For  in  four  legions,  the  number  which  then  used  annually  to  be
raised,  there  were  twenty-four  tribunes,  six  in  each :  of  whom
by  this  law  four  were  appointed  by  the  people,  and  two  by  the
consuls.  Those  chosen  by  the  people  were  called  comitiati  ;  by
the  consuls,  rutili  or  buvuli.  At  first  they  seem  to  have  been
all  nominated  by  the  kings,  consuls,  or  dictators^  till  the  year
393,  when  the  people  assumed  the  right  of  annually  appointing
six.^  Afterwards  the  manner  of  choosing  them  Taried.  Some-
times the  people  created  the  whole,  sometimes  only  a  part  But
as  they,  through  interest,  often  appointed  improper  persons,  the
choice  was  sometimes  left,  especially  in  dangerous  junctures,
entirely  to  the  consuls.^

Lex  ATiNiA,  A.  U.  623,  about  making  the  tribunes  of  the  com-
mons senators.^ Another,  that  the  property  of  things  stolen

could  not  be  acquired  by  possession.^  The  words  of  the  law
were,  guoo  surrbptum  brit,  ejus  ^kterna  auctoritas  esto.^

Lex  AUFiDiA  de  ambitu,  A.  U.  692.  It  contained  this  singular
clause,  that  if  a  candidate  promised  money  to  a  tribe,  and  did
not  pay  it,  he  should  be  excused;  but  if  he  did  pay  it,  he  should
be  obliged  to  pay  to  every  tribe  a  yearly  fine  of  3000  sestertii
as  long  as  he  liredL^

Lex  AUBELiA  judiciaria,  by  L.  Aurelius  Cotta,  praetor,  A.  U.
