The Constitutional Convention

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Crampton must be sobering up, because he is listening and thinking far too much! Nobody would seek an absolute monarchy in a modern state. A constitional monarch, serving as a figurehead and a natural conservative balance to "dampen" extreme legislation pushed through by a dominant radical government. The monarchy does not need to be hereditery, it could be any citizen selected/nominated (and then confirmed by referendum) by a permanent non elected electoral college, or privy council. Privy council vacancies being filled by the great and the good of the day, nominated by the ruling political party of the day, but subject to the approval of the National Assembly and the privy council themselves, thus ensuring the independent non political nature of the privy council.

Of course setting up the first Privy council will be the problem.....

 

[J. Passepartout]

Crampton, actually this reminds me of a comment that Mr. Gonzov made earlier. I ignored it at the time, assuming he was being sarcastic, but this just occured to me. He said "Why don't we elect the nobility?" He was trying to draw me out on my comment about Assemblymen (a point I still disagree with; corruption can work itself on elections) but why should the Assembly not on occassion grant a title? Other countries offer medals for military merit. Why don't we have the medals be ranked one step higher? My ancestor Mycroft Mycroft was made a Baronet for military action. Why should the Assembly or the president be barred from making a similarly illustrious man a baronet, or a baron, or a viscount?

 

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The idea, Per Mycroft, sounds "noble" He chuckles but the Children would get the title, and what would they have done to earn it?

 

[Josephus I]

Jim Sykes stands up, feeling rather nervous at this his first entry into politics.

Esteemed members. I...uhm....I think we're getting a little...uhm...off topic. We're obviously all here from different p-p-p-p-olitical ideolgies and will n-n- ahem..never agree.

The Constitution for now should just be a blueprint. A working document. Further revision can be established by the appropriate legislation.

I think it's pointless talking about monarchies, for instance. We are not currently a monarchy. Future legislators may vote for a Constituional change, but for now we're getting a head of ourselves.

Political salaries is not something we need enshrined in the constitution either.

Jim looks around, sees everyone staring at him, and sits down.

 

[Voshkod]

Maria stands and makes her way over to Herrera. "Per Herrera," she begins, almost demurely, but her voice grows as she speaks. "I am so very sorry that my stench troubles you so. I most certainly do not mean to offend, any more then you meant to offend me, or Per Garibaldi meant to offend the Topans when he called them 'savages,' or Per Olson meant to offend them when he mocked their sacred rituals earlier today."

"You talk about the wealth of the monarchy. Where is my wealth? It is going to the Topans, those oft-forgotten Topans, a silent minority. Who speaks for the Topans? Or the Norse? Or the Saharans? Or the poor? Does this collection of millionaire Anglos speak for Eutopia?

"There is someone who can speak for them, for all the minorities, for all the people of Eutopia. The elected government may be the brains - however defective - of the country, and the people are the heart, muscle, blood, and sinew of the country. The monarch is the soul of the country. The monarch can be the unifying force of a country. The monarch can walk through the bombed ruins of a city, as George VI did during World War II, and bring hope to the people. Would Levarge's coup have faltered if a monarch had spoken against it, as Juan Carlos did against the attempted coup in Spain? Would the Latin provinces have split away if a monarch had asked them to stay?

"Eutopia needs a soul. Eutopia needs a unifying force, a person all people can look to and say, 'That is a Eutopian!' And that person is a monarch, a Constitutional monarch. And this Constitution should recognize that fact, even though some of you want to blind yourselves to it!"

 

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Your children will recieve your wealth mr. Gonzov. What have they done to earn it?

 

[Voshkod]

Nikolai Volkov enters the Convention. He raises his right hand (the other holds his cigarette), and intones with a smile: "I, Nikoli Volkov, do solemnly swear to protect and defend the democratic traditions of Eutopia. I shall work to the best of my ability to create a new Constitution upon which to base a new foundation for my country. I shall never betray that which I now help create. So help me God."

He takes his seat.

 

[J. Passepartout]

My conception of the Nobility is that someone does something great, gets a title, abd then his heirs gain the title as so people do not forget the great achievements of the original man.

Winston Churchill was the descendant of Dukes, he had several outstanding relatives, he had that background to live up to and to aid him in his political career. Would you deny Churchill was a great man? Would you deny that his father was not a major name in Britain? Would you deny John Churchill, the first Duke in the family, did not deserve a recognition of his achievements?

 

[Hyzhenhok]

Zhokhyen boldly adresses the "Queen" directly.

"Maria, as much respect as I have for you, I must say that you have no greater claim to being 'spokesperson' of Eutopia than the poorest, dirtiest beggar to be found on the streets of this city. The head of state ought to be elected. Such titles should be recieved by merit, not blood. The Topians have chosen you. That is their choice. We, however, may rather choose who represents us based on their merit, not on their bloodline."

 

[Voshkod]

"Per Zhokhyen, I never said the monarch had to be me, did I?" With that she smiles, perhaps enigmatically, and takes her seat.

 

[Amric]

"I have to agree with young Per Sykes. Let the idea of whether there is to be a monarchy or not be dealt with at another time. His speaking of the constitutions as a blueprint is dead on. Let us not get into the silliness of whether noble or royal titles mean anything.

Being noble doesn't make you better than anyone else. Nor will it necessarily make you richer. There are plenty of nobles running about with little to no money. Eutopia doesn't and hasn't for a VERY long time given the nobility anything. The titles are there, but in terms of power, they mean little to nothing."

