But before the votes of the contemporaries of the senators be
taken, the president of the senate for the time being shall explain the
state of affairs, and what the senate's own opinion is on the matter in
question, and why; after which the votes shall be collected in the
accustomed order.
33. The entire senate ought not to meet every day, but, like all great
councils, at a certain fixed time. But as in the mean time the business
of the dominion must be executed, it is, therefore, necessary that some
part of the senators be chosen, who, on the dismissal of the senate,
shall supply its place, and whose duty it shall be to summon the senate
itself, when need is; to execute its orders about affairs of state; to
read letters written to the senate and supreme council; and, lastly, to
consult about the matters to be proposed in the senate. But that all
these points, and the order of this assembly, as a whole, may be more
easily conceived, I will describe the whole matter more precisely.
34. The senators who, as we have said already, are to be chosen for a
year, are to be divided into four or six series, of which let the first
have the first seat in the senate for the first three or two months in
the year; and at the expiration of this time, let the second series take
the place of the first, and so on, observing their turns, so that that
series which was first in the first months may be last in the second
period. Furthermore, there are to be appointed as many presidents as
there are series, and the same number of vice-presidents to fill their
places when required -- that is, two are to be chosen out of every
series, one to be its president, the other its vice-president.
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