Esterlen

IMPERIAL SENATE ELECTION IN HELENA, 1738 10 GODFREY’S TRIUMPH LET ALL BE AWARE that on this day, the 10th of Godfrey’s Triumph on the year of Our Lord GOD 1738, the election for the Imperial Senate seat of Helena shall commence. All those eligible to vote in the province of Helena are entitled to cast their ballot to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. All ineligible votes shall be invalidated. THE BALLOT CAN BE FOUND HERE. ISSUED AND PROCLAIMED, HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, Peter III Anthony, Holy Orenian Emperor, King of Renatus, Salvus, and Seventis, Protector of the Heartlanders, Highlanders, and Farfolk, etcetera.

NOTICE OF CLOSURE “To whom it may concern, This letter is to indicate that letters of candidacy for the 1738 round of elections for Imperial Senate are now terminated. The ballot for the 1738 Imperial Senate election in Curon shall appear as follows: BOWERS, Charles (Incumbent.) FLAMEFORGE, Jakob For the period of the elections, the Imperial census of 1737 shall be closed for new respondents. The same census will re-open following the conclusion of this period and the registry shall open as before. All registrations undertaken over this period shall remain in limbo until the conclusion of the elections. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.”

NOTICE OF CLOSURE “To whom it may concern, This letter is to indicate that letters of candidacy for the 1738 round of elections for Imperial Senate are now terminated. The ballot for the 1738 Imperial Senate election in Helena shall appear as follows: de la BALTAS, Bastijn LAURENT, Jean R. de LEUMONT, Lorraine MYRE, Albert E. PRUVIA, Alexander J. For the period of the elections, the Imperial census of 1737 shall be closed for new respondents. The same census will re-open following the conclusion of this period and the registry shall open as before. All registrations undertaken over this period shall remain in limbo until the conclusion of the elections. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.”

NOTICE OF CLOSURE “To whom it may concern, This letter is to indicate that letters of candidacy for the 1738 round of elections for Imperial Senate are now terminated. The ballot for the 1738 Imperial Senate election in Kaedrin shall appear as follows: APRTHE, Lars ARMAS, Frederick S. (Incumbent.) For the period of the elections, the Imperial census of 1737 shall be closed for new respondents. The same census will re-open following the conclusion of this period and the registry shall open as before. All registrations undertaken over this period shall remain in limbo until the conclusion of the elections. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.”

NOTICE OF CLOSURE “To whom it may concern, This letter is to indicate that letters of candidacy for the 1738 round of elections for Imperial Senate are now terminated. The ballot for the 1738 Imperial Senate election in Haense shall appear as follows: BARCLAY, Konstanz M. CORBISH, Siegmund (Incumbent.) For the period of the elections, the Imperial census of 1737 shall be closed for new respondents. The same census will re-open following the conclusion of this period and the registry shall open as before. All registrations undertaken over this period shall remain in limbo until the conclusion of the elections. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.”

Frederick Armas swings his slack jaw in laughter at the proclamation, “If only His Imperial Majesty had allowed me to speak in a private capacity at the meeting. He is lucky, for the sake of diplomacy, that he did not,” he says to his nephew, Veikko.

“Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have accepted your eligibility. You shall appear on the ballot for the Imperial Senate election in Kaedrin in 1738. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.”

“Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have accepted your eligibility. You shall appear on the ballot for the Imperial Senate election in Helena in 1738. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.” “Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have accepted your eligibility. You shall appear on the ballot for the Imperial Senate election in Helena in 1738. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.” “Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have accepted your eligibility. You shall appear on the ballot for the Imperial Senate election in Helena in 1738. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.”

