TO ADDRESS A DECLINE

[Office of the Lord Speaker 608]

TO ADDRESS A DECLINE:

A REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE ROYAL DUMA

Written, Compiled, and Published by the Voron Committee of 382 E.S.

On this 10th of Jula and Piov, 383 E.S.

 

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VA BIRODEO HERZENAV AG EDLERVIK,

 

When His Majesty’s Royal Duma was first conceived, it was to be a marble pillar of our society, a means for the equal representation of all of our nobility of the realm. Though, our world has always been everchanging, our society and institutions adapting to these changes. Our Royal Duma has often been amended, changed, reformed, with the hope of adapting it to the changing times, though all this has accomplished to wear and chip at this pillar of our society, leaving the Royal Duma a shell of what it once was.

 

But no longer, our Royal Duma must be restored. The Voron Committee was assembled in 382 ES, after expectations of a poor election sign-up, which would leave us unable to fill the required eight elected seats currently assigned to the Royal Duma, with the goal of investigating the reasons behind the decline of the Royal Duma, and seeing that a proposal be made to change this downward trend.

 

The Voron Committee, led by Lord Speaker Ruslan Baruch and Electoral Commissioner Harren Ruthern, included some of the greater legislative minds and historians of the Kingdom, such as Andrik Baruch, Frederik Baruch, Viktor Kortrevich, Ailred Ruthern, and Aleksandr Ruthern.

 

I. Representation of the Nobility

The first and foremost duty of the Royal Duma was always to serve as a place where the nobility of the realm would be represented, in which his Royal Majesty and his Aulic Government could address concerns, while allowing the Lords of the Realm to voice their grievances and create legislation for the Kingdom.

 

Though, extensive reforms over the last century have seen the Royal Duma slip away from being the room where nobility is represented. Instead, it runs a system in which there are equal numbers of elected officials (which, bear in mind, have barely been able to be filled every election) to the number of noble peers sitting in the Royal Duma. Yet, the Royal Duma when first implemented under King Marius II consisted of the fourteen noble peers of the realm, and only three elected officials.

 

The impact of the increase in seats belonging to elected officials has also been seen in the implementation of the Herzenvrest, an advisory body consisting purely of the noble peers of the Realm. The Herzenvrest should not have been a necessary implementation, its purpose should have been served by the Royal Duma, but the bloat of elected positions has forced us into a position where the Herzenvrest was a necessity.

 

Therefore, it is the opinion of the Voron Committee that the number of elected officials within the Royal Duma should be decreased to three, two Royal Aldermen and the Grand Maer, so that it may serve its purpose as originally intended, that of being the seat of representation of the nobility. 

 

Additionally, the Voron Committee believes that if this amendment is made, the Herzenvrest is obsolete and should be removed. It is our hope that this shall see the Royal Duma’s dignity restored.

 

II. Powers of the Royal Duma

When King Marius II implemented the Royal Duma in its current form, it had a wide variety of powers that it could utilise, which he had taken from the original version of the Royal Duma implemented under Sigmar I. These powers were the following:

 

- To levy taxes and bills of revenue upon Royal State lands and estates,

- To establish and mandate both civil and martial infrastructural works,

- To regulate laws and domestic policies of the Royal State,

- To charter Royal Guilds and Royal Companies,

- To provide an official endorsement on the appointment of the Lord Chancellor and Palatine of the Realm,

- To provide an official endorsement on the appointment of the Auditor of the Realm,

- To enact proposals for naturalization and citizenship,

- To create Royal Militias during states of emergency,

- To mandate national holidays,

- And to create organized political institutions within the Royal Duma.

- To approve treaties between the Royal State and Foreign Powers.

 

It must also be noted that the Royal Duma has on many occasions resolved succession crises, such as the successions of Stefan I and Sigmar I.

 

If one were to look at the Royal Duma today, only one of these powers is properly implemented, that being the ability to regulate laws. Our Royal Duma today, in practice, only has the simple power to amend the Haurul Caezk, whether it be through passing bills, or through advisory resolutions to His Royal Majesty.

