• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
ADMINISTRATION ACT, 1768
________________________________
I. The Prime Ministry is hereby abolished, with all duties being assumed into the direct management of His Majesty, the Emperor of Hispania, including the authority to make appointments to whichever Cabinet positions he sees necessary to the proper administration of the Empire.

II. During any occasion in which the Emperor is not capable of acting as the chief administrator of the government, such authorities shall pass to the Chamberlain.
 
((On to the vote. Quite a few reforms to consider, as well as the war between France and Austria. I also want to clarify we're voting on the revised Lead Ministry Act, so don't confuse it with the original shorter one if you see it.

Assembly Ministry Act: Yes/No/Abstain
Lead Ministry Act: Yes/No/Abstain
Religious Offices Act: Yes/No/Abstain
Administration Act: Yes/No/Abstain
2nd Amendment to the Parliament Act: Yes/No/Abstain
3rd Amendment to the Parliament Act: Yes/No/Abstain
Franco-Austrian War: France/Austria/Neither/Abstain

House ((OOC)): Cortz (Member)/Cortz (Feudal)/Assembly (Elected)/Assembly (Appointed)/None

Players should bold their votes and include their character's name and class. Seeing as some of these laws may shuffle the membership of the Assembly and Cortz, I believe it is time for me to keep better track of who is voting where, so I've included an additional OOC vote. I need all players to state whether they are members of the Cortz or Assembly. It should be noted that in some cases people won't be members of either house, and you won't be penalized for it either. If you are not a member of either house, it is assumed you vote through other NPC members, so it is not necessary that you be part of either house. If you are a landed noble, I need to know whether you accepted the offer to join the Cortz or instead refused membership and retained your feudal rights. If you received a seat in the Assembly by being a minister but are otherwise not an elected member, state that you aren't part of that house. If you were an Imperial during the civil war and aren't a member of the Cortz, you may state that you are an appointed member of the Assembly if you'd prefer not to be an elected one, seeing as the Emperor appointed most members of the court to the Assembly, otherwise state that you aren't a member of either house. I'll be using this information to better keep track of who should be voting in each house. Players must state which house they are in or I won't count their votes.))
 
Leon votes No to all laws.

Franco-Austrian War: France

House: Cortz (Member)

((Edit: changed House status to Cortz member))
 
Last edited:
House: Cortz (Feudal) ((I think))

((Well if you're unsure, retaining your feudal rights means you don't have a seat on the Cortz, so your position as Minister of War would take precedence so you'd be an honorary member of the Assembly instead. It's good I started this vote since I've been including you in the wrong house then. :p))
 
"Countrymen,

"The Empress Dowager and her ilk have revealed their true colors: that they have no loyalty to His Majesty, the Emperor of Hispania, and would prefer, instead, to maintain they weak, pathetic grip on power through the unjust office of the Prime Despot. They state in one breath that they are "royalists," yet when the time comes to give His Majesty the power to administer this nation properly, they reject the motion. Who, I must ask, then is the patriot and royalist? Is it the traitors who reject His Majesty?

"Similarly, the leader of the 'liberals' has shown himself to be just as much a traitor to the cause of liberty. He would sooner see the vote completely abolished and the elected members of the Assembly reduced to a pile of ash than hold true to his beliefs. He cares not about the people, nor their voice, but instead only about himself and his personal gains. He would sooner see this nation and its people crucified in the name of his personal political conquests than hold any commitment to liberalism - and in this has betrayed not only this nation, but the very people who support him.

"I know I have made many foes among those of more pleasant dispositions than I, but I must do all I can to urge those who have not yet voted to cast in favor of the numerous resolutions laid out before them, for it is the path which will strengthen liberty, return power to the Crown, and remove the corrupt from positions of power. A royalist is no royalist she does not support the Emperor, and a liberal is no liberal if he does not support the people.

"I yield any further time to which I am warranted."


Cibran Arceo,
MA for Galicia

. . .
Assembly Ministry Act: Yes
Lead Ministry Act: Yes
Religious Offices Act: Yes
Administration Act: Yes
2nd Amendment to the Parliament Act: Yes
3rd Amendment to the Parliament Act: Yes
Franco-Austrian War: Neither

[Assembly (Elected)]
 
((Well if you're unsure, retaining your feudal rights means you don't have a seat on the Cortz, so your position as Minister of War would take precedence so you'd be an honorary member of the Assembly instead. It's good I started this vote since I've been including you in the wrong house then. :p))
((Oh, then I'm a member then.))
 
