[Footnote32:Nonambigitursenatumjusfacereposse，isthedecisionofUlpian，l。xvi。adEdict。inPandect。l。i。tit。
iii。leg。9。Pomponiustaxesthecomitiaofthepeopleasaturbahominum，Pandect。l。i。tit。ii。leg9。
Note:Theauthoradoptstheopinion，thatundertheemperorsalonethesenatehadashareinthelegislativepower。TheyhadneverthelessparticipatedinitundertheRepublic，sincesenatus—consultarelatingtocivilrightshavebeenpreserved，whicharemuchearlierthanthereignsofAugustusorTiberius。
Itistruethat，undertheemperors，thesenateexercisedthisrightmorefrequently，andthattheassembliesofthepeoplehadbecomemuchmorerare，thoughinlawtheywerestillpermitted，inthetimeofUlpian。SeethefragmentsofUlpian。BachhasclearlydemonstratedthatthesenatehadthesamepowerinthetimeoftheRepublic。Itisnaturalthatthesenatus—consultashouldhavebeenmorefrequentundertheemperors，becausetheyemployedthosemeansofflatteringtheprideofthesenators，bygrantingthemtherightofdeliberatingonallaffairswhichdidnotintrenchontheImperialpower。ComparethediscussionsofM。Hugo，vol。i。p。284，etseq。—W。]
Thesilenceorambiguityofthelawswassuppliedbytheoccasionaledicts^!ofthosemagistrateswhowereinvestedwiththehonorsofthestate。^33ThisancientprerogativeoftheRomankingswastransferred，intheirrespectiveoffices，totheconsulsanddictators，thecensorsandpraetors；andasimilarrightwasassumedbythetribunesofthepeople，theediles，andtheproconsuls。AtRome，andintheprovinces，thedutiesofthesubject，andtheintentionsofthegovernor，wereproclaimed；andtheciviljurisprudencewasreformedbytheannualedictsofthesupremejudge，thepraetorofthecity。Assoonasheascendedhistribunal，heannouncedbythevoiceofthecrier，andafterwardsinscribedonawhitewall，theruleswhichheproposedtofollowinthedecisionofdoubtfulcases，andthereliefwhichhisequitywouldaffordfromthepreciserigorofancientstatutes。Aprincipleofdiscretionmorecongenialtomonarchywasintroducedintotherepublic:theartofrespectingthename，andeludingtheefficacy，ofthelaws，wasimprovedbysuccessivepraetors；subtletiesandfictionswereinventedtodefeattheplainestmeaningoftheDecemvirs，andwheretheendwassalutary，themeanswerefrequentlyabsurd。Thesecretorprobablewishofthedeadwassufferedtoprevailovertheorderofsuccessionandtheformsoftestaments；andtheclaimant，whowasexcludedfromthecharacterofheir，acceptedwithequalpleasurefromanindulgentpraetorthepossessionofthegoodsofhislatekinsmanorbenefactor。Intheredressofprivatewrongs，compensationsandfinesweresubstitutedtotheobsoleterigoroftheTwelveTables；timeandspacewereannihilatedbyfancifulsuppositions；andthepleaofyouth，orfraud，orviolence，annulledtheobligation，orexcusedtheperformance，ofaninconvenientcontract。Ajurisdictionthusvagueandarbitrarywasexposedtothemostdangerousabuse:thesubstance，aswellastheform，ofjusticewereoftensacrificedtotheprejudicesofvirtue，thebiasoflaudableaffection，andthegrosserseductionsofinterestorresentment。Buttheerrorsorvicesofeachpraetorexpiredwithhisannualoffice；suchmaximsaloneashadbeenapprovedbyreasonandpracticewerecopiedbysucceedingjudges；theruleofproceedingwasdefinedbythesolutionofnewcases；andthetemptationsofinjusticewereremovedbytheCornelianlaw，whichcompelledthepraetoroftheyeartoadheretothespiritandletterofhisfirstproclamation。^34ItwasreservedforthecuriosityandlearningofAdrian，toaccomplishthedesignwhichhadbeenconceivedbythegeniusofCaesar；andthepraetorshipofSalviusJulian，aneminentlawyer，wasimmortalizedbythecompositionofthePerpetualEdict。Thiswell—digestedcodewasratifiedbytheemperorandthesenate；thelongdivorceoflawandequitywasatlengthreconciled；and，insteadoftheTwelveTables，theperpetualedictwasfixedastheinvariablestandardofciviljurisprudence。^35