Then Aulus Verginius and Titus Vetusius entered on the consulship.  Upon this the commons, uncertain what sort of consuls they were likely to have, held nightly meetings, some of them upon the Esquiline, and others upon the Aventine, lest, when assembled in the forum, they should be thrown into confusion by being obliged to adopt hasty resolutions, and proceed inconsiderately and at hap-hazard.  The consuls, judging this proceeding to be of dangerous tendency, as it really was, laid the matter before the senate.  But, when it was laid before them, they could not get them to consult upon it regularly; it was received with an uproar on all sides, and by the indignant shouts of the fathers, at the thought that the consuls threw on the senate the odium for that which should have been carried out by consular authority.  Assuredly, if there were real magistrates in the republic, there would have been no council at Rome but a public one.  As it was, the republic was divided and split into a thousand senate-houses and assemblies, some meetings being held on the Esquiline, others on the Aventine.  One man, like Appius Claudius—­for such a one was of more value than a consul—­would have dispersed those private meetings in a moment.  When the consuls, thus rebuked, asked them what it was that they desired them to do, declaring that they would carry it out with as much energy and vigour as the senators wished, the latter issued a decree that they should push on the levy as briskly as possible declaring that the people had become insolent from want of employment.  When the senate had been dismissed, the consuls assembled the tribunal and summoned the younger men by name.  When none of them answered to his name, the people, crowding round after the manner of a general assembly, declared that the people could no longer be imposed on:  that they should never enlist one single soldier unless the engagement made publicly with the people were fulfilled:  that liberty must be restored to each before arms should be given, that so they might fight for their country and fellow-citizens, and not for lords and masters.  The consuls understood the orders of the senate, but saw none of those who talked so big within the walls of the senate-house present themselves to share the odium they would incur.  In fact, a desperate contest with the commons seemed at hand.  Therefore, before they had recourse to extremities, they thought it advisable to consult the senate a second time.  Then indeed all the younger senators almost flew to the chairs of the consuls, commanding them to resign the consulate, and lay aside an office which they lacked the courage to support.