The president pro tempore bangs his gavel furiously, a strand of his white wig falling out of place. “Order in the chamber. I would like to remind His Excellency the Vice Chancellor that in absentia the Senate has delegated the power of the presiding officer to the president pro tempore and so is forbidden from voicing his view in the chamber except when called upon as decided by the chair. The point of order is accepted by the chair and this will be your first and final warning on this matter.” “Nonetheless, and I believe that you all heard His Excellency the Vice Chancellor’s incredibly disorderly comments, he raises a necessary factor, which I address to my honorable friend the Senator from Haense,” states Frederick Armas, his hand gripped tightly onto his gavel and a smirk writ upon his face. Yellowed, crooked teeth just barely peek out from betwixt his lips. “The people of any vassal province cannot expect the city of Helena corporation exclusively to subsidize their way of life. If I may put such in another way: if the Treasury receives no tax income, it cannot be expected to dole out expenditure, something that my honorable friend the Senator from Haense certainly understands. If the government were to commit to collaborating with this chamber to develop a unified tax policy, I have no doubt whatsoever that Mr. de Leumont would be able to, here and now, promise vassal appropriations in any budget. Those appropriations would prove as valuable stimulants for all of our constituents and I can guarantee they would receive widespread support in the chamber. However, in terms of the justification for such things, I accept fully Mr. de Leumont’s overarching point that inflows and outflows of money must remain balanced.” The Senator from Kaedrin re-orders some parchments as is his habit, reclining in the chair. “Mr. de Leumont, I accept your answer on the Secretary of War’s discretionary spending though I am not of the opinion that this is necessarily the most efficient way for our military spending to be operating. Regardless, I am open to more debate on this question yet I am satisfied with your assessment on that specific inquiry, so we shall confine our comments at this point forward to the matter at hand.”

The president pro tempore leers forward in his high-backed chair, lips pursed so tightly as to appear invisible. “I have two questions for you, in respect to that, Mr. de Leumont, and I thank my honorable friends the Senators from Kaedrin and Haense for their own questions,” offers Armas, “Firstly, on what is our military budget actually being spent? What proportion of the purse allocated to the Imperial State Army goes to the payment of soldiers and what goes to the construction of military infrastructure or other such investments? What is the nature of these investments and do you have the capacity to oversee these respective accounts?” He pauses for a moment, shuffling some parchments on the desk. “My second question is in respect to what you most eminently mentioned on the vassal tax. You mean to tell me that the Treasury currently receives no income outside of that which the city of Helena corporation provides, by good will? If so, this is a grave issue, which in my view absolutely precludes any sort of appropriations or expenditure of the kind my honorable friend the Senator from Haense mentioned. I am curious as to your opinion as to a solution to such a problem. Of course, the honorable Senator from Haense is also invited to contribute to this discussion.” @Wurfv @Piov

Frederick Armas, Senator from Kaedrin, approaches the presiding officer’s chair. After the customary exchange of the gavel, the newly-designated president pro tempore takes his seat as the Vice Chancellor makes his departure. “Order in the chamber,” he proclaims, slamming the gavel down upon the platform it usually last at rest upon, “We have undoubtedly much work to do, and I shall maintain in my term presiding over this chamber an active and energetic role in setting our legislative and discursive agenda.” The Harrenite former solicitor licks his thin lips somewhat, his jaw slack and swinging as he speaks. Beady, penetrating eyes survey his fellow legislators for a moment. “First, we shall begin the confirmation for the Archchancellor’s choice to fill the vacant role of the Secretary of the Treasury. I would like you all to welcome the Secretary-designate of the Treasury, Mr. John Paul de Leumont.” “I would like to invite any of my honorable colleagues here to ask a question of Mr. de Leumont and shall commence this process myself. Mr. de Leumont, do you recognise the role of the Secretary of the Treasury in submitting frequent budgets, detailing all income and expenditures for the government, to the Senate for approval in a bill of appropriation? Do you believe yourself capable of this role in addition to that of a collector of taxes, excises and grants?” @Wurfv

“Dear sir, In accordance with your appointment to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Antony Sigismundic, we have withdrawn your candidacy for the Imperial Senate election in Helena in 1738. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.”

