The New Hollander people were going to the polls to vote for the Confederate Senate. There were currently 5 Provinces - the capital in Neo-Amsterdam was a separate province - which were: Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, North Brazil, and South Brazil. Neo-Amsterdam sent 10 Senators, while the other Provinces sent 20 each, making a grand total of 110 Senators.
There were several differences among each of the provinces - linguistic and religious. They weren't HEAVY differences - everyone got along, but they were still noticeable.
The majority of New Hollanders in Neo-Amsterdam were fluent in all the languages of the Confederacy - it was, after all, the Capital City-State. Dutch was still existant all over hte Confederacy and was still implemented into the New Hollander school systems, but its popularity was waning as people tended to desire to abandon their Dutch ancestry and move on. In Venezuela and Guyana, the people spoke a lot of Spanish. In Suriname, the people tended to choose English as their language (don't ask why - i dont even know, so just live with it
). North Brazil had always been known for Amazonian language (indigenous language :-D ), while South Brazil had Portugese. To curb these differences in languages, each language was learnt by the New Hollander citizens. The government had even decided to fuse all the languages of the Confederacy into one - the Hollander language. Even Dutch was used in this new linguistic union. People had not yet been able to adapt and learn Hollander yet, but there were signs fo progress.
Now, the religious divisions. Neo-Amsterdam was probably the most religious-tolerant of all, but most of the people there were Catholic, which may have come as a surprise since technically the Confederacy's official religion is Protestant, and not Catholic, Christianity. Venezuela had been Protestant for a while and by now it had been tradition. People in Suriname tended to flock to American Orhodoxy to desperately cling on to their religions of old. North Brazil was completely Catholic, while South Brazil was fully Protestant. Tolerance was REQUIRED through all of the Confederacy, but it seemed to be mostly-effective in Neo-Amsterdam.
The 5 registered parties mainly reflect the political, not religious or linguistic, views of the New Hollander people:
New Hollander United Socialist Party - stay away from capitalism; lead to eventual utopia(before the moderate/radical split)
New Hollander Catholic Union - send more financial aid and more tolerance and freedom for Catholics in New Holland (not like they don't already have freedom
)
Anti-Pagan Puritan League - destroy the American Orthodox Church in New Holland because it kept some remnants from the old pagan indigenous beliefs.
New Hollander Monarchist Party - bring back the older Monarchy (it was at one point monarchy, or at least Despotism, right?) to New Holland with absolute royal power
New Hollander Commerce Bloc - advance Capitalism and the interests of the upper classes - basically the opposite of the Socialists.
Results:
New Hollander United Socialists - 21 out of 110
New Hollander Catholic Union - 32 out of 110 (MAJORITY!)
Anti-Pagan Puritan League - 13 out of 110
New Hollander Monarchist Party - 18 out of 110
New Hollander Commerce Bloc - 26 out of 110
The Catholic Union has issued a Cathedral Act, which would increase the number of Catholic Cathedrals in the Catholic lands of Neo-Amsterdam and North Brazil, and even some in the non-Catholic Provinces.
"I propose a Confederate Army Increase Act," a Commerce Bloc Senator proposed, "so that our borders can be defended better and prevent invasions"
"I second this!" a Monarchist Senator spoke out this time.
"Now, according to Constitution rules, since the proposal was seconded, the entire Senat shall vote," the Speaker of the Senate, leading the Catholic Union, declared. "All in favor stand up and say 'aye'. All in opposition remaoin seated and say 'nay' "
71 Senators stood up from their seats and yelled "aye" in unison.
Only 39 remained seated, uttering the word "nay" with obvious tone of defeat.
"Then the Act has passed." the Speaker declared.
DIPLO
From New Holland Confederacy
To USA:
We cordially invite you into the Free World Alliance. New Holland, Iroquoisland, Azteca, and USA are all already in it. Why don't you also join so that North and South America can truly stand united and eventually liberate the peoples forced to live under the yoke of European colonialism?
ORDERS
Increase Army by 2 sizes.
Increase Education
