https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QWvE3b7oOuAsmrsKe1ETA-vzxrS8wb53?usp=sharing

For the first time ever, online-friendly editions of the entirety of Talossan National News (TNN) is available online and at the above link.  While I am by no means pleased at the online legibility of some of these digital files, I believe everything prints out decently enough.

I really cannot put words to how important this is for Talossan scholarship.  I've discovered Fritz Bucholtz was more Talossan than he thought.  Part of the reason why annexing Shorewood and Whitefish Bay was considered way back when was because Napoleon's gaming store held shop in Shorewood.  Fritz was well-known to all Talossans even thirty-something years ago, and he is mentioned in TNN at least twice.

Unfortunately, the internet's prediliction for causing trouble has forced me to redact original-language names a great deal.  And in at least four instances, JJ's errant hole-punches did not help.  It's amazing I did not find more JJ-hole-punch carnage in the TNN master-copies.

For the Talossan Royal Archives, this is a singular accomplishment.  At least six-hundred pages of dense TNN text was going through hoping to find original-language names here and there to redact for privacy.  The three individuals who did not get such treatment are Ben (because I know he would not care), Bill Renzi (because he's been dead thirty years) and Robert Dobberpuhl (who has been dead about the same length of time).

Like any human being JJ is biased.  But when he gives statistics, names, dates, and other objective information, as far as I can tell he is accurate.  Detailed source-notes for TNN will be forthcoming.

GV, Oraclâ Press and the Talossan Royal Achives

Alternating Clark still give a future rogue monarch a chance to quell the will of the people and elected legislature by way of the veto as well as appoint UCort justices (subject to Ziu confirmation). 

It's all about the veto and UCort nominations.  Who gets to use the veto?  Who gets to nominated justices?  Are they periodically accountable to the people?  Can they be tossed out?

https://freedems.proboards.com/thread/112/freedems-convention-2021-thread-welcome

Join us, everyone!

Quote from: Sir Alexandreu Davinescu on December 06, 2020, 01:59:41 PM
At this point, it makes sense to me if my office was apparent at a glance to visitors; time to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak.  @Dr. Txec Róibeard dal Nordselvă, Esq., O.SPM, SMM would you put a custom title on my profile, please?  Probably just something like Rexhaint d'Ian Regeu (or would English be better?)

I suggest both languages.

Quote from: Sir Alexandreu Davinescu on December 06, 2020, 01:59:41 PM
At this point, it makes sense to me if my office was apparent at a glance to visitors; time to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak.  @Dr. Txec Róibeard dal Nordselvă, Esq., O.SPM, SMM would you put a custom title on my profile, please?  Probably just something like Rexhaint d'Ian Regeu (or would English be better?)

You will be Regent for a good while, then?

Për for all bills.

GV, Fiôvâ

Monarch: symbol, standard-bearer, and rallying point for the nation - term: 10 Cosas - cannot be Consul or a member of Cosa or Senats.  Cannot be a UCort justice or Secretary of State.  Cannot become Monarch more than once in a period of 20 consecutive Cosas.  Doles out honours.

Consul: Takes up the current royal powers of nominating UCort justices, giving assent to bills, etc. - term: 4 terms of Cosâ - Cannot become Consul more than once in a period covered by the end-dates of voting in seven consecutive Cosâ elections.

In the event of the premature end of the term of a Consul, the Vice-Consul shall immediately become Consul.  The new Consul shall nominate (not the previous Consul) to be the new Vice-Consul.  This nomination shall be confirmed by majorities of each of Cosa and Senats in votes held independently of any Clark.  If there is no new Vice-Consul chosen within 21 days of the end of the previous consular tenure, the Speaker of the Cosa shall become Vice-Consul.

A consular veto may be overridden by a two-thirds majority of Cosâ only or by majorities in both Cosâ and Senäts.

Elections for Monarch and Consul shall take place concurrently with an election for Cosâ.

We could call the Consul 'Chancellor', but I didn't want so much 'Ein!  Zwei!  Drei!'.

