Imperial Diet

[OverKnight]

The Third Elector of Bavaria attempts to step between the feuding parties:

Peace my lords! This is a chamber of government not a Tavern! If you don't like the edicts don't second or vote for them! Don't resort to base insults or we will accomplish nothing here.

The elector looks warily around hoping that calm will be restored.

[pevergreen]

How would you like it if a young upstart started insulting your sisters?
This is an outrage!

[Kagemusha]

Fifth elector of Swabia replyes

We are not insulting Emperors daughter. Austrians tryed to make our proposition laughable and we only responded based on the edict 2.11. made by third elector of Austria. Which in my wiev is lot more insulting towards the daughter of Emperor, then our joke about the Austrians.Austrians shouldnt start making jokes about others,if they cant stand one themselves. We will not further comment the incident and place the feud for the Emperor to judge.

Fifth Elector of Swabia

[Ituralde]

Conrad von Schüsselen has been sitting quiet for the last few minutes. Apparently recovering from his seizure earlier, but also delieberatly refraining from joining into the game started by the Fourth Elector of Austria.
With tensions running high, he stands up quickly and spreads his arms wide:

Gentlemen! Gentlemen!

Surely there is no need to let this folly erupt into a full out feud between our two esteemed Houses. Our charmed princess Agnes should not be bothered to be the point of friction between two of our Duchies.

Conrad looks at the Emperor and bows deeply

First, let me ask pardon for the rudeness done unto your daughter by the mistake of one of our Electors. He has quickly withdrawn his edict, because he noticed his error. I don't know what has transpired in Vienna to lead the Elector to this oppinion but his statements were never our intention. Rest assured that we will not tolerate such behaviour and punish him internally.

His gaze travels onward to Prinz Henry offering another bow, if not as deep as the one for the Emperor, still with the required reference:

And I would also like your pardon that our Elector has insulted the noble Edict of your house in regards to Metz. Surely this is a noble partaking and your Elector had every right to name his desires. I shall hereby second Edict 1.23.
No insult on our part was intended when our dear Elector questioned your proposal and we hold no ill-will against the Duchy of Swabia.

The Fourth Elector of Austria is met by Conrads stern gaze.

However, I do not understand why your Elector had to shame our dear princess by bringing up the... misunderstanding again and drawing her into this foolish notion which our Elector wrongfully proposed and which will, as I've already mentioned, have dire consequences.

Conrad takes a deep breath and looks around the Diet with an amiable smile on his face.

I hope this is settled then and our beloved Emperor does not have to be bothered to intervene in an non-existent dispute, caused by the hot-headedness of some of our younger members.

Again his gaze encompasses both the Fourth Elector of Austria and the Fifth Elector of Swabia before sinking back into his seat.


Edit: This should have gone before TinCows post. Have to type faster next time.

[Lucjan]

Dietrich watches quietly for a few moments, clearly amused with the most recent turn of events, but stands before the House of Austria can launch yet another tirade against the Swabians.

Good, people, of our noble houses. Perhaps the relevance of the subject is not entirely appropriate for diet discussion and should be kept to tavern talk and away from the floor of legal legislation. Let us refer instead to a more important subject matter.

Let us look at Kaiser Heinrich's proposition that lands be allocated geographically to maintain fairness and equal distribution of power between the houses.

Dietrich scratches his head, he's in a tight spot with this one, and takes his time to pick his wording carefully, that his position is properly understood.

I must support, and at the same time, detract, from seperate segments of this proposal. My support for the proposal lies in the Kaiser's inclination to make attempts at maintaining that no house acquires too much or too little power in regards to territory. This is an honorable pursuit, and for that I applaud him.

However, I do not think it is fair to allocate lands geographically. As we all know, this Empire is not going to make perfectly equal expansion in all directions. We all have our different opinions of allies, different opinions of enemies, except maybe the French and the Italians. I'm fairly certain we all despise them equally. But that's not the point. The point is that our expansion is not, and will not, be geographically equal in any sense of the word. Therefore the only way to maintain that territory is fairly distributed is to distribute according to merit. For example, an Austrian general may perform exceptionally well in the defence of Swabian lands, should the empire be invaded and all able generals needed to command the defence.

With that last statement, the steward casts a somewhat accusing glance at the bickering houses.

Therefore, when the defence is completed, a potential counterattack may ensue, and perhaps Swabia is then able to capture two regions from our enemy. In this situation, I would find the proper allocation of territory to be one region to Austria, one region to Swabia. Based on merit, and the good each House did for the whole of the empire. This is by no means geographically relevant to the House of Austria's current holdings, but it would be unfair to leave them unrewarded for their accomplishments.

This brings me to another relevant argument in regards to fairness. An argument I will not pursue, but feel compelled to bring up in light of this argument of territorial distribution.

Edicts are determined by votes, and the influence of each member of each house weighs into whether or not the edict is passed or failed. However, take into consideration that not all of our noble houses are comprised of the same number of electors. Franconia, for example, has only three, where Swabia has five, and Bavaria and Austria have four. This places Franconia at a significant disadvantage in all matters of state, when compared to the other noble houses of the empire.

Let me say for the record that this does not bother me, and I do not consider it a burden, nor do I want, expect, or wish for any kind of edict or notion to be mentioned to remedy this situation.

But , it is directly related to the question of territorial expansion. My counterpart in Bavaria has attempted to pick apart and amalgamize sections of our charter to try and counter my interpretation that only the kaiser may bestow lands, but I'm going to respond solely with common sense.

