had not prosecuted during my stint as Praetor so before you all begin accusing me of murdering them let me explain myself.

It has been brought to my attention last year that a secret faction is working within Rome to topple the very structures of our City. The state of emergency that had been imposed upon the City led to the indictment of a man whom I believed had connections with the murderers. My suspicion was proven correct when those same men barged into my home and killed me, only to bring me back from the edge of death for some unknown reason.

Now, knowing of the Greek and Punic influences upon Sicily and the origins of the only clue that could lead us to those murderers coming from Sicily, it's plain to see that these men have their sources of funding from both Carthage and Macedon, and perhaps even the Greek cities. Senators, to halt the murders, we must direct our blades at the source of these men. Raze Macedon to the ground and burn down Carthage. I propose the following motion:

Lex Rutula de Rebus Militaris

I. Each consul are to be granted a total of five full strength legions in their respective theater.
II. One consul shall be tasked with the assault on Macedon while the other will assault Carthage.
III. The consuls are to be given free reign to do what they wish in their respective theater
IV. Each consul is alloted a further 5000 denarii (could be changed depending on quaestor report) for use in hiring of mercenaries.
V. The consuls must make monthly reports (every day and a half) upon them taking imperium.

The war is far more important than useless debates over the administrations of the provinces.

[Winter]

Aurelius stands immediately at the former Praetor's words

I have heard enough!

Turning to the Senate

Why do we allow this man to continue to spew his bile before this hallowed body? Why has this man not been tried and executed for his treasonous and law-breaking actions in the previous term? Why, after going into hiding for months, are we forced to endure his vile and criminal presence before us? Pallas Rutulus is a criminal that executed Roman citizens without a trial, all of Rome witnessed it! In his mind he saw convientent plots and mischevious tales, so prosperously spun as to throw his enemies into the abyss! With his very voice he marked us down for death!

Let him be cast from this body by you Conscript fathers, and then let justice be done upon him! I propose an immediate motion to Censure Pallas Rutulus and bar him from the Senate until his case may be tried before the Magistrate.

[apple]

I strongly oppose that.
Until the Praetor has made the final judge upon Pallas he's as much of a Senator as you are Lepidus.

[Elendil of Númenor]

Furthermore, how ever you dislike the man, Lepidus, Senator Aventinus does raise an important point. We seem to forget the fact that we are at war. With two of the strongest nations of Our Sea. Instead of bracing ourselves for war, we sit here arguing over a motion that should've been dealt with long ago.