Rousseau_contrat-social

assemble and do what the comitia curiata should have done.
The division by centuries was so favourable to the aristocracy that it
is hard to see at first how the senate ever failed to carry the day in
the comitia bearing their name, by which the consuls, the censors and
the other curule magistrates were elected. Indeed, of the hundred and
ninety-three centuries into which the six classes of the whole Roman
people were divided, the first class contained ninety-eight; and, as
voting went solely by centuries, this class alone had a majority over
all the rest. When all these centuries were in agreement, the rest of
the votes were not even taken; the decision of the smallest number
passed for that of the multitude, and it may be said that, in the
comitia centuriata, decisions were regulated far more by depth of purses
than by the number of votes.
But this extreme authority was modified in two ways. First, the tribunes
as a rule, and always a great number of plebeians, belonged to the class
of the rich, and so counterbalanced the influence of the patricians in
the first class.
The second way was this. Instead of causing the centuries to vote
throughout in order, which would have meant beginning always with the
first, the Romans always chose one by lot which proceeded alone to the
election; after this all the centuries were summoned another day
according to their rank, and the same election was repeated, and as a
rule confirmed. Thus the authority of example was taken away from rank,
and given to the lot on a democratic principle.
From this custom resulted a further advantage. The citizens from the
country had time, between the two elections, to inform themselves of the
merits of the candidate who had been provisionally nominated, and did
not have to vote without knowledge of the case. But, under the pretext
of hastening matters, the abolition of this custom was achieved, and
both elections were held on the same day.
The comitia tributa were properly the council of the Roman people. They
were convoked by the tribunes alone; at them the tribunes were elected
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