Gaius Agrippa addresses the Popular Assembly:

"Quirites! Although my friend and patron Lucius Caesar is a patrician and would not be able to speak and vote in this Assembly, I am a plebeian myself and I know that you all would want to know his opinion on this proposed legislation.

He would definitely be against it!

Why? I see you wonder. Is this not a law to further the people's interests? Is Caesar's love for the people less strong than his patrician status? Nothing is farther from the truth!

This law that the tribune Tubero proposes is not in your best interests. The good part is only a confirmation of what is already a law of Rome, even if at times it has not been properly adhered to, that one of the Consuls must always be a plebeian. That is good.

But the bad part is that it proposes that the plebeian consul be elected by the Plebeian Assembly alone, while the "other" consul, who can be either patrician or plebeian, will be elected by the Centuriate Assembly, which represents the whole of the Roman People. Oh, this is very bad!

Because one of the consuls will have the vote of all the people, and he will be able to claim that he represents the whole People and Senate of Rome, while the other consul will have the vote of only a portion of the people, and he will be the representative of only a portion of the people! Tubero will not deny this - in effect, he states that this "consul" will always be the junior consul! A second rate consul, that is what he will be!

No, fellow Romans, this must not be! The consuls must represent the whole people and be voted for by the whole people. That one of them must always be plebeian is in the law and for many generations now in the mos maiorum. Enforce this law by all means! But let all the people of Rome vote for their consuls, do not lessen the autorictas of your consul by giving him less votes than he deserves!

It is the tribunate of the plebs that should belong to us plebeians alone, not the consulship. The tribunes of the plebs should be elected by the plebs only. The consuls must be elected by the whole People of Rome, that they may represent the whole People, answer to the whole People, and have the full authority of the People!"