Sorry if this is in the wrong area... I don't know if there's a specific area for historical RP's
March 12th, 1831
"Beware the ides of March" thought Fort James politician Thomas Smitts. He was pacing around his office, working on the final copy of the Annabean Confederacy Agreement, making the Fort James Territories, Casseland State, the Bedford Gardens and New Sweden one confederated nation, to be known as Annabe. In two hours he would be presenting his agreement to the pan-nation Congress, which met in Fort James every 12th of the month. This meeting would be an interesting one, though, because it was set to be the last if every nation signed on to the agreement, but that was still up in the air, as the New Swedish vote was uncertain at best. The predominantly Swedish population was uncertain if they wanted to sign, because they felt that their distinct heritage would be ignored, and their language would wither with time.
"It's not a fair deal for New Sweden" said congress member Leif Hatlelid at the last Congress meeting in January "There's not a rail link to Stockholm, and the geography of our nation keeps it isolated from the rest of the prospective nation, with the nation itself being an isolated peninsula and a collection of outlying islands. I urge Mr. Smitts to leave New Sweden out of the agreement, or risk the nation failing."
However Mr. Smitts had different plans on his agenda. New Sweden had the bulk of the nations iron ore, and he would not let that go to waste.
"If the rich iron ore deposits of New Sweden are left out of the deal, then it could become a David and Goliath scenario, with the smaller and isolated New Sweden becoming the industrial powerhouse of the region, eventually making our future nation a backwater in comparison" Mr. Smitts wrote in a private letter to Percy Truro, a congress member from the Bedford Gardens. "The only way for the region to succeed is if we all join forces, and to join forces New Sweden must be a part of the deal."
Mr. Smitts finished the draft of the agreement. He put on his waistcoat and top hat and headed down the dirty Fort James street to the congress house. It was a great building, only 25 years old, but it was already the building that defined the city, if not all of the Fort James Territories. Nursery Rhymes had been written about it. Songs were sung about it. Books were wrote about it. The building was a beast of one, elaborately decorated with stonework and murals. Jade pillars stood in front of it and ivory steps sat beneath it.
"It is a pity that it won't be congress anymore" Mr. Smitts thought, as the government wes to be set in Williamsburgh, in Casseland. "They better find a good use for the building or I don't know what this city is going to do."
He walked through the thick oak doors into the lobby of the building, and through the west hall to the antechamber of the congress. He took his seat and opened his briefcase containing his new agreement, as well as the speech he had written previous. The session was set to commence in 15 minutes, as the rest of the chamber was starting to fill. Eventually all 51 seats were filled, and the speaker took his place opposite the semicircular collection of seats.
The speaker started talking:
"Now commencing the 300th meeting of congress, this 12th of March, 1831. The only issue which shall be discussed is the proposed confederation of the Fort James Territories, the Casseland state, the Bedford Gardens and New Sweden. I remind the members of congress that final meeting ceremonies will not be officially carried out if the proposed confederation does not pass, as this will therefore not be the last meeting of congress. Therefore final meeting ceremonies shall be carried out on the 15th of March, depending on the outcome of the agreement. Therefore without further ado, I invite Mr. Thomas Smitts to take the floor with his final proposal on the confederation. Mr. Smitts, if you would take the floor?"
And with that Mr. Smitts left his seat and made his way to the podium in the centre of the room. He cleared his throat and wiped the sweat from his brow with his hankerchief.
"Gentlemen of congress: This agreement, which I have written alongside my associates who sit in this congress, Mr. Awaya Annabe, Mr. Rory Jacob, Mr. Francis Murray, Mr. Frederick Callahan, and numerous others, deserve to be thanked first of all. Without their help I could not have created such a proposal, indeed one which can satisfy all parties to an agree that they would sign on, uniting a region of small nations that have social, economic and technological similarity. Our countries are all like chapters individually; they may be good by themselves - indeed they are - but in order for them to make sense and reach their full potential they must be united into a book. That being said they must be ordered right, as we must be. This agreement has been made so that the confederacy can withstand slings and arrows like a suit of armor. No nation shall be given lesser or greater standing than any other. This leads me to a point in my proposal, which you all have on your desks, which may stir some contreversy among the common man, but you all should know that it is for the benefit of every nation, not only its own. This is that the Fort James Territories shall be divided into two seperate provinces, should this agreement go ahead. The territories would be the Upper Fort James Territories, and the Lower Fort James Territories. The dividing line shall go down the Wiapak river from the western border to the sea. As you know this river runs through the city of Fort James. The council of Fort James was consulted in this matter, and they believe it a necessary compromise if this agreement is to go ahead with. In fact the city held a referendum on the 17th of January last month, which passed, showing that even the citizens of this city imagine it a good idea. The other boundries of nations shall..........."
To be continued (no more speech,
)