He sends a steely eyed look at ALL the assembled people there.

"Enough caterwauling about it all. People are being offended for no good reason other than who they 'seem' to be. Whether it be noble, royal, military, rich, or poor. It doesn't bloody matter!

Maria made mention of who is looking out for the people. Well as politicians or potential politicians it is OUR job to do that. I have tried to look out for the interests of ALL Eutopians, regardless of 'race'. I don't personally care if you are white, black, yellow, brown, green, purple or ORANGE! It is what is on the INSIDE that matters.

I don't care what your religion or lack of it is. Doesn't matter to me. I'm not here to convert anyone to any particular faith. Look at my last name. Al'Aeshir. What does it mean? I have been accused of being Arab. I'm no more Arab than a Polynesian. Ethnicity is not the important issue.

Everyone keeps saying it is. It's NOT. What is important is that we are all EUTOPIANS. Regardless of race, creed, or whatever. Yes, certain regions have been woefully ignored. Granted. But decentralization was tried. It didn't work out all that well. Provinces could pretty much ignore anything the central government said.

Yes, certain religions have special needs. Obviously. Certain ethnicities have certain needs. Granted. But to say that any one is more important than another is wrong. We are all equal here. No man or woman is better than another. We are supposed to be here to SERVE the people of Eutopia. Regardless of whether they are Topan, French, Spanish, Anglo, Norse, Irish, Russian, or whatever!

Let's get this straight. We are here for EUTOPIA. Not for ourselves. For the PEOPLE. Not for our own self interests. The PEOPLE of EUTOPIA are what matter. Not our egos. Not for positioning for future power.

It is time for bipartisan COOPERATION. Regardless of what you think of your fellow convention member it is the PEOPLE who matter. They are our TRUST. They are putting their FAITH in us. AGAIN!

Let us do try to not let them down, shall we?"

Amric again looks at the assembled members stonily.

"Enough bickering. I saw too much of it in the national assembly and the general assembly. The inability of Eutopia's politicians to cooperate for any length of time is LEGENDARY. Enough and more than enough I say! To the blueprint, as young Sykes has called it.

No more insults from any of us. We are SUPPOSED to be here in the spirit of COOPERATION for the PEOPLE. Let's act like it."

 

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A great rasping noise eminates from Cramptons location, did he blow a raspberry or break wind? He does not seem to have recalled his mothers warning; "one can only ever make one first impression"

 

[Josephus I]

Jim Sykes blushes proudly as Old Al'Aeshir mentions him by name twice. He wished his parents were watching this on C-Span.

 

[Hawkeye1489]

After the rousing speech by Al'Aeshi, Colonel Bradstreet couldn't help, but release a "here-here!". Now, it was time to get down to business. He stood up, looked at the Head Justice and then spoke to the assembled.

Various Delegates of Eutopia. I move that we construct an outline for our proceedings. This haphazard, touch one subject then move on to something unrelated and then return to the original, unsolved problem is not getting us anywhere. Therefore, I move that we begin descussion on the powers of the Judiciary first, followed by the Legislature and then the Executive. Madam Justice?

Colonel Bradstreet looks upon the Head Justice and awaits her ruling.

 

[aussieboy]

"Esteemed citizens, comrades, fellow countrymen.

It seems that we all agree on certain fundamental rights: The freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of petition, to a jury trial in all criminal cases, of freedom from cruel punishment. It seems that I have another issue to contribute to, after Her Most Glorious Majesty mentioned it: the Topans.

Too long have they been discriminated against, treated as second class citizens, their liberties but on paper. I take off my hat symbolically to Ms. Maria Saxe-Coburg-Gotha for her concern for the people.

I propose an article in the charter prohibiting discrimination based on race. For we are, in the words of Thomas Jefferson, "Men(and women, as it should be) created equal, with certain inalenable rights". Not some people, not most people, but all people.

On the issue of the monarchy, I believe that the best monarch is the one who is a symbol of national unity and of tradition than an actual politician. She should be instructed to provide an aura of respect, but she must be treated as another citizen. Should she transgress the law, we are obligated to punish her, just like every citizen.

I also wish to echo Per Al'Aeshir's call for an end to this bickering. In my tenure as a legislator, it became a bickering cabal. Let us not provide ourselves as prey before despots like the late Levarge."

 

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During Term XI, I drafted and proposed a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill to replace the poorly-written PRRFA. It was shot down by your party, per von Hapsburg. Now you stand up and declare that discrimination has been allowed to run rampant.

Where were you then? Busy learning Jefferson quotes?

I did bring up the old proposal for a reason. We can learn from old laws.

Let us examine the old Charter of Rights, and see if we can't take down a few things that we all agree on.

(OOC: Old Constitution Scroll down to the bottom for the old Charter of Rights.)

 

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well if we are goign with Colonel Bradstreet's plan of how were going to go about writing this constitution then I say a basic yet essentail part of the constituiton that it can only be interperated by members of the highest level of the judicary and that it can only be changed b a referdum in which only the citizens of Eutopia can vote in.

 

[The_Hawk]

"You are recognized, Colonel Bradstreet, and your motion noted. As per the rules of order, a second is necessary. Do I hear one?"

 

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I second them

 

[The_Hawk]

"Very well, thank you, Major. I do not wish to bog down this Convention with unnecessary voting on matters of order and form -- if I do not hear objection I will hold that Colonel Bradstreet's proposal is adopted without dissent and will ask that the delegates commence discussion on the structure and powers of the judiciary. Do I hear an objection?"