The special privileges which distinguished the Emperor from other magistrates in transacting business with the Senate were three in number. First, he has not merely the power to put a motion (_referre_) when present in the house, but he can send a written recommendation (_relationem facere_) when the Senate meets under the presidency of another magistrate.[1620] In such a meeting the Emperor as a rule only claims priority for one item in a single sitting (_jus primae relationis_); hence we sometimes find, as a special privilege, the right of priority given him for three, four, or five.[1621] The power which he possesses of dividing the house upon his motion without debate (_senatus consultum per discessionem facere_) is not a new one, but one that might be exercised by the consul of the later Republic. Secondly, the Emperor has the power to withdraw a _relatio_ of his own which is already before the house (_relationem remittere_); and thirdly, the privilege of ordering the Senate to meet under the presidency of another magistrate. The second special right has reference to the elections of magistrates, and introduces us to the question how far the Princeps could control them. Two functions are attributed to him by our authorities, that of nomination and that of commendation; but the effects of the two are very different. The _nominatio_ is merely the negative power possessed by the Republican magistrate of receiving names and excluding unqualified aspirants from candidature. With respect to most offices—the praetorship, for instance—it was exercised by the Princeps conjointly with the consuls, and the number of candidates whom he nominated was, at least in the early Principate, limited.[1622] The practical effect of the Prince’s nomination on the election might be great, but its legal influence was _nil_.[1623] _Commendatio_, on the other hand, a privilege developed from the Republican practice by which candidates were recommended by distinguished persons for election, is a right legally conferred, and one which absolutely secures the choice by the electing body of the person so commended.[1624] The extent to which it might be employed differed with the various magistracies; thus in Tiberius’ reign, out of at least twelve candidates for the praetorship only four were commended by the Emperor.[1625] Magistrates, who had gained their position by this act of imperial favour, were designated _candidati Caesaris_.[1626] The highest office of all, the consulship, seems, at least in the early Principate, never to have been awarded on a formal imperial recommendation; for the description of the method by which Tiberius filled up this post at his pleasure shows that the Emperor effected his object by a clever use of the nomination.[1627] This may have been a limitation of practice, not of theory, for the words of the law as we have it exempt no office from this imperial control, and it is certain that from the time of Vespasian