Motion from the Floor

[Sir Samuhel Tecladeir]

He stands, shaking a bit uncomfortably, and announces in a strong steady voice ...

Esteemed members of the Cosa,

So as not to cause any undue stress between King Louis I, his parents, and/or the Kingdom, I move that we, acting in the best interests of the King's personal well-being, as part of his legal ward, abdicate his Majesty's kingship.

He sits, thoroughly shaken, and uses his pipsqueak voice ...

Thank you.

More drink, please? More? More?

[Capt. Sir Mick Preston]

Looks around waiting for someelse to rise

::clears throat::

The junior member rises

I second the motion.

quickly sits down on the back bench

[Sir X. Pol Briga]

Thumbing through a large tome containing various rules, writs, and other conundrums, a representative from Cézembre sighs, stands, dropping the book on the floor with and audible thump.

May it please the assembly:

I have not as yet been able to determine the precise proceedure, however, be that as it may, I further move that this body come back into special session to consider this matter. There is sparse attendance here in no small part due to the fact that October has been declared a "no business" month, and many of the members are attending festivals celebrating our national currency, or perhaps working on their elaborate costumes for the parties at the end of the month.

Perhaps the Regent, Speaker, Mençéi or other esteemed members of the government shall call this special session into order, and in fact that such a session, being of great importance to the realm, shall run from as soon as this motion receives a second for as short a time as possible in order to gain the decision on the previous motion, perhaps only a few days.

I yield the floor.

The representative moves to a kiosk in an alcove to call the Secretary of State, leaving a message to ask him to make it to the post office by noon on this Saturday, the 14th of October, 2006 such that persons who are not electronically connected to this discussion may know of its importance via some kind of card or letter.

[King John]

The Secretary of State notes that every member of the Cosâ, Senäts, and Cort is email-connected; all have received at least one communication regarding the current proposal.

— John Woolley, UrN, Secretár d'Estat

[Danihel Laurieir]

Fellow MCs:

I rise to--tentatively--make a point of order.

For the PM's motion to be proper it must--I think--refer to a legislative proposal because "motions" can't become laws.

And, according to the Hopper amendment, all proposals must first be "dipped" at least in the Hopper.

So, as a first step, this motion would need to be drafted as a bill. (It can't--I think--be a Prime Dictate in this case because the Organic Law specifies a process that governs abdication, and that process involves votes in the Cosa, the Senats and a ruling by the Cort.)

This, however, should not prove to be a major impediment to quick action (if that's what we want) because the Hopper amendment provides for a means of expediting legislation in an emergency.

Here's the text (which might not be official because I can't access the Kingdom's Web site):

Art. IX: Sec. 7. At his discretion, the Prime Minister shall have the right to withdraw any legislative proposal from "The Hopper" and instruct the Secretary of State to treat it as a properly submitted bill. The Prime Minister's Prime Dictates are exempt from all provisions relating to legislative proposals and "The Hopper."

Also, because October has been declared a no-business month, it might be in order for there to be some declaration by the PM that it is no longer a no-business month.

So, if the Speaker finds this point of order well-taken, then the motion that's on the table must be considered improperly there and not in effect.

I move therefore that the Speaker rule immediately on this point of order.

Assuming that my point of order is well-taken, I implore my fellow legislators to pause before making any further proposals on this matter until we can have a discussion about alternatives to immediately triggering the abdication process.

This is a big moment. We should act quickly, I believe, to address the wishes of the King's parents, but let's not rush into actions that may damage the institution of the Monarchy.

[King John]

I'm not a Member of the Cosâ, so I'm overstepping the mark a little by putting in a word here, but ... angels fear to tread ... etc.

I think that when the Cosâ, Senäts, and Cort are acting as constituent members of the King's Guardian, they aren't in fact passing legislation, and that there's no reason they have to Hopper-and-Clark their resolutions. Lord Hooligan and I drafted the law that establishes the guardianship, and I'm pretty sure we didn't intend — I know I didn't intend — to require that any guardianship-action go through the legislative machinery. (But maybe someone should petition the Cort for a clarifying ruling?) The "2/3 of each House and a unanimous Cort" was intended as an unambiguous way of saying "when pretty much everyone agrees".

— John Woolley, UrN

[Danihel Laurieir]

Mr. Prime Minister and Fellow MCs:

I rise to thank SOS Woolley for his clarifying comments and to make two requests.

First, I'd like to ask the SOS if it would be possible for him to post the guardianship law in question on this thread so that all members of the legislature may refresh their knowledge of its provisions. From what the SOS has said, it's entirely possible that my understanding of how this process should work--i.e. that it requires a bill to be Hoppered--is incorrect

Second, I'd like to ask the PM and MC Preston if they would be willing to temporarily withdraw their motions.

I ask this because, under current law as I understand it, if the abdication process is completed then we must immediately proceed to the task of selecting a new King. I would be very uncomfortable having to Crown a new King under these circumstances, and I know that I am not alone in this feeling. Simply put: we're not ready for this yet, and by setting the abdication process in motion we are risking being trapped into a course of action that will satisy few of us and possibly damage the Monarchy.

There are alternative courses of action for us to consider, and we should give oursevles the breathing room to do so.

For example, one immediate alternative step we could take is to pass a resolution that:

1. As AG Patrick Woolley recommends, includes a finding that it's in the best interests of the King that his parents wishes be followed.

