Page:Roman Constitutional History, 753-44 B.C..djvu/186

172 the consuls and praetors were to govern, and thus exercised a great influence on the magistrates. Gracchus established by law the rule that the senate should determine before the consular elections what provinces the next consuls were to have. In this way he largely excluded personal and partisan considerations. To prevent delay, he ordained that tribunician intercession was not allowable against a senatorial decree in such cases. In this instance he went only so far as necessary, and introduced an excellent and important principle.

Laws on Colonies and Roads. — The laws providing for the establishment of colonies had before been passed at the instance, or with the sanction, of the senate. Gaius Gracchus carried, independently of the senate, a plebiscite authorizing the founding of Roman colonies at Capua and Tarentum; and he was probably the virtual author of the Rubrian law, which provided for the establishment of a Roman colony on the site of Carthage — the first one outside of Italy. Latins were permitted to become colonists at these places, provided they became Roman citizens. The renewal of colonization on this scale was a measure of importance, and the choice of sites was excellent. The selfish and short-sighted policy of the Romans regarding these three cities had been detrimental to lower Italy as well as to Africa, and the time had come for discarding it. The colonization of Carthage formed, moreover, a noteworthy political innovation, as it was contrary to the old principle that Italy was to be the ruling country, and the provinces were to be subject territory. On the other hand, it indicated how a permanent outlet might be found for the poor people of Rome, and promised to be an important step toward Latinizing the provinces.

In connection with the Italian colonies and the allotments of land, Gracchus encroached on another branch of