Frederick Armas ponders over the poem in his Senate office, perplexed by the identity of its mysterious author. He focuses on a particular line, circling the print with an inked quill. The Harrenite struggles to put a name to the words – though they resonate strongly, eerily familiar in his mind. Was this a memory from a past life? He thought back to the war-time years, bloodied and treacherous and horrifying as they were. As a young idealist, the fifty-year old solicitor had fought in the armies of a rebel lord, whose Whiggish cause for the rights and liberties of man he had since made his life’s work...

Candidacies for the 1738 Imperial Senate Election in Kaedrin SURNAME: Armas FIRST NAME: Frederick Sigismund ADDRESS OF RESIDENCE: Varoche Palace DATE OF BIRTH: 1st of Sun’s Smile, 1687 Are you registered and eligible to vote in the province of Kaedrin?: Yes. Do you have any other title, peerage or public service that may conflict with becoming an Imperial Senator, as per the Edict of Establishment (1736) or Edict of Election (1736)?: No. If yes, do you understand that you will be required to resign or abdicate from this position should you be elected to the Imperial Senate, and if this does not occur your seat shall be considered to be vacant?: Yes. ((MC NAME)): esterlen

“Dear madam, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have accepted your eligibility. You shall appear on the ballot for the Imperial Senate election in Helena in 1738. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.” “Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have accepted your eligibility. You shall appear on the ballot for the Imperial Senate election in Helena in 1738. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.” “Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have accepted your eligibility. You shall appear on the ballot for the Imperial Senate election in Helena in 1738. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.”

“Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have accepted your eligibility. You shall appear on the ballot for the Imperial Senate election in Curon in 1738. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.” “Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have accepted your eligibility. You shall appear on the ballot for the Imperial Senate election in Curon in 1738. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.”

A letter is posted to Desmond’s address from the Ministry of Civil Affairs. “Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have been unable to match you, as we require a surname. Please provide this and re-apply in order to be registered for the ballot. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.” A letter is posted to Lorraine’s address from the Ministry of Civil Affairs. “Dear madam, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have been unable to match you, as your address and year of birth is not consistent. Please remember that in order to be eligible as a candidate, you must be registered to an address with the Imperial census. You must also be over 18 by the year of 1738. Your registration with the Imperial census confirms this, stating your birth year as 1716, however this application is inconsistent with our records. Please re-apply with the correct details in order to be registered for the ballot. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.” A letter is posted to Jean Robert’s address from the Ministry of Civil Affairs. “Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have been unable to match you. Please take the Imperial census, providing us with more consistent details, and re-apply in order to be registered for the ballot. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.”

“Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have accepted your eligibility. You shall appear on the ballot for the Imperial Senate election in Kaedrin in 1738. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.”

“Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have accepted your eligibility. You shall appear on the ballot for the Imperial Senate election in Haense in 1738. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.” “Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. We have checked your details with our records and have accepted your eligibility. You shall appear on the ballot for the Imperial Senate election in Haense in 1738. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.”

A letter from the Ministry of Civil Affairs is posted to Jakob’s residence. It reads: “Dear sir, We have received your application for candidacy in the Imperial Senate election for 1738. Unfortunately, we have checked our records and determined that you have, in the Imperial census of 1737, declared ‘no’ in response to the question on Imperial citizenship. If you wish to rectify this in order for your candidacy to be accepted and placed on the ballot, you must first re-take the Imperial census and declare yes, that you wish to become a citizen on the electoral roll, and then re-apply for candidacy. Warm regards, The Office of the Secretary of Civil Affairs.”

