Dicourse of the Government of the Republic and the voting of the people.
Aistava Scholar of Moralism, Senator of the Republic, Ward of Mahid I.
The government of our great Republic has at its Apex the Senate, the Supreme Authority and Sovereign law making body in the Republic, the Legitimate Voice of the people and most sacred and beloved Institution of the Ancestors. The Senators of the Republic are not elected directly, no man has come up with the means of replicating the Ancestors system of universal voting; that is lost to us. Instead the people of a district in the case of the country or a ward in the case of a city are drawn together by social class are drawn together, to cast a vote by group. This has its limits, butchers and bakers would far prefer to elect one of their number to the Senate not the other, it is unfortunate that the common peoples wishes are subject to the arbitrary nature of the wards and districts. But this allows a broad brush system of representation, far superior to the tyranny of having a King in charge, one cannot train to be a King, one is a King by birth, not be inclination or training or the respect of your fellow citizens.
The social classes are divided thus
The requirements to vote in the Second Level, that of Merchants, Ship-owners, Master Craftsmen and those of good credit.
i. Those who live in buildings of over 2 stories which include a storefront;
ii. Those whom own a significant share in merchant vessels;
iii. Those who own a significant assets readily convertible into coins the value of which are to be assessed by the relevant Ward;
iv. Those with special dispensations from the relevant trade bodies or mercantile bodies;
v. Or subject to a special dispensation given by the relevant Ward or District Authority, in the person of the Senate or a delegate empowered by Legislation from the Senate or a figure of Special Authority as defined in Legislation;
vi. That one does not vote in any other level
The requirements to vote in the Third Level, that of the Senator, Land Holder and those judged to be Significant Personages in the Republic.
i. Those who own whether through trust, writ, deed, duty, assets or coin have the ability or already pay the in First Tranche of Taxation of the Republic;
ii. Those who are Senators of the Republic and vote in the Senate;
iii. Those land owners who are judged to own significant assets be they by trust, write, deed, duty or assets be they cash, land, buildings or whatsoever those administrating may constitute an asset, these need not necessarily be in the Ward of District currently resided in which are to be assessed by the relevant Ward;
iv. Those with special dispensations from the Senate, or Speaker or not less than an absolute Majority of the City or Greater Region from which the citizen is voting may vote;
v. Those whom the Senate has mentioned in a First Reading or those mentioned in dispatches as being Significant Personages;
vi. That one does not vote in any other level.
The requirements to vote in the First Level, that of the Citizen General.
i. That one is a Citizen of the Republic
ii. That one does not vote in any other level
The composition of voters to elect a Senator.
The members of the voting levels, vote for Senators in the same Districts and Wards, in order to maintain harmony in the Republic the means of electing the Senator per Ward or District follows this format for the most part, although Wards and Districts have the ability to appeal for amendments to the following practices, which are added to the Constitution after which time as the High Court or the Unitary Primes Court or with the approval of the Speaker and no less than a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
i. That the Third Levels votes count for two fourths of the total vote, to keep the Senates voice in line with the paramount interests of the most significant individuals in the Republic;
ii. That the Second Levels votes count for one fourth of the total vote, representing the significant importance of the craftsmen, merchants and others who allow the lifeblood of the Republic to flow;
iii. That the First Levels votes count for one fourth of the total vote, representing the will of the people;
iv. If the First Level disputes the candidate that the other orders hath voted for then the First Level may at its discretion and with an appropriate vote disallow the Senatorial Election and may renew the voting; It may not obstruct the more than twice; nor may it adjust its demands once the first round of voting has gone through, it may continue to be hostile to the Vote for however a long period it deems to be a legitimate exercise of influence at least with regards to the health and safety of the Republic;
v. Senators may not be elected to sit in the Senate until such a time as the First Level as per the previous article votes in the affirmative;
vi. Intimidation however so construed against the First Level when it is legitimately exercising its rights, is punishable in either the High Court, the Senate Floor, or the Unitary Primes Court, the maximum penalty for which is death;
vii. That the Republics health and safety are subject to review, by the Senate, a voting of all orders as per the election of Senators at the time of elections with a question being put forward by the Senate or a relevant personage so empowered by the Senate to act on its behalf,
The Senators shall as a class, have the following obligations to the citizens, and the voting orders.
i. The Senate shall not abridge the courses of Justice given to the people by the Ancestors in the early days;
ii. The Senate may not act of its own violation in the affairs of the nation and shall be expected to have the broad support of the populace unless cause can be shown that this broad support would run contrary to the health and safety of the Republic;
iii. That the Republic will be bound by the Ancient Precepts of the Ancestors and will not break those sacred covenants;
iv. That the Republic owes its existence to the acquiescence of the citizens, and that the citizens may act if they should see good reason to restrain the Republic, if there exists just and reasonable cause;
v. That the Republic may not circumvent the Legal and Statutory Authorities whether derived from the Ancestors, the Statutes of the Republic or the pre-existing Custom of the Republic or The Manifest Rights of Seshweay and Citizen which ever of the two is greater.
vi. That the Senate derives it Supreme Lawmaking Power from the Citizens of the Republic, it is just and seemly to the Divine Wishes of the Ancestors that this power only be used for the Good, Just and Seemly conduct of the Republic, her agents and her allies, that if applied internally it be used with the utmost caution and regard for her subjects and citizens and whom shall ever be residing in the Republic whether they be of native or foreign extraction and that the conduct of the Republic in both war and peace, troubles and prosperity and life and death act in the manner that the Ancestors such as they willed it acted, and in such a manner that the good conduct, grace and Supreme Authority of the Senate and Republic is never under any circumstances circumvented by act, error or omission.
vii. That the Republic merely borrows the rights of the Citizen for how its legally constituted sessions, and that upon dissolution of the Senate for elections it returns those rights to the people, as the Ancestors demand, and that in the advent of a non return following dissolution the people shall be authorised to act in whatsoever manner they deem reasonable, just and true to the conduct of the Republic to enforce that return.
viii. That the Republic upon election, whether partial limited to no less than a two-thirds election shall not, for any reason whatsoever will limit the traditional rights of the citizen or Seshweay as far as the existing law and precedent protect them and in the most destructive and corrosive cases then a suit may be bought before the Senate, the High Court or the Court of the Unitary Prime.