 

Therefore, it is the opinion of the Voron Committee that the Powers of the Royal Duma be restored to a similar fashion to their original powers, amended to properly fit with the makeup of the state in our modern day. It is our hope that increasing the influence of the Royal Duma should also revitalize, and those who sit on it.

 

III. Accountability of the Aulic Government

Since the removal of the Feudalists and the Centralists in 316 ES, the Royal Duma’s ability to keep the Aulic Government accountable has decreased drastically, as there no longer was a Leader of the Opposition to question the Lord Palatine.

 

While proposals were made to address this, particularly the implementation of the Royal Inquisitor by Sir Konrad T. KM, the position of Royal Inquisitor has struggled to serve its purpose properly for one particular reason: Its elected nature.

 

A good historian may recall that the Leader of the Opposition was appointed by the Lord Speaker themselves, for they knew best who within their Royal Duma was the most capable of holding such a position, charged with ensuring the accountability of the Aulic Government. It must be ensured that the Royal Inquisitor, to serve its purpose properly, follow the same path of being appointed by the Lord Speaker.

 

Therefore, it is the opinion of the Voron Committee that the Royal Inquisitor must be changed from being elected among those in the Royal Duma, to becoming a position appointed by the Lord Speaker. It is our hope that this shall create a spark of passion for the position, so that it may operate properly.

 

IV. The Presence of the Aulic Council

Adding onto the point about the Aulic Government being held accountable, while Aulic Councillors should be barred from running for the Royal Duma, they should still remain a presence within the Royal Duma.

 

This presence should take the form in an advisory capacity, as the Powers of the Royal Duma are expanded, such does its responsibility to make the right decisions with appropriate judgement increase. This makes room for Aulic Councillors to be invited to Sittings of the Royal Duma, particularly in ones where a proposed bill is of a relevant nature to the responsibilities of the Aulic Councillor.

 

Therefore, it is the opinion of the Voron Committee, that it is the responsibility of the individual Aulic Councillors to attend sittings of the Royal Duma when bills relevant to their office are being discussed, so that they may offer their professional opinion and contribute to rightful debate within the Royal Duma.

 

V. The Prestige of the Lord Speaker

The Lord Speaker has always been a position of prestige, particularly associated with the nobility. Four Lord Speakers within the past century have been peers of the Realm, Duke Lerald Vyronov, Duke Sigmar Baruch, Margrave Henrik Vanir, and Duke Ruslan Baruch. While it is not exactly a set precedent, the Lord Speaker should be intertwined with the noble peers that sit on the Royal Duma, so that its influence with the nobility can be appropriately raised.

 

This would allow for the Lord Speaker to also serve as the Grand Peer of the Realm, which shall uphold the integrity and dignity of the noble bloodlines of the Kingdom. In this capacity, the Lord Speaker will investigate and advise His Royal Majesty on matters pertaining to the conduct of noble peers and their families, such as an adulterous Lord or a Lady neglectful of her Canonist virtues. In this regard, the Lord Speaker as Grand Peer of the Realm, would have the power to summon a noble to a Court of Honour, in which a selection of three noble peers of shall serve as judges, to determine whether the conduct of the accused noble is dishonest or unfit for someone of their status.

 

Therefore, it is the opinion of the Voron Committee that the Lord Speaker must be intertwined with the noble peers of the realm that sit on the Royal Duma, and that the Lord Speaker shall serve as Grand Peer of the Realm, ensuring the dignity of the noble bloodlines of Haense.

 

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The Voron Committee,

His Excellency, Ruslan E. Baruch, Lord Speaker of Hanseti-Ruska, Duke of Valwyck

His Excellency, Andrik J. Baruch, Aulic Envoy of Hanseti-Ruska

His Excellency, Ailred J. Ruthern, Lord Marshal of Hanseti-Ruska

His Lordship, Frederik K. Baruch

His Lordship, Sir Viktor O. Kortrevich KML

His Lordship, Aleksandr J. Ruthern

His Lordship, Harren A. Ruthern

Edited July 22, 2021 by Office of the Lord Speaker