ACT OF THE IMPERIAL DIET SENATE COMMITTEES ACT, 1737 17 Sun’s Smile Introduced in the Imperial Senate. Passed through the Imperial Senate in the term of 1736-1738. AYE Armas Corbish May Rutledge Sigismundic ABSTAIN Bowers Harjalainen Helvets An act to establish statutory committees under the purview of the Imperial Senate to conduct oversight and scrutinize the matters of the Council of State in their performance and actions to execute the laws of the Holy Orenian Empire. The formal title of the law shall be styled as the Senatorial Committees Formation Act. INTRODUCTION The Senatorial Committees Formation Act, or colloquially as the Senate Committees Act, shall establish various standing committees of the Imperial Senate to oversee the functions of the Council of State of the Holy Orenian Empire. This act shall provide the basis pursuant under the Edict of Establishment to exercise the enumerated powers of the Writ of Summons and the Writ of Impeachment to scrutinize the ministers in the execution of their responsibilities thereof. SECTION I: The committee shall be styled as follows, assigned and pertaining to the several Imperial councillors: The committee shall be vested with the following powers in the oversight of the respective departments of the Council of State: Exercise the writ of summons to any minister of the several departments. Conduct hearings, testimonials, and inquiries concerning the actions of ministers within the department in question. Subpoena documents and letters scribed and recorded within the record of the departments in question. Recommend to the Senate floor on resolutions and rulings to proceed for further legislative consideration. SECTION II: The Senate shall establish the following standing committees, which by statutory authority, shall serve to oversee the Council of State: The Imperial Senate Committee on Justice To oversee the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court, inquire on the enforcement of law, summon Imperial legal documents for review, and hold hearings and determine recommendations for articles of impeachment. The Imperial Senate Committee on Civil Affairs To oversee the Ministry of Civil Affairs, inquire on the civil issues relating to the Imperial denizens, such as nomenclature and election purview, and hold hearings to arbitrate disputes. The Imperial Senate Committee on the Treasury To oversee the Imperial Treasury, inquire on the nature of the budget, summon documents and ledgers recorded by the department, and hold hearings and determine reviews for appropriations to be debated on the Senate floor. SECTION III: The structure of the Senate committees shall be as prescribed below: The committees shall be composed of three senators. The committee shall have among them, a chair, to facilitate the duties and exercise the powers of the committee responsibilities. The chair shall hold the authority to call for meetings of the committee, issue subpoenas and summons, and set the business of the committee. The chair shall retain their seat throughout the duration of the legislative term and must be approved at the beginning of each term by a plurality. The chair, once duly elected by his peers, shall appoint the two remaining committee members and will remain responsible for the composition of the members. A majority of two-thirds of the committee must vote to approve recommendations and committee resolutions to the full floor of the Senate. SECTION IV: In the case that the Senate finds it necessary, this act shall endow provisions to the Senate to amend the quantity of statutory committees. As such, the Senate may propose the addition and or the dissolution of committees in whatever way it sees fit to maintain the efficacy of the legislative process and oversight on the Council of State. Introduced by Senator Terrence May on the 11th of Horen’s Calling, 1737. ISSUED AND PROCLAIMED, His Imperial Excellency, Adrian Leopold of the House de Sarkozy, Lord Protector of the Holy Orenian Empire, Duke and Governor-General of Helena, Duke of Adria, Baron of Renzfeld

Frederick Armas, Senator from Kaedrin and a recently-established committee chairman, rises in response to the Vice Chancellor’s words. He reads from a prepared parchment, submitting his inquiries in respect to the confirmation process. “I refer to the honorable gentleman from Helena, the Solicitor-General-designate, in respect to the confirmation process. The question I have appertains to his philosophy in respect to judicial and legal proceedings,” he pauses for a moment. “The Council of State Edict, in its original wording, infers that the role of the Solicitor-General is to serve as the government of the day’s chief lawyer and minister of the Crown concerning justice. That role does not extend to acting as a magistrate, judge, or a legislator. Many legal scholars, myself included, contend that the principles of good government prescribe the separation of executive, judicial and legislative powers, so that each might check the other. The prior occupant of the office of Solicitor-General disagreed with such an assessment. Does the Solicitor-General-designate accept that his purview is executive, as a minister of the Crown, and not judicial or legislative except in such cases of the context of working with the appropriate bodies, such as the Supreme Court or Senate, to assist in their duties?” After that, he yields the floor to Veikko Harjalainen to answer his question.