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN on November 24, 2020, 10:25:23 PM
Thank you, Sir Alexandreu. One of the issues I had with King John's use of the legislative veto is that he would just use it against things he didn't like. If my Talossan language skills aren't deceiving me, you are not going to assent to 55RZ12 but not veto it either, so it will come into law automatically at the end of the month. Thank you very much for exercising your duties responsibly in that regard.

+1

Për on all bills.

GV, Fiôvâ

Quote from: Eðo Grischun on October 15, 2020, 12:23:49 AM
The Monarchy webpage has been updated to reflect this appointment:
https://talossa.com/king-john/

Absolutely sick work re STUFF, Eðo - Thanks ever so much!

Quote from: Sir Alexandreu Davinescu on October 15, 2020, 11:06:18 AM

Quote from: GV on October 15, 2020, 10:57:35 AM

Quote from: Sir Alexandreu Davinescu on October 14, 2020, 05:37:44 PM
Just so I understand, you are saying that there are several domains owned by the king, and he expressed openness to transferring those over to the government, but has not yet gone so far as to agree to the transfer or initiate it from his end. And absent this agreement, for which you have been waiting almost one month, you have decided to unilaterally transfer them over through the access that the Seneschal has? Or is this unilateral transfer limited just to what the law names: kot.net and talossa.com?

Either way, it's probably pretty improper for the government to decide that they should take possession of someone else's property and then act to seize it unilaterally in this way. I would suggest that it would be more appropriate to bring suit. I don't believe there is any provision in the law that allows seizure of property by the government in this way, even if they think that another provision entitles them to it.  The Fourth Covenant specifically protects against this, actually... a judge must issue a warrant which specifically spells out the property that may be seized.

I am not passing judgment on the merits of such a claim or the underlying goals or anything like that, and I'm certainly not impugning your intentions.  Just want to keep everything above board and avoid any problematic precedents.

Why has the King been incommunicado these past few months? 

How long will this regency last?

Does John have a pressing issue outside of his life in Talossa keeping him from activity?  What that issue might be is none of our business, but what we need to know is "Yes, I've got something going on.  Can't talk about it here." or not.

His Majesty has not been incommunicado -- this very matter was discussed with the Government three and a half weeks ago.  As the Seneschal has confirmed, His Majesty has generally been quick to reply when she consults him.

Very good!  I missed that particular post, alas.

QuoteI have been appointed to assist with some of the duties that are overdue, since His Majesty recognized that some things needed doing.  The regency's term is undefined right now, but it will end when His Majesty returns and no longer requires my assistance.  I do not anticipate that it will last overlong.

Good to know on all counts.  Thank you!

With many thanks to Açafat del Val for his work in keeping on top of things...  With one exception (as noted below), everything Açafat has done with the Rules is to my liking.  The one change I made was minor. - GV, Mençei

Rules of this Special Committee:

1. The Members of the Committee shall be exclusively the duly elected and seated Members of the Senate of the Kingdom of Talossa. None else shall have equal privileges.

2. The business of the Committee shall not preclude the Senate from conducting its normal business.

3. The Mençei shall be the Chairman of the Committee, and the Deputy Mençei the Deputy Chairman, who shall have plenary and conclusive powers upon and during all its business.

4. The sole purpose of the Committee is to realize a public hearing of the nomination of S:reuIstefan Perþonest  to the Uppermost Cort of the Kingdom of Talossa, and its powers shall extend not beyond the scope or the bona fide interests thereof.

5. The sole goal of the hearing of the Committee is to scrutinize the qualifications of the nominee and ascertain his ability or fitness to service as a Puisne Justice of the Uppermost Cort. The Committee shall report its findings on those matters to both the entire Senate and the public of Talossa at large.

6. The Committee may elect in its ultimate report whether to endorse for or to endorse against the nomination, but it shall be not requisite or binding. The Committee shall be adjourned sine die upon the deliverance of its report to the Mençei or Deputy Mençei.

7. A Quorum shall be unnecessary, but the power to make finals decisions with respect to the Committee or its business shall be reserved to the Chairman and Deputy Chairman.

8. The Chairman or Deputy Chairman shall publish and maintain a schedule for the hearing, which shall control the sequence, time, and privileges of speeches. The schedule shall be impermanent and respond accordingly to ongoing circumstances.

