It was called the COMITIA CENTURIATA, i.e.an assembly of centuries.

The place of meeting was on the CAMPUS MARTIUS, a plain outside of the city.
In this assembly each century had one vote, and its vote was decided by the majority of its individual voters.

The tendency of this system was to give the wealthy the whole power; for since each century represented the same amount of property, the centuries in the upper or richer classes were much smaller than those in the lower or poorer classes, so that a majority of the centuries might represent a small minority of the people.

The majority of the wealthy people at Rome were still patricians, so the assembly was virtually controlled by them.

In this assembly magistrates were elected, laws made, war declared, and judgment passed in all criminal cases.
(Illustration: CAMPANIA).