De Re SPQR vs. PCH and a Decree

Author: * Lucilia Lucretius - 1 Post on this thread out of 818 Posts sitewide.
Date: Jan 15, 2006 - 11:39

Flaccus was sitting at his office desk that was loaded with documents brought to him from the Senate archives. The more he searched the more baffled he was – could it indeed be true that no other province governor beside himself had provided the Senate with required reports? Not one!? But there was no sign of them anywhere!

Did it mean that all of them – Cordatus, Hibernicus, Russus, Rufus as well as Trevericus – had just ignored the law?

If that was true, they all should be made accountable, not just the initiator of the law they had broken…

But all five? What a scandal this would be! Current Consul, late Dictator, former Censor, Pro-praetor… all under criminal charges?

True, Consul couldn’t be called until the end of his pro-consular year, this would be another year and a half, Rufus until the end of current year, Cordatus and Trevericus were both retired from public life. So indeed should he make this an example case against Hibernicus for all the current and future governors to remember?

What to do? He cannot ignore it, or the people will think he is defending his own kind. But criminal trial? This would ruin their entire careers if found guilty…

But then as Hibernicus himself had said – governors need to be held accountable… People have a right to know how the Republic is governed…So he would have to do it, there was no other way…

Flaccus returned to the swimming pool where Vulso waiting for his response.

Flaccus:	Senator, I have given serious thought to your arguments, and I must agree that the situation shall be taken most seriously. We cannot leave this disregard and impertinence unpunished or it would be a sign to all the future governors that accountability is a matter of choice. Furthermore, we would give a sign to all the citizens that laws apply to just some, but not to all. Not even to those who initiate them!
The expression on Vulso’s face did not hide how please he was with the course of Censor’s thoughts. But it was not the end of it.
Flaccus:	However, we speak of people who until now have served Republic well and have deserved our trust. Shouldn’t we rather assume then that this disregard was a result of absent mind or busy transfer to a new office? Absent mind is not an admirable quality in a governor, but then it is not criminal either. And what if the reports were sent but got lost on the road?
It was clear now that Vulso was most eager to respond to the questions posed by the Censor, but Flaccus was obviously captured by the sound of his own voice and continued.
Flaccus:	Thus I have decided, as you yourself so sensibly advised, to enter black marks against all five of them in my books. Moreover, I herewith request that all five of them present the missing final reports to the Senate within next two weeks or I will proceed with criminal trial as would be right. As set by SC Valerium de Castigatione Praetoria I would appoint authorized Quaestors to investigate public records of the provinces and provide the Senate as well as the Courts with necessary details. And we would go to every dirty detail, I promise you that! Don’t try to talk me over, my decision is final.

CENSORIAL DECREE

I hereby place a black mark against the names of the following men:

Patricus Curius Hibernicus
Decimus Claudius Russus
Caius Cornelius Rufus

Each is to lose 10 points or 1%, whichever is more, of their family reputation value.

In addition, they are requested to present their Provincial Reports to the Senate within 14 days or the financial transactions of those provinces as well as the behaviour of governors shall be investigated under the criminal trial.

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OOC: No sense to punish those who are not playing at present.