Conflict of Orders

Commissio Censoria Cassia: 196 to mid-195 B.C.
Censor: Gaius Cassius Vecellinus

Ratio essendi: Established by Censor Gaius Cassius Vecellinus in early 196 B.C. for the purposes of opening of pooling together the intellectual, monetary and influential resources of a number of interested Senators and other magistrates towards the study, debate and execution of a myriad of roles related to the censorial magistracy including, but not limited to, public works, tax collection, census taking, fine issuing, etc.

Members:

• Gaius Cassius Vecellinus, Censor
• Marcus Aurelius Cotta, Senator
• Postumus Caesonius Tacitus, Senator
• Marcus Silvius Pastor, Senator

Agenda under debate:

• Harbor and religious facilities at Ostia
• Land survey of the expanded Ager Publicus
• Construction of a large road in the Po Valley
• Establishment of colonies

Senator Aurelius Cotta confirms the invitation

Conscript fathers,

Thank you for accepting my invitation into this commission, it is my hope that it comes a fruitful and productive institution during my term as Censor of the Republic. Should you be aware of other members who may be interested in partaking please direct them here.

In regards the agenda, which is of course to be expanded as topics are duly resolved, I wish to begin by addressing the matter of the proposed works in Ostia for the expansion of the harbor. It is my opinion that the dreadful reduction of our manpower due to the war with Carthage has likely reduced the near time needs of grain imports from abroad; that being said, I wish to base the decision to build or not to build said works in Ostia on more than an opinion, however informed it may be.

Thus, I would request, should it be acceptable to them, that Senators Caesonius and Silvius, who have proposed motions to the above extent in the Curia, travel to Ostia and conduct an investigation in loco as to:

-> The needs of expanded harbor facilities, to be measured by the maximum potential capacity supplied of the harbor and the current demand.
-> The cost of said works.
-> The existing state of religious infrastructure when compared to other cities of similar demographic size.
-> The possibility of the above works to be conducted through local means or with a subsidy from Rome.

Upon the conclusion of said research they would report back to this Commission.

Moreover, I would like to request Senator Aurelius' assistance, who has shown some sympathy for the plight of downtrodden with his debt relief mechanism, if one can speak in such terms, to conduct one of either:

-> Accompany Consul Valerius' army and conduct a land survey of the Po Valley for the construction of a large roman road and/or the implantation of colonies.
-> To survey the large tracts of newly gained land in Southern Italia for unsanctioned appropriation of the Ager Publicus. It is estimated that the latter has expanded from 6,700,000 acres to 9,200,000 acres with the victory over Carthage and the desolation caused by Hannibal's army in the region. It is vital to take control of said land lest the Republic's silence be mistaken for condoning misappropriation.

Honoured Censor,

I would be pleased to accept the task of investigating the use of the Ager Publicus in Magna Graecia/Southern Italia.

Thank you,

Senator Aurelius Cotta

Honoured Censor,

I'd be happy to go with Senator Silvius Pastor to Ostia and investigate there.

Esteemed Censor,

I graciously accept you request to travel to Ostia, alongside the honorable Senator Post. Caesonius Tacitus, to investigate the necessity of our proposed motions under consideration by the Curia. At both your and Senator Caesonius' approval, I further propose that we divvy up our initial inquests by proposal - myself examining the current harbor infrastructure and Senator Caesonius examining the current religious infrastructure - before jointly examining the costs of the projects and whether on not such projects could be funded locally, before presenting our findings to this body and the Curia. I look forward to discussing the findings of this larger investigation when we've acquired such relevant information.

That said, it would be a dereliction of my duties as a Senator and a Roman if I did not reiterate my position that the Ostia Harbor be expanded, regardless of the findings of our investigation. Senators Cn. Domitius Corbulo and T. Furius Pavo, serving in their capacities as Governors of Hispania Ulterior and Sardinia et Corsica respectively, have seen fit to expand their provincial harbors. Such expansions will undoubtedly lead to an increase of commerce from those provinces to Rome via the Ostia Harbor. As such, even if our investigation demonstrates that it is not an immediate necessity to expand the Ostia Harbor, we should consider the inevitable increase in maritime traffic to Ostia as a result of expansions to Malaca and Caralis harbors.

Conscript fathers,

Thank you for your support and assistance, I shall await the result of your findings. The points raised by the Silvii Senator will be taken into consideration though we must also consider the somewhat feeble state of Rome's finances at this stage; it is my hope that the efforts and campaign of our Propraetors and Consul will help remedy this situation.

Honored Censor,

I am honored to present the findings of my investigation to this Commission. This investigation set out to answer four distinct questions concerning the Ostia Harbor:

1) What is the current capacity of the Ostia Harbor?
2) What is the necessity for expansion of the Ostia Harbor?
3) What is the projected increase in maritime traffic to Ostia, based on expansions to Caralis Harbor and Malaca Harbor?
4) What is the required cost of any expansion to Ostia Harbor, and could it be funded locally?

The current capacity of Ostia Harbor is meagre at best. While one of our first colonia, Ostia remains a small town with modest harbor facilities. Primarily, these facilities currently serve to offload goods from either ships too large or otherwise unable to navigate the Tiber. To keep pace with our expanding network of overseas provinces, the Ostia Harbor requires expansion, lest we risk the inability to properly sustain our military and commercial operations abroad. Such necessity is emphasized by the estimated cost of the expansion project - up to 100,000 Denarii - to bring the Ostia Harbor to a sustainable working order based on projected maritime traffic. All said, there is little local funding for such a project, as there is not much of a residential populace which lives there. As such, funding for the Ostia Harbor would come virtually exclusively from the Senate.

Based on these findings, I humbly recommend that the Ostia Harbor expansion be fully funded for a total of 100,000 Denarii, either solely by the funds at this Censor's discretion, or in conjunction with funds to be allocated by a future Censor. At the Censor's request, these findings will be provided and presented to the Senate.