- ARCHIVE - Republican Court of Genoa

[Prince Eugene]

Terrific, here is the finalized version of the treaty. Please sign at the bottom. Afterwards, the official document will be sent to Florence for view by Duke Cosimo.

The Italian Trade Federation

I. Introduction
The Italian Trade Federation is designed to promote a free trading society within the members of it. Only Italian nations and provinces adjacent to the eastern and western seas of Italy are invited. This includes but is not limited to Corsica, Sardinia, Malta, Ragusa, Albania, Dalmatia, and Istria. Owners of these provinces are not necessarily part of the federation, as they join on their own accord.

II. The Council
The federation offices will be based out of Napoli and will be run as a democracy. A council will meet once a year in Genoa, as it has been decided as the most convenient host location as a major trading centre. A simple majority is required to make common decisions while a two-thirds majority is required to make major decisions such as changing the host location and making changes to the treaty. At any time any member of the federation can call for a council session. This will be held in the host city, Genoa.

III. Voting
Each member country's representative to the council will get one vote.

IV. Benefits of the Federation
Merchants belonging to members of the federation will have to pay no tariffs while trading in ports and inland trade centres of the other members. A trade stockpile of numerous resources from all members of the federation will be compiled in Napoli. By centralizing the location of the main trading, merchant costs shall naturally be cut significantly and have a more ample source for their nations.

V. Amendments and Current Federation Information
The current host city of the federation is Genoa.

VI. Presidency of the Federation.
Every three years a President of the Federation will be elected. He will not get any additional votes for the nation he represents, but will have the job of mediating the council. He has the power to overwrite any decisions made by the council that he doesn't approve of. If the council feels that he is abusing his power, they only need a simple majority to remove him.


Signed,
[x]Andrea Julian
Viceroy of Naples
[x] Allesandro Doria
Doge of Genoa

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Doria signs it.

 

[Prince Eugene]

A scruffy man of dark complexion enters the court.

Greetings from Naples. I am Pablo Rodriguez, representative from Naples to the Italian Trade Federation Council. We hope that our first meeting will begin as soon all members of the federation have presented representation.

 

[unmerged(17500)]

The regal man enters the court representing the Duchal Court of Ragusa.

"I am the brother of the Duke of Ragusa, Stefan Crnojevic, Djuradj Djurasevic and am here to be the temporary representative in talks with the Italian Confederation. I hope that we can come to some kind of quick agreement, since I have much business to deal with in Ragusa dealing with the war. The war for the glory of God if no one has forgotten? Will you have me present or would it be acceptable to return to Ragusa?"

 

[Alexandru H.]

A man enters the court:

I am Giovanni di Bicci and I shall be the representative from Tuscany to the Italian Trade Federation Council

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Marco Fieschi, in an internal power struggle, has been elected Genoa's member of the Trade Federation Council. He steps forth.

"Noble representatives here... I am, as you probably know, Marco Fieschi, head of the Fieschi family. I will be Genoa's representative to the trade federations council."

 

[Prince Eugene]

Pablo Rodriguez speaks up.

I suppose that we are in session. We are in need of a president. Please present your nominations.

 

[unmerged(17500)]

Djuradj Djurasevic stands and speaks

"Ragusa would like to nominate the Napolitan representative, since this entire Trade Confederation is based on their efforts, and is only in service because of their ambitions."

 

[Alexandru H.]

Giovanni di Bicci agrees:

"Yes, we second the nomination"

 

[Prince Eugene]

Pablo speaks in a rather assertive tone.

Naturally, I would vote for myself. I suppose that I am the new president. Now, is there any business that needs to be conducted?

 

[unmerged(17500)]

The ragusan contingent needs no time to think.

Djuradj Djurasevic stands and speaks

"Pablo Rodriguez I am glad to be backing you completely as the President of this Confederation and I am sure that you will lead us into wealth and prosperity. However I can not stand for the presence of the Venetians within this Confederation. Their presence will not be tolerated. We will not have mongrels, and tyrrants present. I hope that this is the wish of the confederation, and thusly the repulsion of the Venetians for a period of time that will be permanent. The Ragusan people will not stand for their attempts to vassalize their land. So I hope that you make the decision. Will you have the Ragusan's stay or will you trade decent God faring people for the tyrant Doge of Venice?"

 

[unmerged(17500)]

Djuradj Djurasevic stands

"I have had word from my brother the Duke of Ragusa and he has decided that I shall be the permanent member representative at this time. "

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Doria nods when the Venice matter is brought up.

"Gentlemen, I agree. There is no room for a despicable sinner as Venice. They clearly showed intentions to claim Ragusa under their rule and hurt Genoa in any way possible. The more isolation Venice suffers, the better. I therefore support the proposition to leave Venice out in the cold, should they ever want to join our little society here."

 

[unmerged(7347)]

In Cairo

Federico Ludociva Camanero from Genoa is granted an audience with the Grand Vizier.

"Welcome to Egypt. I hope you had an plesant journey and that your stay, so far, have been to your satisfaction. Egypt is of course eager to initiate trade relations with Genoa, especially as the Genoan Doge have such a good reputation as an honest and fair ruler and businesman.Before we start our discussion let us dine and enjoy the gracefull movements of the dancing girls...."

 

[Prince Eugene]

Pablo smiles.

The Venetian scum may be no part of us! I vote for their expulsion. That settles it, no? Are there any more resolutions?

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Doria speaks up.

"There are several small matters that I would like to see in this. First of all, there is the legal matter concerning our merchants. I would like to see an agreement where Genoese merchants are only trialed by Genoese law in, say, the ports of Ragusa, and Ragusan merchants are only trialed by Ragusan law in Genoa. The fewer obstacles that our merchants encounter in our respective cities, the better. This will avoid any local civil servant misusing his authority over our merchants, as I unfortunately have seen in the past. A merchant must enjoy the privileges in members ports, as if he was still at home. This eases tensions and gives a more relaxing atmosphere for trade and commerce. When a merchant does not have the local authorities to worry about, he makes a better profit."

 

[Prince Eugene]

Pablo nods anxiously, but approvingly.

We in Naples have indeed had trouble of those sorts in the past. I would gladly vote for such a resolution.

 

[unmerged(9313)]

Doria nods, then fumbles through a bunch of papers that his secretary hands to him.

"Good then... further more, I would like to suggest that merchant houses can be constructed in the harbour areas. These places should act as a kind of steady bastion for the merchants away from their home. A place where they can relax and meet with other merchants from their home towns. A lot of trade between Genoese merchants is actually done while they meet each other in distant ports. It should be a house, where the official for the foreign member merchants decides who is allowed to enter the merchant house area. In a sense, if Genoa constructs a merchants house in Ragusa, that area should be concidered Genoese territory, under Genoese law, and visa versa.
Included in the fenced area should be inns, warehouses, offices for the official, brothels and other things necessary for the wellfare of our merchants. Also, I know that the Bank of Genoa wants to set up small offices around in the member ports, to make sure that Genoese merchants have better access to funds. Of course, the bank offices should be under Genoese control, Genoese law and in the territory of a Genoese merchants house. Again, I say, that the better conditions our merchants have to trade under, the more prosperous they will be."

 

[Prince Eugene]

I am in favor of passing such acts, however our yearly session is now over. The meeting is adjourned. See you all in a year, gentlemen.

 

[Chris8b]

A courier arrives with a sealed letter for the doge.