1By the Pompeian law, sir, the Bithynian cities are permitted to enrol as their citizens whomever they wish, provided they enrol no one belonging to those cities which are in Bithynia. 1The same law lays down for what reasons people may be expelled from the senate by the censors. 2Hence some of the censors thought they should consult me whether they ought to expel a man who was a citizen of another city. 3Since the law, while it forbade the enrolling of a citizen of another city, did not order expulsion from the senate for this reason, and since, moreover, I was assured that in every city there were a great many councillors from other cities, and that many men and many cities would be thrown into disorder by that part of the law which had long since fallen into disuse by a kind of general consent, I thought it necessary to consult you on what you thought should be observed.
3I have appended to this letter the chapters of the law.