Agrarian Proposals.--The fomenters of the disturbance were Sp. Maecilius, who was tribune of the plebs for the fourth time, and M. Metilius, tribune for the third time; both had been elected in their absence. They brought forward a measure providing that the territory taken from an enemyshould be assigned to individual owners. If this were passedthe fortunes of a large number of the nobility would be con-fiscated. For as the City itself was- founded upon foreign soil, it possessed. hardly any territory which had not been won byarms, or which had become private property by sale or assign-ment beyond what the plebeians possessed29 There seemed every prospect of a bitter conflict between the plebs and the patricians. The consular tribunes, after discussing the natter in the senate ana现private zatherings or patricians. were at a loss what to do, when Appius Claudius, the grandson of the old deceravir and the youngest senator present, rose to speak. He is represented as saying that he was brie乡ng from home an old device well known to his house. His grandfather, Appius Claudius, had pointed out to the senate the only way of breaking down the power。 of the tribunes ough the mterposition of their colleagues' veto. Men who had risen from the masses were easily induced to their opinions by the personal authority of the leaders of theStateifonlythey State if onlytheywere addressed in language suitable to the occasion rather than to the rank of the speaker. T’heir teelinLys changed with the让 xortunes. w nen they saw tnat mose of tnexr colleagues who were the first to propose any measure took the whole credit of x Gas it with the P leb s and left no puce for them, they would feel no hesitation n coming over to the cause of the senate, and so win the favour not only of the leaders but of the whole5 order.His views met with universal approval; Q. Servilius Priscus was the first to congratulate the youth on his not havingdegenerated from the old Claudian stock. The leaders of thesenate were charged to persuade as many tribunes as theycould to interpose their veto. After the close of the sitting theycanvassed the tribunes. By the use of persuasion, warning,and promises, they showed how acceptable that action wouldbe to them individually and to the whole senate. They succeeded in bringing over six.The next day, in accordance with a previous understanding,the attention of the senate was drawn to the agitation which Maecilius andMetilius were causing by proposing a bribe of the worst possible type Speeches were delivered by the leaders of the senate, eachin turn declaring that he ，Was unable to suggest any course of action, and saw no other resource hilt the assistance of the tribunes. To the protection of that power the State in its embarrassment, like a private citizen in his helplessness, fled for succour. It was the glory of the tribunes and of the authority they wielded that they possessed as much strength to withstand evil-minded colleagues as to harass the senate and create dissension between the two orders. Cheers arose from the whole senate and the tribunes were appealed to from every quarter of the :House, when silence was restored, those tribunes who had been won over made it clear that since the senate was of 'opinion that the proposed measure tended to the break-up of the republic, they should interpose their veto on it. They were formally thanked by the senate. The urODosers of the measure convened a meetinz in which they showered abuse on their colleagues, calling them“traitors to the interests of the plebs”and“slaves of the consulars,'’ with other insulting epithets. Then they dropped all further proceedings.