Page:John Adams - A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America Vol. I. (1787).djvu/210

172 pleae of the public money, being always attended by a quætor for that purpoe, whoe duty it is to yield a ready obedience to all their commands. So that whoever cats his eyes on this branch, may with reaon affirm, that the government is merely monarchical and kingly.

The enate have, in the firt place, the command of the public money; for they have the conduct of all receipts and diburements; ince the quætors cannot iue money for any particular ervice without a decree of the enate, except thoe ums they pay by the direction of the conuls.

It has the power over all diburfements made by the cenors, every fifth year, in erecting and repairing public buildings;—takes cognizance of all crimes committed in Italy, uch as treaons, conpiracies, poionings, and aainations;—ends embaies out of Italy to reconcile differences, ue exhortations, ignify commands, admit alliances, or declare war;—determines, when ambaadors come to Rome, in what manner they are to be treated, and the anwer to be given them. For thee reaons, when a foreigner comes to Rome, in the abence of the conuls, the government appears to him purely aritocratical.

There is till a mot coniderable hare in the government left for the people. They only have the power of ditributing honours and punihments, to which alone both monarchies and commonwealths, in a word all human intitutions, owe their tability: for wherever the difference between rewards and punihments is not undertood, or injudiciouly applied, there nothing can be properly adminitered, ince the worthy and unworthy are equally honoured!

They often take cognizance of thoe caues where the fine is coniderable, if the criminals are perons