2. Sets a timetable for the abdication process to start, but that includes an opportunity for the legislature (and the nation as a whole) to consider making changes to the Organic Law that might allow for the Council of Regency to rule in the absence of a King for a longer period than currrent law allows or for the office of the Regent to be re-tooled or for the establishment of a new office--that of the Steward of the Kingdom of Talossa.

Please, let's slow down just a bit.

[King John]

My Lord —

The main provisions of law governing this situation are this, from Article 3 of the Organic Law:

7. From time to time, a Regent (or a Council of Regency, which is considered equivalent to a Regent) may be appointed, who shall administer the government in the name of the King, and exercise all powers Organically or legally vested in the King, except the power to appoint or replace a Regent. A King who has not attained the age of eighteen years, which age is declared to be the legal majority of the Sovereign, may exercise his royal powers only through a Regent. No person not a citizen of Talossa shall be competent to serve as Regent or member of a Council of Regency.

8. The King may, at whim, appoint, replace, or remove a Regent, and may, by his last Will and Testament, appoint a Regent to serve during the minority of his successor. During the minority of the King, the Ziu may by law appoint a Regent. The Ziu may by law remove or replace any appointed Regent, and if the Ziu remove a Regent appointed by the King “at whim”, the King may not reappoint the same person Regent without the prior consent of the Ziu.

9. During the minority of the King, if the Regency for any reason be vacant, the Uppermost Cort shall be a Council of Regency.

10. If on the death or abdication of the King there be no person entitled to succeed to the Throne, the Uppermost Cort shall be a Council of Regency pending the election of a new King, and the Ziu may, by a vote of two-thirds in each House, elect a King, who shall succeed to the Throne immediately upon ratification of his election by a majority of the people in a referendum to be held for that sole purpose.

and this, Clause 2 of 36RZ1, the Royal Guardianship Act:

If a minor sovereign is not the biological or adopted child of a Talossan citizen, the minor sovereign shall be a ward of the State. The wardship of the minor monarch shall be executed jointly by the Ziu and the Cort Pü Înalt, through a unanimous vote of the Cort and a two-thirds vote of each house of the Ziu.

From this, it will be seen that (under current law) the King could abdicate without the nation's being faced with the immediate requirement of electing another King. During the interregnum, however long it lasted, the Cort would exercise the royal powers.

And may I add, speaking only for myself, that I entirely agree with Lord Lauriéir that we have no reason to be in a great hurry.

— John Woolley, UrN, Secretary of State

[Capt. Sir Mick Preston]

As per Lord Lauriéir request, and if the PM will allow, I would like to suspend my seconding of the Motion., until a later date.

[Danihel Laurieir]

After confering with an aide--a conference near his seat full of wild gesticulations, angry pointing at papers and heated whispering--he wipes his brow with a kerchief, clears his throat and stands red-faced:

Mr. Prime Minister, Fellow MCs, and particularly my colleague Mr. Preston, who hails from the same neck of the woods as I do, I rise to acknowledge what an ass I've been.

Let my behavior be a lesson to all: Don't make speeches on the floor of the Cosa based solely on your dim recollection of the law or on out-dated copies of the law...

I had been worried that by starting the "abdication process" we would set ourselves on a fast track to select a new King--a prospect that really spooked me.

This, as our formidably competent SOS points out, is not the case.

It turns out that we can in fact honor the wishes of the King's parents rather quickly without automatically committing ourselves to selecting a new King.

I want to apologize to everyone here for not doing my homework.

In particular, I want to apologize to the Prime Minister. While I am still not sure if a "motion" suffices to accomplish the result you seek, your policy on this matter is correct.

And to MC Preston I apologize if it seems I have convinced you to do something that, perhaps, was not necessary. (Though your withdrawal of the second, gives the PM a chance to submit a more complete resolution on this issue.)

I am truly sorry. And I will, of course, accept any censure that the Cosa deems appropriate.

[Capt. Sir Mick Preston]

Begins to stand- then sits-then stands again- the decides that probably a "half crouch" would be more suited...

Lord Lauriéir, no apologies are neccessary on my behalf. In that this is "new " to all of us, interpretations and assumptions are the norm for the day. This is a bit of a learning process, especially for me.

I appreciate the gesture, and honored that you thought of it.

Returns to seated position, but on edge of chair, just in case.

[Trotxâ]

danlorentz said:

I will, of course, accept any censure that the Cosa deems appropriate.

Over in the Senäts Chamber, a short man, haggard from lack of sleep, rises.

My Lords -

I rise on a point of order. In the Cosâ, Count Lauriéir has asked for censure. If he were in the Senäts, would it be appropriate to give him the Comfy Chair?

I yield.

Trotxâ, Vuode, RUMP

He sits. He leans back. His chin drops to his chest.

[Joseph Walkland]

A man walks in, he is handsome, intelligent etc., he stumbles in, looks at all the MC's and Senators in great discussion, and bellows:

I Leave For One Weekend and this is the mess you get into? Dear Lord!

I have a solution, perhaps if the Regent has all powers attributed to the King except appointing Regents, then surly he can abdicate in the name of the King?

Thank you all, I want a pay rise for this. To the Pub!

Sits, and downs a cool one, and starts gargling red wine.

[Capt. Sir Mick Preston]

That'll teach ya to leave us alone.

[Sir Samuhel Tecladeir]

S:r Walkland, this was discussed in the hallway and since abdication is a personal matter (as opposed to an administrative matter), then the Regent cannot abdicate for him.

Hence, we are here today to act on behalf of the King and, in my mind more importantly, for the King's parents.