However, according to Tacitus, who states 'Under Augustus there was no opposition' the remaining senate failed to oppose Augustus, probably as any senators with opposing views had been removed. Augustus also utilised his power of patronage and those favoured by him to join the senate were of the equestrian order. By creating an equestrian career structure, Augustus was able to fill the senate with people who owed their political position to him and would likely show little opposition to the emperor. To further stop the senate from acting as a successful focus for opposition, Augustus also reduced the number of sessions to two a month and established a senate committee composed of himself, the consuls, and 15 senators, which prepared business to be submitted to the senate. Thus the senate could not act as a successful focus for opposition to the emperors as the senate committee, in which Augustus probably had a lot of influence, presided over what issues the senate could actually debate. Augustus also encouraged competition, retaining the glamour of the consulship and reducing the length of consulships from one year to 6 months after 5 BC. He also increased competition for Praetorships, increasing the functions of a Praetor; 2 were appointed to manage the state treasury, and three ex Praetors appointed to mange the military treasury, giving more opportunities for senators to progress up the career ladder. Hence, it could be argued that under Augustus, the senate did not act as a focus for opposition to the emperor, especially as most senators who did oppose him and been replaced by equestrians who owed their position to Augustus. The senators and the upper classes were treated well and the Republican Façade honoured, suggesting there was little opposition to the emperor, although clearly there were still some who opposed the emperor, evidenced through Dio telling us that some senators criticised Augustus for his promiscuousness.