THE IMPERIAL DIET Lo and behold for the inaugural elections for the Imperial Senate, as prescribed by the Edict of Establishment (1736) and the Edict of Election (1736), have come upon us for the year 1738. This gazette shall serve as a formal application of candidacy with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, which shall open presently. Candidates for the Senate are required to complete the following application by the deadline of the first day of 1738 in order to appear on the ballot. If these candidacies are accepted, the Ministry shall issue a short letter of confirmation. This gazette is pertinent to the first seat of Curon, where the incumbent, Senator Charles Bower, has a term expiring in 1738. He may elect to re-nominate his candidacy. ((Candidates for Senate for Curon, please respond to this post with the filled application.)) Candidacies for the 1738 Imperial Senate Election in Curon SURNAME: FIRST NAME: ADDRESS OF RESIDENCE: DATE OF BIRTH: Are you registered and eligible to vote in the province of Curon?: Do you have any other title, peerage or public service that may conflict with becoming an Imperial Senator, as per the Edict of Establishment (1736) or Edict of Election (1736)?: If yes, do you understand that you will be required to resign or abdicate from this position should you be elected to the Imperial Senate, and if this does not occur your seat shall be considered to be vacant?: ((MC NAME)):

THE IMPERIAL DIET Lo and behold for the inaugural elections for the Imperial Senate, as prescribed by the Edict of Establishment (1736) and the Edict of Election (1736), have come upon us for the year 1738. This gazette shall serve as a formal application of candidacy with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, which shall open presently. Candidates for the Senate are required to complete the following application by the deadline of the first day of 1738 in order to appear on the ballot. If these candidacies are accepted, the Ministry shall issue a short letter of confirmation. This gazette is pertinent to the first seat of Kaedrin, where the incumbent, Senator Frederick Armas, has a term expiring in 1738. He may elect to re-nominate his candidacy. ((Candidates for Senate for Kaedrin, please respond to this post with the filled application.)) Candidacies for the 1738 Imperial Senate Election in Kaedrin SURNAME: FIRST NAME: ADDRESS OF RESIDENCE: DATE OF BIRTH: Are you registered and eligible to vote in the province of Kaedrin?: Do you have any other title, peerage or public service that may conflict with becoming an Imperial Senator, as per the Edict of Establishment (1736) or Edict of Election (1736)?: If yes, do you understand that you will be required to resign or abdicate from this position should you be elected to the Imperial Senate, and if this does not occur your seat shall be considered to be vacant?: ((MC NAME)):

THE IMPERIAL DIET Lo and behold for the inaugural elections for the Imperial Senate, as prescribed by the Edict of Establishment (1736) and the Edict of Election (1736), have come upon us for the year 1738. This gazette shall serve as a formal application of candidacy with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, which shall open presently. Candidates for the Senate are required to complete the following application by the deadline of the first day of 1738 in order to appear on the ballot. If these candidacies are accepted, the Ministry shall issue a short letter of confirmation. This gazette is pertinent to the first seat of Haense, where the incumbent, Senator Sigismund Corbish, has a term expiring in 1738. He may elect to re-nominate his candidacy. ((Candidates for Senate for Haense, please respond to this post with the filled application.)) Candidacies for the 1738 Imperial Senate Election in Haense SURNAME: FIRST NAME: ADDRESS OF RESIDENCE: DATE OF BIRTH: Are you registered and eligible to vote in the province of Haense?: Do you have any other title, peerage or public service that may conflict with becoming an Imperial Senator, as per the Edict of Establishment (1736) or Edict of Election (1736)?: If yes, do you understand that you will be required to resign or abdicate from this position should you be elected to the Imperial Senate, and if this does not occur your seat shall be considered to be vacant?: ((MC NAME)):