Halian Congress
The Halian Congress is part of the legislative body of the Rhomedan Empire. It formed from an initially oligarchic body into a partially oligarchic and partially representative body. This was due to the rising influence of the merchant class, specifically in the 10th century AR.
After the Treaty of Iron Colonies, the Hallian Council had a rotation of elected representatives for each Vassall State and each Region within the Empire. These elected representatives made up at most a third of the council, however, as several families and organizations hold places that are hereditary. It is not uncommon, that seats in the council are sold to other families when a family loses their influence or economic fortune.
A side effect of the rising industry in recent decades is the representation of industrial organizations within the council, as a follow up to the wealthy merchant families.
The leader of the council has almost always been the current queen or empress of Rhomedan. If such a person did not exist, it fell on the princess heir, or the eldest female relative to the emperor of that time. The leader of the council has to determine the result of the legislative process and commands it being written into law.
The speaker of the council and highest minister - different form the leader, the Platinum Precaptor, is formally the one to start legislative processes. He also has fiscal control over the various organizations associated with the council - including all the ministries for multiple topics, except the military and the clergy. The Platinum Precaptor is the only member of the executive that is also part of the legislative body - with exception of the Iron Emperor.
Legislative power
The Council is able to draft and accept laws, as long as they do not directly contradict the Iron Law. They can change articles of the Iron Law if they are agreed upon by the Iron Emperor. It usually is their duty to translate decisions by the judicative into laws. They can decide over most of the amount of spendable income for the upcoming year, though a certain percentage is always for the monarch's free availability.
Originally, there existed an inner circle of Higher Councilmen, that was able to veto any proposal by other council members directly. It was controversially ruled, that this would also hold true for any proposal the Iron Emperor would bring forward, as long as it is not a change to the Iron Laws. In the year 1320AR the current Emperor directly removed these explicit power to veto by declaring in Iron Law that only he and the leader of the council had ever the power to veto alone. That emperor fell victim to a tragically accident directly after, but every subsequent Iron Emperor refused to remove this law. The Inner Circle of Higher Councilmen was officially disbanded twenty years later.
After a failed coup, the control over the military and the clergy was withdrawn from the highest minister, the Platinum Precaptor and instead moved to the Platinum Strektor and the Platinum Plicantor respectively.
Founding Date
987 AR
Type
Governmental, Senate/Parliament
Oh, this is nice and chewy! So if I understand this correctly, with the Inner Circle of Higher Councilmen disbanded, only the Emperor has the power to veto a law. It seems to me that if the merchant families dislike a decision by the emperor, adjusting trade and price of goods - which would impact the economy and therefore the Iron Emperor's access to liquid assets - might be a route taken to affect an emperor's decision on veto power or other items in the Iron Law. Sort of a 'bloodless rebellion' via trade and economics. I'm curious if any of the merchant families, probably the more powerful ones, might have tried that and what was the result?