Itisanessentialpointtofixthenumberofcitizenswhoaretoformthepublicassemblies；otherwiseitwouldbeuncertainwhetherthewhole，oronlyapartofthepeople，hadgiventheirvotes。AtSpartathenumberwasfixedattenthousand。ButRome，designedbyProvidencetorisefromtheweakestbeginningstothehighestpitchofgrandeur；
Rome，doomedtoexperienceallthevicissitudesoffortune；Rome，whohadsometimesallherinhabitantswithoutherwalls，andsometimesallItalyandaconsiderablepartoftheworldwithinthem；Rome，Isay，neverfixedthenumber[3]andthiswasoneoftheprincipalcausesofherruin。
Thepeople，inwhomthesupremepowerresides，oughttohavethemanagementofeverythingwithintheirreach：thatwhichexceedstheirabilitiesmustbeconductedbytheirministers。
Buttheycannotproperlybesaidtohavetheirministers，withoutthepowerofnominatingthem：itis，therefore，afundamentalmaximinthisgovernment，thatthepeopleshouldchoosetheirministers——thatis，theirmagistrates。
Theyhaveoccasion，aswellasmonarchs，andevenmoreso，tobedirectedbyacouncilorsenate。Buttohaveaproperconfidenceinthese，theyshouldhavethechoosingofthemembers；whethertheelectionbemadebythemselves，asatAthens，orbysomemagistratedeputedforthatpurpose，asoncertainoccasionswascustomaryatRome。