9. Any Member of the Committee or non-Member who may wish to speak during the hearing shall make a request for it to this Wittenberg thread at least two (2) days in advance to the Chairman or Deputy Chairman, who shall approve, modify, or deny the request publicly on this Wittenberg thread.

10. Members of the Committee shall have precedence in all manners over non-Members with regard to the sequence, time, and privileges of their speeches. Each Member shall have no less than one equal opportunity to speak with regard to other Members.

11. Speeches shall be germane, and shall be inquisitive of and directed to the nominee. Questions shall be asked of the nominee and answers provided by him, and the dialogue between the nominee and the speaker shall remain courteous.

12. A Member of the Committee may invite guests to use up some or all of a scheduled speech, but sufficient notice thereof shall be given in advance to the Chairman or Deputy Chairman. Guest speakers shall respect this privilege, which may be denied by the Chairman or Deputy Chairman in whichever manner they find proper.

13. The Committee shall begin its business immediately, but the first scheduled speech of the hearing shall occur not sooner than Monday 12 October 2020.

14. The first speech of the hearing shall be reserved to the nominee himself, unless he reject this privilege knowingly and willfully, so that he may make his own introduction. The Chairman or Deputy Chairman may invite that the nominee make the final speech.

S:reu Istefan Perþonest may make the first speech anytime before this Saturday the 17th. [change by GV from Açafat del Val's post 14 Oct 2020 11:40:46 as Açafat ends Istefan's time on the 15th with the 16th being a dead day]

Either upon the delivery of such speech or on Saturday the 17th, whichever may be sooner, our colleague from Benito shall have time to ask questions and receive answers of the nominee from then and through the end of Monday the 19th. This reserved time may be extended, but I ask cordially that the nominee take care to answer questions punctually.

All others are invited to request speaking time, whether or not you are a member of the Senate. Particularly I would like to see a request from the Seneschal and the Leader of the Opposition.

16. The Committee shall finish its business and submit its report to the Senate and the public of Talossa at least before if not sooner than Tuesday 17 November 2020 235959 Talossan time.

Requested and here goes...

The position of Burgermeister is the most sensitive, the most critical, and the most precarious in all of Talossa, even more so than Secretary of State.  Burgermeister's duties are not as constant as those of the SoS, but they are far more consequential. 

Istefan Perthonest as Burgermeister has lived into every best intention of the post, his love for and activity in Talossa has been sterling.  In making Reunision happen, his 'Perthonest Plan' was critical.

I believe he is fully-qualified to be on the Uppermost Cort and help steward our laws, and I urge the Senäts to confirm as soon as possible. 

I have no questions to ask him.

GV, Fiôvâ

Thank you sir, for catching my dropped stuff.  :-(

Quote from: Sir Alexandreu Davinescu on October 14, 2020, 05:37:44 PM
Just so I understand, you are saying that there are several domains owned by the king, and he expressed openness to transferring those over to the government, but has not yet gone so far as to agree to the transfer or initiate it from his end. And absent this agreement, for which you have been waiting almost one month, you have decided to unilaterally transfer them over through the access that the Seneschal has? Or is this unilateral transfer limited just to what the law names: kot.net and talossa.com?

Either way, it's probably pretty improper for the government to decide that they should take possession of someone else's property and then act to seize it unilaterally in this way. I would suggest that it would be more appropriate to bring suit. I don't believe there is any provision in the law that allows seizure of property by the government in this way, even if they think that another provision entitles them to it.  The Fourth Covenant specifically protects against this, actually... a judge must issue a warrant which specifically spells out the property that may be seized.

I am not passing judgment on the merits of such a claim or the underlying goals or anything like that, and I'm certainly not impugning your intentions.  Just want to keep everything above board and avoid any problematic precedents.

Why has the King been incommunicado these past few months? 

How long will this regency last?

Does John have a pressing issue outside of his life in Talossa keeping him from activity?  What that issue might be is none of our business, but what we need to know is "Yes, I've got something going on.  Can't talk about it here." or not.