House Rules of the Estates General/ Articles of Order

[HerrVonAdmiral]

Here are defined the House Rules of the Estates General:​

1. Do not speak until the Chair of the House gives you the floor. One asks the right to speak by raising their hand.

2. On each topic there will be an opportunity for each and every delegate in te Estates General to deliver a speech. This can be done by raising your hand. A line of speakers will be created.

3. One always delivers a speech standing upright, unless physically incapable of such.

4. After the round of speeches the Chair of the House will create a floor of open discussion. During this time the delegates are permitted to speak without asking permission. All delegates are allowed to speak a number of two times during this discussion, this is noted by the Chair of the House.

5. After each and every discussion any delegate may call upon a vote or a proposal.

6. A delegate can vote either Yay, Nay or Abstain from voting.

7. If a vote is held up by those abstaining from voting a second vote is to be held with the only options being either Yay or Nay.

8. All delegates have the right to question the Grand Pensionary’s government. During a session of the Estates General they are allowed to add a point of discussion with a member of the Regents Cabinet. This Regent may then stand to answer questions on his or her position.

9. All citizens are allowed to propose an extra topic of discussion.

10. During a session of the Estates General, all delegates are allowed to express their joy on the words of a fellow speaker by tapping or rumbling their desks.

11. The Estates General is a place for debate and will not be subject to outright disrespectful comments on fellow delegates, should a delegate cross this border too many times he or she may be evicted.

12. The Chair of the House has the right to evict a member of the Estates General when he or she does not confide in the rules states above.

13. Vouching: Only citizens of Raevendrecht have the right to vote and speak in the Estates General, however citizens are allowed to invite foreign characters to view the Estates General. If these foreign citizens wish to speak citizens are allowed to 'vouch' for these characters. When vouching for an outsider they will temporarily have the right to speak in the Estates General, however they are not allowed to vote. The citizen vouching is responsible for the words of the foreigner speaking, thusly if the foreign speaker misbehaves the foreigner, and the vouching citizen will be evicted from the Estates General.

14. A tie? Should in one occasion a vote result in a tie the vote will be postponed untill the next Gathering of the Estates General.

15. A closed gathering, citizens might request the gathering of the Estates General to be closed. In accordance with the Chair of the House the gathering will be closed off. All foreigners are then requiered to temporarily leave the Estates General. During the gathering being declared 'closed', citizens are allowed to speak freely. However, the words said in the Estates General, remain to those in the Estates General. If anyone speaks of what happened during the closed gathering with someone not being present, even other citizens, or publishes this information, if caught they will be punished and risk losing their citizenship.

16. A citizen is allowed to pass their vote to another citizen. However a citizen may only be allowed to hold 1 vote of another citizen. Thusly when passing the vote a citizen has the maximum of two votes. The transfer of a vote would have to be submitted before the Estates General.

(OOC: Epic Soundtrack of Freedom:

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