((Apparently some confusion arose about the House OOC vote. I want players to state what house they'd be in under normal circumstances. So, as hirahammad has done, while he is a minister and technically in the Assembly, he would normally not be in either house if not a minister. The honorary seats, as I stated before, should not be considered, but an elected or appointed one should.

If you received a seat in the Assembly by being a minister but are otherwise not an elected member, state that you aren't part of that house. If you were an Imperial during the civil war and aren't a member of the Cortz, you may state that you are an appointed member of the Assembly if you'd prefer not to be an elected one, seeing as the Emperor appointed most members of the court to the Assembly, otherwise state that you aren't a member of either house.
))
 
There is a chance at the moment for a catastrophe of the highest order. A European war... between the lands of Valois and Hapsburg. For the sake of peace, I ask you to agree to a compromise. I have made a rudimentary attempt at this, and I wish for your feedback, so that war may be averted again.

The Chancellor of Hispania

1. The Head of the House of Valois, shall hereby be recognized as the Duke of Alsace, and enjoy all rights that comes with being a Prince of the Sovereign Empire of the Rome in the German nation. ((Personal Union))

1a. The Duchy of Alsace shall be ruled under the laws of the sovereign Holy Roman Empire, and not of that of the French Empire.

2. The current Duke of Alsace shall agree to relinquish his claims to his duchy, in exchange for lands, a title, and a pension, within the Empire, and enjoy all rights that may come as a vassal of the Emperor.

3. In gratitude to the Emperor of the Romans, the French Emperor shall divide all coin gained from his realm between the state of France, and the ruler of the Austrian state.
 
There is a chance at the moment for a catastrophe of the highest order. A European war... between the lands of Valois and Hapsburg. For the sake of peace, I ask you to agree to a compromise. I have made a rudimentary attempt at this, and I wish for your feedback, so that war may be averted again.

The Chancellor of Hispania

1. The Head of the House of Valois, shall hereby be recognized as the Duke of Alsace, and enjoy all rights that comes with being a Prince of the Sovereign Empire of the Rome in the German nation. ((Personal Union))

1a. The Duchy of Alsace shall be ruled under the laws of the sovereign Holy Roman Empire, and not of that of the French Empire.

2. The current Duke of Alsace shall agree to relinquish his claims to his duchy, in exchange for lands, a title, and a pension, within the Empire, and enjoy all rights that may come as a vassal of the Emperor.

3. In gratitude to the Emperor of the Romans, the French Emperor shall divide all coin gained from his realm between the state of France, and the ruler of the Austrian state.

Neither side bothers to respond, being so committed to utterly crushing their friend-turned-enemy. With no one in France or Austria wanting peace, a compromise is near impossible.
 
Emiliano rose up, and turned away from the majority of the Parliament as he began to speak, facing the nearest wall.
"I am certainly not the only one who realizes the sad reality that when the Assembly speaks, nobody listens but the men of the Assembly. The ministers, who sit among us? They couldn't care less, and they are proving it. The Cortz - need not to lower themselves to the level of us noisy rabble. Do we want to continue like that? True Assembly members certainly won't, which is why we proposed these acts. I would like to be able to say 'no other part of the government', but as Assembly, we are hardly part of His Imperial Majesty's government now."

He turned around, spread his arms.
"Just look beyond our borders. Constitutionalism has risen, and spread across Europe. Few are those who still dismiss these ideals of the state. And Hispania? Had fought a civil war. The same people who now vote against the reforms were in power back then. They made concessions so that it wouldn't happen again, to modernize the Hispanian state. Yet who keeps the absolute power over the realm? These same men, led by the Prime Despot. They have no interests to follow the path of reform that has been taken after the return of peace. Whatever reason the people would have to be unhappy was dealt with - go on as before."

His fist went down, as his voice grew louder.
"No! We cannot allow it! The initial enthusiasm over the reforms that allowed these underhanded practices to continue has dissipated. The Assembly raises its voice, louder and louder, to gain real rights. The farce cannot be allowed to continue that way. Nosce te ipsum, know yourself, is what I have been taught, and learnt to be important. And the Assembly has done this. It knows, and is not satisfied. Angry, even. And what are its options now? Give in to its fate, and continue a shadow existence - we will resist. Change this fate - change is what we need and demand. Or then, disband - for what is the purpose of sitting somewhere without any reason?"

