Who were the Plebeian representatives in the Senate?

Answer 1

The representatives of the plebeians (the commoners) were the plebeian tribunes. They were not representatives in the Roman senate. They were actually excluded from the seats of the senate. The institutions of the plebeians (the plebeian tribunes, the plebeian aediles, their assistants, and the Plebeian Council, the assembly of the plebeians to which the patrician aristocracy was excluded) were separate and independent from the institutions of the Roman state: the senate and the magistrates, or officers of state (the consuls, praetors, censors, curule aediles and quaestors). The senate was controlled by the patrician aristocracy and the wealthy entrepreneurial class, the equestrians.

These tribunes presided over the Plebeian Council and could propose bills to the vote of this assembly (plebiscites). One of their tasks was to protect the plebeians from abuse by the officers of state through 'intercessio' , the right to stop actions deemed to be harmful to the plebeians. They could also veto a senatum consultum. This was a written opinion on bills which were submitted to the senate for consultation by the consuls or praetors (these were bills that were going to be put to the vote of the Assembly of the Soldiers). Although these were meant to be just advice, the consuls often followed them to the letter. If the plebeian tribunes deemed them to be against the interests of the plebeians, they could veto them.