Concerning the Burial of Caesar

Fellow senators, we are faced with a difficult decision at this time. Our leader, Julius Caesar, has been slain, and now Rome must decide what to do with his body. How should we approach this matter? I believe that we, as the senate, must show the rest of Rome that we are able to handle this situation in a proper, and timely, manner. The people of Rome will need us to be a model for them at this time of distress. We, conscript fathers, should show the Roman people that there is hope and all is not completely lost.
Gaius Julius Caesar was the dictator and leader of Rome for many years and the majority of our citizens loved and adored him. He was known for his clemency and his unending willingness to pardon many of us for siding with his enemies, myself included. Caesar helped to further my own political career, as well as the careers of many in this very room, and for this, I will always be grateful to him. I believe that we, fellow senators, should keep these things in mind when we make our fateful decision. What we decide will have enormous effects on how the senate is viewed in the eyes of the people of Rome.
To those who feel that Caesar should not be given a proper burial, I pose the question of what they feel should be done? Do you truly feel that the body of our former leader should be tossed into the river as though it were trash, or some equally common and low thing? Should we, as leaders of this magnificent city, show such disrespect for one, who, for better or worse, was a leader of Rome? If for no other reason, Caesar deserves a proper funeral and burial as a right for leading our great city. What would the Roman people say if they watched us toss the body of Caesar into the river? We should be thinking of our fellow citizens, illustrious senators, and what their wishes might be in this matter. As I have stated previously, the people are already in distress over the loss of Caesar and the manner in which he was lost to them—shall we give them more to worry about? If they see their senators acting as animals, throwing the body of their leader aside, will they trust us to lead them out of this predicament? You say that Caesar was a tyrant, only speaking empty words when talking of what he could do for the people of Rome. You say that he only had his own interests in mind instead of actually doing what was best for the people. Are we to disregard the feelings of the people in this matter, if this is exactly what you accused Caesar of doing?
Regardless of your personal feelings towards Gaius Julius Caesar, fellow senators, we should do what is best for Rome and what is best for her people. We should give a proper burial to our slain leader, if not for our own sake, but for the sake of the people of Rome. We should pull together for this one matter, and discuss what is to be done about the other issues surrounding this situation, once the body of Caesar has been laid to rest.