Faixòn's eyes wandered the hall, asking everyone present this question.
"Therefore, I implore all present to oppose this enslavement of the Assembly. And even the slavers should see that a slave who doesn't do anything else but yelling is worse than no slave at all, and that this person tries to gain his freedom."

((Assembly Ministry Act: Yes
Lead Ministry Act: Yes
Religious Offices Act: Yes
Administration Act: No
2nd Amendment to the Parliament Act: Yes
3rd Amendment to the Parliament Act: Yes
Franco-Austrian War: Abstain


(Are the Administration Act and Lead Ministry Act not incompatible with each other?)
[Assembly (Elected)]))
 
John FitzRoy Count of Pisa and Minister of the Interior votes "NO" to all reforms. FitzRoy votes to support "France"

OOC Stuff: Cortz-(Chamberlain)

John FitzRoy 1st Count of Pisa, Minister of the Interior and Chamberlain of the honorful Cortz
 
(Are the Administration Act and Lead Ministry Act not incompatible with each other?)

((The Administration Act would override the Lead Ministry Act, since it removes the position being referenced to, so technically yes. If they both pass, we'll probably have to have a second vote to clarify things, such as the role of the Second Minister.))

* * * * *

((Private))

Emperor Alfons IX listened carefully to all that was being said in the Assembly. He often sat in on sessions of the Assembly and the Cortz, for he'd be a poor ruler if he did not take interest in the affairs of the Parliament he had created. Of course this time was different. He was not sitting in ornate wooden throne at the front of the Assembly, something he was glad of since the chair was quite uncomfortable. When the new Parliament building had been constructed, the designers had suggested a throne made of solid gold with red velvet cushions, but Alfons had found that to be too much. The refined elegance of the carefully carved designs of the wooden throne seemed more fitting than the overbearing showmanship of a golden throne. Instead, Alfons was sitting amongst the Assemblymen, sitting near the back amongst a group of Royalists. No one knew he was here, other than the kindly gentleman who had allowed him to borrow his seat for a session. He had taken some efforts to change his appearance so he wouldn't be recognized. He wanted to see what went on during the sessions he wasn't present. Of course he could just read over the records, and indeed he did quite often, but that was not the same as being present. He had the feeling that there was conflict going on within Parliament but he had not been able to see it fully while present as emperor. Now he sat back and listened.

It soon became clear what was going on. On one side were those serving the interests of the Crown, or at least what they perceived as its interests. They were his loyal supporters, who would favour absolutism over any form of parliamentary government any day. Alfons did appreciate their support for his reign, for trust had always been hard for him to come by after the events of his teenage years. Yet their attempts to keep all power and decisions in the hands of the Emperor or the Cabinet was keeping the Parliament, the institution that Alfons himself had created, from developing and growing into something better. Then there were the reformers, the ones who wanted to reform the Parliament into something better able to advise him, or perhaps even govern in some capacity. They wanted to changed the Parliament, something Alfons could support, for he well knew that the system was flawed as any such major institution so newly created was oft to be. Yet there was always this nagging fear buried deep with his subconscious since the Hispanian Civil War that made him wary of their intentions. He hoped they merely wanted to make the Parliament better able to advise him during his rule, but could he afford to allow any power to transfer from the Crown to Parliament? All it would take was one cunning and ruthless person to subvert that power and use it for their own ends. He did not want to be made powerless and forced from his home again, fearing for his own life and the fate of Hispania. Was it corrupt for him to cling to his own royal power if he only wanted it to ensure he could keep Hispania safe? Part of him still longed for a balance of powers in government, a way to ensure no one held too much power. He could still remember as a child wanting to be the monarch to put forth a constitution. Yet that dream had died when Montségur appeared. Alfons could never allow such a thing to happen now. He needed the power that came with his crown to be able to squash any tyrant that tried to arise like the bug they were. Perhaps it seemed hypocritical to maintain absolutism to ensure no one could become too powerful, but as long as he was in charge he'd make it work.

