The Senate also governs directly all of those provinces (about half of the whole Empire) which do not require any army for defense or control. It has its own treasury, and it can strike copper money, although gold and silver are reserved to the Emperor, making a considerable profit on the seignorage. It acts as supreme court of appeal on all cases which rise in the provinces under its government. By the vote of its members are elected all those “old Republican” magistrates from consul down to _quæstor_ (treasury supervisor) which carry along with the temporary glories of office the right to a life seat in the Senate itself--making the latter practically a self-perpetuating body. A good Emperor swears at the beginning of his reign, “I will never put any senator to death”--_i.e._ the Senate shall judge all capital charges against its members, even those involving treason. Besides these prerogatives senators alone are eligible for the highest military commands and the governorships of all the larger imperial provinces. As already stated (see p. 156), the senators in addition constitute the highest aristocracy; they must each possess at least 1,000,000 sesterces ($40,000) taxable property, and they enjoy all the influence that comes to vested prestige and wealth in an age that cringes to titles and fortunes. On this showing, the 600 senators apparently constitute the most powerful organ in the government. =284. Actual Weakness of the Senate.=--Unfortunately much of this brave showing is only a glittering mask. The Senate has not one swordsman in Rome or in any of its provinces to obey the summons, “Resist the Emperor and his Prætorians.” It ordinarily has to stand helpless while the army decides who is to be the next Cæsar in case of a contested succession. After Caligula’s murder in 41 A.D. the Conscript Fathers debated earnestly: “Shall we restore the Republic? If not that, which aspiring nobleman can we elect as Emperor?” Meantime, the Prætorians, pillaging the palace, found the terrified and demoralized Claudius hiding in a closet; they dragged him forth and discovered a survivor of the Cæsars whose dynasty they greatly wished to perpetuate. “_Ave Imperator!_” rang their shout. Soon the senators were informed that their debates were unnecessary--Claudius was being proclaimed in the Prætorian Camp. The Fathers made haste to bestow on Claudius full imperial powers and to congratulate him on his succession. Nobody doubted after that where the real power lay.