It is the most peculiar nature of our Republic, that the lowest classes exert such a hold over the landed, and the wealthy, it is a Relic of the Revered Ayase, his legacy and his holiness have allowed the Republic to continue its rule virtually unbroken for almost a thousand years, exactly as of this writers humble residence in this fortuitous and beloved before the Ancestors year. Even in the occupied Ti-Sesh which our glorious armies march in lockstep with our allies, and our fleets meet in grand revelry march to liberate the people, the Seshweay have taken to the streets in celebration. Despite the illegality of singing praises to the Ancestors, the Republic and to the Glory of the Seshweay, despite the risk of death and imprisonment by the Courts of the Tyrants, the people still revere our sacred institutions, great will the rejoicing when they are liberated. For the Republic lives not only in the hearts of the powerful and mighty, but in the hearts of the masses forgotten and mistreated in most states. Seshweay are Seshweay and the Ancestors claim that all of the blood should meet in the street and address with courtesy whomever they should meet, be he a sweeper or a Speaker of the Senate, the Lady herself in the Codex of Martyrs once remarked that the Seshweay are unique, for we revere not a King, for we revere not living man, or our social betters, we revere nothing but the Institution of the Republic and its direct and inalienable link with the Ancestors. For unlike the religions of the foreigners, did not the Lady also remark that Seshweay owe their faith and devotion to the True Republic, and the Ancestors as the Creators, and Progenitors of the Republic. Holiness does not flow from the muttering of the insane, it flows from keeping within the strictures of the Ancestors, honouring their memory, and defending the Institutions that the Ancestors left to the Seshweay.
At the time of this humble writers tenancy in life the Republic counts as its Senators the following, in order of wards and districts divided for ease into their constitute and generally accepted voting regions.
Haise:
Country Senators:
i. Senator Beil, Half Arkage, Family from an Old Imperial Family, Elected by a deal between the Merchants and Craftsmen who in the District are afforded only nominal voting rights due to a paucity of members and the Farmer-Labourer-Citizens.
ii. Senator Osae, Seshweay, Family from the Exiled States, Elected by the Third Level, moderate Senator has strong support from the Farmer-Labourer-Citizens commonly and with a bit of cheek described as the Handsome patently false of course, one can never understand the humour of the Haise.
iii. Senator Ayasies, Seshweay married to a women of Stykr, Elected unanimously by the People of the District, no concerns raised about his honesty or devotion to the job, of poor stock and of crude manners but a careful orator and famed thinker.
City Senators:
i. Senator-Prime Ataa, Seshweay, Merchant Family, Elected Unamiously the most competent Jurist in the region, concerns have been raised about his odd lifestyle choices, famed for his quick wit and turn of phrase and his knowledge of poetry.
ii. Senator Ath, Seshweay with Bosphoritan links, Senatorial Candiate, not paticularily well regarded by the Merchants more owing to his fiery nature and well known detest for having to deal with the messes he asserts the Merchants create, famed for his hook nose earning another unfathomable name The Blunt.
iii. Senator-Engineer-Admiral Tse, Seshweay and the Ancestors know what, from a Family which so many links deciding exactly who is related to whom has led to a number of ocassions of brothers marrying sisters, thankfully they have been discovered soon after, exactly how soon is not a subject one should bring up to Tse, well known as an Engineer, and more of an honorary Admiral promoted to the position by the Republican Navy for his invaluable services in the construction work at Mahid. Beloved of the people, for his blunt approach and unorthodox method of voting, involving copious amounts of yelling and bellowing, quite a sight and a major attraction to those visiting the Senate in session, leaves on the last day of the week when the discussions turn informal.
Mahid
Country Senators:
i. The humble author, from a Family of Jurists with Merchant Origins somewhere in the mix, elected to the consternation of the Author by the Unanimous vote of the people, achieved nothing more in his life other than writing this manuscript and working on some works of minor and insignificant importance, oddly though others dont view them as unimportant.
ii. Senator BiSet, from a Family of minor landholders with deep roots in the Exiled States possibly even before the Exiled States formed, no descript and quiet he is nevertheless one of the most competent judges and adjudicators in the Senate, famed for never saying a word unless it need be said in stark contrast to all the other members, he is furthermore famed for his ready ability to travel and have cases bought to him in vast numbers for settlement. Elected by the Senate, with the full support of all.
The writer grows weary of this, but the best of men inhabit the Senate, and he knows the Republic is in the most steady of hands, for did not the Ancestors say that men of valour, justice and good conduct will be drawn to the Senate by our presence and those others will be repelled.
OOC: The results of trying to write an update for MadNES, constructive procrastination ftw
Heh. Preference Curves be dammed. Doesnt really matter if this counts for story bonus, just trying to get my brain back into writing something constructive... or in this case useful for the poor players ive hung out to dry for the past few weeks, its working... slowly.