We will not expand equally in terms of geography. We do not hold equal influence in the diet. Therefore suggesting that edicts allowing specific distribution of regions to specific houses is in direct favor of whichever house has more electors than the others. For example, I do not wish to get involved in either side of Swabia and Austria's argument, and in the event that Bavaria does not either, then any edict that Swabia may suggest to give Swabia land that Austria also wants will automatically be passed in Swabia's favor by the weight of their electoral votes.

This is why it must be only the kaiser's decision as to which house's achievements merit the gifting of territory.

In this way I am very pleased to hear that the Kaiser's wisdom has opted him to try to fairly distribute the empire's territory, but I must also urge caution in regards to his promise of geographic distribution, as this is a promise that he may not by will, but by necessity, be forced to break.

In that respect I cannot support his edict that would also place later kaisers under the same restriction. I hope my stance in this matter does not offend or displease you Kaiser Heinrich. I am only putting forth my concerns as I think they stand well grounded in logic.

I would also, as he will someday in the distant future become as much an important figure in this Empire's history as Kaiser Heinrich is now, wish to hear what Prinz Henry has to say on the matter as well as his opinion on territorial distribution. After all, these subject will, however they are decided, directly affect him in the future.

[econ21]

Prinz Henry rises to his feet, nursing a bandaged hand and still mentally cursing the recent innovation of putting doors on carriages:

The House of Swabia unreservedly apologies to the House of Austria for any offence given by our most recent Elector... (scowls at the Fifth Elector of Swabia) ... who apparently has not yet adjusted to the solemn nature of the august body he has now joined. Fortunately, my sister does have a sense of humour, and may even find some merriment in recent exchanges - I trust the same is true of our dear brother Leopold. (Bows to the Austrian benches.)

On the matter of my father's charter ammendment (which does require seconding), I respect his determination to be equitable and to work towards coherent geographic boundaries. However, I do fear that edicts or ammendments over the Emperor's allocation of settlements start to blur the separation of powers that we have only just established with our charter.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Kaiser Heinrich: You are wise, noble Electors. I only sought to resolve the dispute that had popped up. I can only hope that future Kaisers will be as impartial as possible. I withdraw Amendment 1.1.

And as for the comments regarding my daughter and the House of Austria, I shall tolerate none of this talk in the Diet. As Agnes' father and her Kaiser it is my decision on who she marries. Certain electors' actions in the upcoming times will determine who she weds. *eyes Mandorf and von Saxony*

Now, if we may continue this Diet by conducting ourselves with the civility that your people expect of you, gentlemen.

[Dutch_guy]

The third elector of Franconia rises for the first time, and starts speaking. Slowly but deliberately...

Noble lords, of all houses !

The distribution of new land is not a matter to be taken lightly, as the noble leader of my house, and also of that Bavaria, have rightly concluded. The question here is to ask oneself if one should be encouraged to be passive, to let better men fight for them, or to actively seek to glorify the empire with the conquest of an enemy city. Surely, if the Kaiser so desires, we should argue for the latter !

I am no warmongerer, but I do understand the significance of a system based on personal merit, a system which is better than one of geographic distribution...

Nothing new here, but it had to be said nonetheless.

[Grande Orso]

The Fourth Elector of Swabia rises again still seemingly shy and $embarassed to talk in front of this important assembly

Kaiser Heinrich, Prinz Henry, and most respected electors of all houses,

I... *stops, opens scroll, looks at notes*... I cannot claim to be an expert in the matters of state but... but I would like to stir the Diet's attention again on the fact that most of our current deliberations have dealt with territorial expansion...

He stops and swallows. The Kurfurst is visibly embarassed by the fact that he has to raise his point again, and it is clear that he does not feel confortable enough to raise strong points

... while I find that territorial expansion is a most honourable objective for our Empire, and one that should be discussed at length, as all of you most wisely did, I would like to remind you once again that a consistent military expansion is also required to support new settlements, in order to avoid leaving our Empire weaker at the core and on its borders.

I may be young, and perhaps even vain, my most venerand colleagues, but we all know that the expansion of a military force, for the reasons I have just oultined, requires a large investment of Florins. I certainly do not wish to see a day in which our noble Empire will be unable to pay his soldiers because of an empty treasury, nor do I wish to see our armies lowering themselves to the barbaric practices of sacking cities and murdering innocent lives simply to gain a financial profit.

For this reasons, I would like to urge this Diet to deliberate on some financial matters, specifically, the establishment of trade relations with the French and perhaps the English to the West, and the development of a trade network of merchants hired by our Holy Crown in order to improve our income.

He stops and breathes in. Clearly, his last statement was more than he expected himself capable of saying in front of such a congregation of wise men. After a short pause, he concludes...

For all these reasons, I would like, with the permission of this powerful Diet, to humbly propose
Edict 1.24: A network of merchants hired by the Holy Crown should be developed over time, and trading of valuable European resources should commence in order to provide economic growth for our country. Merchants should be encouraged to cautiously experiment in hostile commercial takeover behaviour

Realizing my inexperience in these matters, I submit this edict to you and strongly encourage you to provide me with any amendments that you should see fit. Thank you for your attention.

The elector returns to his seat with his colleagues from the House of Swabia. Once again, he sighes of relief for being able to express his points without stumbling on his words.