As for now, he had a serious dilemma to deal with. It seemed clear that the two sides in Parliament would continue to butt heads, and as a result nothing would get done and the system would degrade. The deadlock had to be broken. As a recess was called for the Assembly, Alfons slipped away and removed his disguise in private. It was time he addressed the Parliament as emperor. The time for action was not now, but it was drawing near. He would speak before them and hope to spur some change in the situation, but if things worsened he would be forced to step in. The outcome of the vote would determine the path he'd take.

* * * * *

((Public))

JpsioAG.png

I must admit I am a bit surprised by the response to these reforms. It seems almost everyone has taken an all or nothing approach. Perhaps it is time I voice my opinion on the acts being proposed.

The Assembly Ministry Act seems a decent means to ensure the people's representatives are better represented in government, although I understand how some may perceive this as infringing on the royal prerogative and the Crown's ability to choose ministers freely. I personally do not feel the restriction too limiting, although I do find it biased towards the Assembly since it does not mention the Cortz. Of course there may be the worry that it will limit the ability to appoint minister who are capable but outside the Assembly.

The Lead Ministry Act similarly seems well equipped to solve some problems inherent in the Cabinet, but as with the earlier act might be interpreted as infringing on the Crown's ability to choose the Prime Minister.

As for the Second Amendment to the Parliament Act, it has my full support. The argument that all appointed representatives should be moved to the Cortz, thus making the Assembly purely elective, has merit. It would thus make the Assembly better representative of the people and the Cortz more representative of the Crown and the nobility. Of course I would not push forth such changes without the Cortz's approval. I understand that the nobility may feel that such a change to their parliamentary body might infringe upon the new rights granted to them. If the nobles want to ensure the Cortz is purely representative of their own, then I will not force the issue.

The Third Amendment to the Parliament Act equally has my support as a means to ensure the Assembly is purely elected, but as with the Second Amendment I defer to the Cortz on the matter.

I still have concerns about the Religious Offices Act, for I am not certain that a committee will perform better than a minister, or that it is necessary to have two bodies similar in nature existing to deal with religious affairs.

As for the Administration Act, I am flattered that there are those who would prefer I directly manage the Cabinet and affairs of state. If the Parliament believes that will be best, I will accept such responsibility. However, I also believe that the position of prime minister was created for a reason. With Hispania as large as it is, it was decided that one man, even a monarch, cannot manage both affairs the of the Crown and the state. Having a prime minister to take care of the latter relieved that burden and ensured a more efficient government. Of course, there is nothing that says an emperor cannot serve as their own prime minister. If I recall correctly, my grandfather served as his own prime minister after the attempt on his life. Personally, it seems more logical to me to keep the position of prime minister around, but if necessary the monarch can step in and take over the responsibilities.

The Franco-Austrian War has been on my mind as of late. It is not an easy decision, yet I feel myself inclined to favour France. They have stood by us for centuries, and it would be a shame to toss away that alliance. It would have been better if they had not tried to draw us into this situation in the first place and turn us against our other ally. Perhaps if it was against someone other than Austria I would reconsider. While I have favoured reconciliation, their betrayal still stings and I cannot in good conscience choose Austria over France. It will be a stain on my honour to dishonour a call-to-arms against an aggressor, but it cannot be helped. Austria dug their own grave when they betrayed us and now they must deal with the consequences.

Now I must deal with some personal concerns. I wish to request that members of the Assembly stop referring to my mother as "Prime Despot". Perhaps you do not agree with her actions or decisions, but I take it as a personal insult to hear her referred to as such. We should be above such name-calling. Yet this body was created for the sole purpose of advising the Crown on how best to govern the realm to meet the people's needs, and at times I feel that the Cabinet is ignoring such advice. We must be open to all sides of the arguments presented here and listen carefully so that we can pursue the best option. I ask that the ministers listen more carefully to what is being said and accept that some of the advice is actually worthy of consideration rather than simply denouncing everything that proposes any form of change. If the Cabinet cannot better represent those it serves, then perhaps I will have to ensure its composition better represents Hispania.

- His Imperial Highness, Alfons IX de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, & Protector of the Greeks
 
Last edited:
((I wish all our kings were less enlightened :D; insulting the King's mother, even slightly, would usually be cause for summary execution with less tolerant men.;) Unfortunately, it seems whenever we get an heir with negative qualities, he dies. :mad: ))

((Edit: It technically isn't a deadlock yet, the Royalists are sweeping the floor with their high-VP supporters. ;) ))