Aurician Parliamentary Reforms and Expansion of Suffrage

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This article delineates the major events in the transformation of the government of the Noble Republic of Aurice, with some important points noted from before the Noble Republic.

Chamber of Gentry

Not truly a representative institution, but a direct voting institution of the provincial land-owners, the Chamber of Gentry arose in 2655 when land-owners threatened not to pay taxes without representation in the provincial parliaments of Lucacia. Aurice was engaged in numerous wars and both the aristocratic parliaments and the Noble Senate had to concede this or face disastrous defeat. The body of the titled nobles of the parliament was called the Chamber of Nobles to distinguish it from the Chamber of Gentry.

Grand Provincial Chamber

Main article: Grand Provincial Chamber

An outgrowth of the numerous provincial Chambers of Gentry, the Grand Provincial Chamber, now commonly called the Provincial Curia, was created in 2674 at the imperial level to represent the rights of land-owners throughout the empire. Unlike the local Chambers of Gentry where landowners can vote in person, the Provincial Chamber is filled with deputies elected by their respective provinical Chamber of Gentry. Each province sends about ten to fifty deputies, based upon their imperial tax receipts.

Chronology

  • (before 2563) New Kalikán Empire: Each province of Lucacia and Erserce has a parliament thats members are the enrolled, titled nobles of the same province. Parliaments are subject to the Ruler. The Ruler can dissolve the parliament and thus negate its power as a body to act, deliberate, and so forth. The parliament has power to enact taxation internal to the province it governs.
  • 2563 Duke Baimund Kaligär decrees that all parliaments of Lucacia are sovereign. In the past, the aristocratic parliaments (assembly of registered, titled nobles) could refuse to approve of the taxes imposed by the ruler on the province. The ruler, in turn, could dissolve the parliament. By making the parliament sovereign, it could refuse to pay taxes without fear of dissolution.
  • 2576 Grand Duke Stalcast Bijäl abolishes serfdom in Lucacia and elsewhere in the Grand Duchy. This weakens the power of the local nobility and paves the way for wealthy commoners to become land-owning gentry. It also enabled the Grand Duke to subject the newly emancipated to conscription which was necessary for the Fourth and Fifth Geddamin Wars.
  • 2593 Decree of Grand Duke Vast Bijäl; tax protests of the gentry and some nobles in Lucacia and elsewhere; Grand Duke wishes to lower the tax burden to prevent revolt. Grand Duke acknowledges that the local parliament has the right to refuse increased taxes, but decrees that they cannot raise local taxes above what the Senate approves. In other words, in order for a tax increase or new tax to be legal in a local province, both the Noble Senate and the local parliament must approve. The Grand Ducal Decree basically says that the parliament when collecting taxes from its province for the Noble Senate is in effect acting in behalf of the Noble Senate and cannot exact more than what the Noble Senate requires itself. The local parliament may only refuse to increase the tax or may reduce the tax. It cannot increase the tax or create new ones.
  • 2627 Aurician Revolution Noble Senate of four Ranks (Dukes, Counts, Barons, and Metropolitans) assumes supreme governmental power and becomes sovereign. Officers, including the Lord Governor-General, are elected by the Noble Senate, with Dukes receiving primacy in the election process. In other words, each rank votes as a bloc, starting with the Dukes. Both the Barons and the Metropolitans (each as a bloc) must cast a majority vote in order to negate the vote of the Dukes. This practice was retained from the Grand Ducal and Ducal periods.
  • 2632 To increase the solidarity of the Noble Senate of Aurice, the dukes and counts abolish practice of voting in blocs; Simultaneity of Senatorial Voting; all Senators vote as a single body, yea or nay, without regard to blocs. Formerly, the dukes would vote first, then, if the matter had not been decided, the counts, the barons, and ultimately the metropolitans could vote.
  • 2644 Creation of Office of Lieutenant Governor-General of Aurice, Lord Governor-General selects commoner (gentry) as a junior Governor to serve concurrently, first such office to be implemented 2646. Practice implemented to placate wealthy gentry.
  • 2655 Enfranchisement of Landed Gentry in Lucacia: Chamber of Gentry admitted to local parliaments of Lucacia; Wealthy Gentry of Lucacia and City of Aurice refuse to pay taxes without representation; Parliaments of Lucacia, starting with Goscundy, concede and recognize a Chamber of Gentry (a kind of lower house) for each Lucacian parliament . Any adult male who owns a sufficient minimum of land may vote directly in the Chamber of Gentry of the province in which he owns property and resides. The amount of land is equivalent to a large farm. The Aurician Empire's military forces are stretched over the east and the concession is given to preserve internal unity. Other settled Over-provinces, like Kandhoria and later Axophotia retain internal government. Nomadic subjects of Over-provinces retain tribal rule for internal affairs.
  • 2656 Enfranchisement of Landed Gentry in Thykomia
  • 2657 Enfranchisement of Landed Gentry in the two Zamirias Zamirian Provincial Provinces gain Chamber of Gentry
  • 2657 Enfranchisement of Landed Gentry in the Shadevan Provinces
  • 2658 Agogia sues for enfranchisement, but is refused. Corpora Mercia compel Noble Senate to refuse. The Corpora Mercia fear anything that could jeopardize their access to the rich mineral and agricultural resources of the Shadmaus and also the proposed Five Locks Project.
  • 2662 Enfranchisement of Landed Gentry in Near Erserce Near Erserce: Chamber of Gentry granted to local parliaments along lines of those in Lucacia; Far Erserce is ruled by local tribal customs.
  • 2665 Enfranchisement of Landed Gentry in Magdaian Sambarrat Magdaian Sambarrat receives franchise for the Gentry (Chamber of Gentry). Eloarian March continues under appointed overprovincial governor and governor's council.
  • 2674 Creation of the Grand Provincial Chamber in Aurice. Each provincial Chamber of Gentry votes for deputies to be sent to represent their province in Imperial Aurice. The number of deputies is based upon the tax receipts for the province (as opposed to the population), perhaps about ten to fifty deputies. The Provincial Chamber has the power to block Senatorial decrees regarding taxation.
  • 2674 Enfranchisement of Landed Gentry in Agogia
  • 2718 Property Requirement for commoners to be able to vote eliminated.
  • 2722 Corpora Mercia demand representation in the Imperial Senate. Senate refuses.

See Also

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