Senator

Overview

The Senate is a representative chamber; each territory in the Empire selects a single senator according to the customs of that nation. To be eligible to return a senator, at least half of the territory must be under Imperial control. If more than half of a territory is controlled by barbarians or foreign powers, then it cannot be represented in the Senate. A territory must be part of one of the ten nations of the Empire. When new territories are captured, they are allocated to a nation by majority vote of the Senate. A territory may only return a senator who is recognized as a member of that nation by the nation's egregore.

Responsibilities

Senators are expected to represent the people of their territory and their nation in the Imperial Senate. They are expected to attend each sitting of the Senate, and to both raise motions and cast their votes wisely in the service of the Empire.

Powers

All senators have the right to speak, to vote (but not to abstain), to assign budgets, to call for curtailment and to raise a motion and allocate a budget.

Voting

Members with the power to vote may cast a single vote on any motion that is brought before the Senate. They must be present to cast a vote, or have appointed a proxy, it is not possible for a citizen to cast a vote in advance of an issue. It is not unknown for Senators on their deathbed to be brought to the floor of the chamber to cast a vote.

Votes are usually open. In open votes, the Speaker will invite all in favour of the motion to move to the Throne's left or right; "Ayes" to the left and "Noes" to the right. The functionaries of the Senate will then count the votes and the result is announced. If no-one present disputes the count, then it is recorded and the matter is complete.

Any senator may call for a secret ballot. To permit a secret ballot on a motion first requires the majority vote of all present. If that vote passes then one white and one black bead are distributed to everyone who can vote and they vote by placing a single bead into bags carried by the Senate functionaries.

Assigning Budgets

If a vote requires a budget to be allocated, the Speaker will ask every individual who voted in favour to remain standing where they are. The Speaker then suggests the minimum possible amount the individual who proposed the motion believes might be used to achieve the goal. If the majority of voters remain in favour then the Speaker announces a higher figure. They will keep announcing higher figures until there is no longer majority support for the motion at that level of expenditure, at which point the auction ends and the funds are allocated from the Imperial Treasury.

Abstention

The Throne and the Conscience of the Senate may abstain from voting if they choose. The Throne has many responsibilities, so it is not unusual for them to be absent during some Senate sessions. The Conscience is intended to keep the Senate virtuous and has the right to abstain from voting should they believe that is the Virtuous action to take.

Senators do not have the power of abstention as they represent the citizens of the Empire. If a Senator does not vote for any reason then their vote is counted against the motion.

Curtailment

A sitting lasts until either all the planned motions have been discussed, or until a senator calls for a Vote of Curtailment. When a Vote of Curtailment is called, those present must vote in favour to continue the session; otherwise the sitting comes to a premature end. Motions that have not been voted upon are then pushed to the next sitting after all other business has been conducted.

Raise a Motion

Members with the power to raise a motion may bring a single motion before the Senate for consideration. Each motion is announced by the Speaker who invites the individual who proposed the motion to address the Senate on the matter. Once the opening address is complete, the Speaker allows time for a short debate followed by a vote.

Each motion discussed by the Senate must be proposed and seconded. Those with the power to put motions before the senate may propose and second one motion each per weekend. Motions are raised with the Speakers, who are responsible for communicating any costs or constitutional implications of such motions to the Senate.

A motion must contain a single clear issue that senators can vote on. The civil service will not normally allow a motion that incorporates multiple separate issues. The defining test for this is whether a senator might wish to vote in favour of one part of a motion and against another part. It is common for the Senate to debate a set of motions with similar themes; in these situations the motions are often discussed together as a set and then voted on in rapid succession.

Allocation of Budget

If a motion requires significant decisions to be made outside the Senate chamber, then these decisions are considered to be the responsibility of the senator who proposed the motion. E.g. if the Senate passes a motion to construct a dam across the Couros river in the territory of Bastion in Highguard, then any further decisions are the responsibility of the senator who proposed that motion. The dam will require materials that must be purchased from the Imperial Bourse, so the Senate will vote a budget for this project. That money is then given to the senator who proposed who can use it as they see fit to ensure that everything identified by the Civil Service that is required to achieve the motion is obtained.

Right to Speak

Under normal circumstances Imperial citizens are welcome to attend the Senate, but to ensure meetings remain orderly they may not speak. Citizens and others may be invited to speak in support of a specific motion by its proposer, and may speak if that invitation is deemed by the Speaker to be useful. Senators, the Master of the Mint, the Conscience, the Speaker's seat and the Throne all have the right to speak on any motion that is being considered by the Senate.

Right of Address

The Speaker's seat, The Throne, and the Master of the Mint have the right to make an address to the Senate once per weekend. This is intended to allow them to present important information for the Senators consideration. It is extremely impolite not to inform the Speaker's seat of your intention to use the Right of Address in advance of a session.

Sanctions

The Speaker for the Senate is charged with ensuring the smooth running of the Senate. To this end they have the power to apply three sanctions.

Silence

The first sanction is Silence. The Speaker can silence a persistently rude or boorish senator for the duration of a single motion; they will not be allowed to speak on the floor or answer points made while silenced. They may still vote and once the vote has been cast, are free to speak once more.

Exclusion

Should this prove insufficient the second sanction is Exclusion - the offending senator is obliged to leave the Senate chamber until the end of the current motion. This denies them the right to vote on it so is a serious matter. They may re-enter the chamber following the vote.

Expulsion

The third and final sanction is Expulsion - the senator is expelled from the Senate chamber for the entire sitting. They lose their chance to vote on all issues. This is an extreme sanction and historically is used only in response to grave misdemeanours such as threats of violence in the chamber.

Proxies

Any member of the Senate, bar the Throne, may appoint a proxy.

Selection of a Senator

Each nation has a traditional mechanism to return a senator for a territory. Usually, but not always, the ability to directly influence the choice is limited to those who dwell in the territory. The Imperial Civil Service are responsible for overseeing the appointment processes for senators and do their utmost to ensure due process is followed. When a new territory is assigned to a nation, the Imperial Civil Service consults the egregore of that nation to determine how the senator for the territory will be selected.

Removing a Senator

A senator can be revoked by the General Assembly, the Assembly of the Nine and by the appropriate National Assembly of the Imperial Synod.