in appointing judges or jury to decide the cause: by _dico_,
he meant that he declared right, or gave judgment; and by _addico_, that
he adjudged the goods of the debtor to the creditor. The praetor
administered justice only in private or trivial cases: but in public and
important causes, the people either judged themselves, or appointed
persons called _quaesitores_ to preside.

The _censors_ were appointed to take an account of the number of the
people, and the value of their fortunes, and superintend the public
morals. They were usually chosen from the most respectable persons of
consular dignity, at first only from among the Patricians, but
afterwards likewise from the Plebeians.

They had the same ensigns as the consuls, except the _lictors_, and were
chosen every five years, but continued in office only a year and a half.
When any of the senators or equites committed a dishonorable action, the
censors could erase the name of the former from the list, and deprive
the knight of his horse and ring; any other citizen, they degraded or
deprived of all the privileges of a Roman citizen, except liberty.

As the sentence of censors (_Animadversio Censoria_,) only affected a
person's character, it was therefore properly called _Ignominia_. Yet
even this was not unchangeable; the people or next censors might reverse
it.

In addition to the revision of morals, censors had the charge of paving
the streets--making roads, bridges, and aqueducts--preventing private
persons from occupying public property--and frequently of imposing
taxes.

A census was taken by these officers, every five years, of the number of
the people, the amount of their fortunes, the number of slaves, &c.
After this census had been taken, a sacrifice was made of a sow, a
sheep, and a bull--hence called _suove-taurilia_. As this took place
only every five years, that space of time was called a _lustrum_,
because the sacrifice was a lustration offered for all the people; and
therefore _condere lustrum_, means to finish the census.

The title of censor was esteemed more honorable than that of consul,
although attended by less power: no one could be elected a second time,
and they who filled it were remarkable for leading an irreproachable
life; so that it was considered the chief ornament of nobility to be
sprung from a censorian family.

The appointment of tribunes of the people, may be attributed to the
following cause; the Plebeians being oppressed