SDW : THE CONSTITUTION OF THE GRAND ALLIANCE

From: Eitzenberger Thomas <eitzenbe>

Date: Wed, 07 Jun 1995 00:00:00 +0000

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Hello everyone this little article is about the basic constitution of
the prime force in SDW the Grand Alliance consisting of the
First Imperium (FI)
The B'Norgs (BN)
Storm Opportunities (SO)
and
Urr Nation (UN)

mfg Sire ReezArrk EihZen

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE GRAND ALLIANCE

ARTICLE I
   Section 1.  All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in the
Senate of The Grand Alliance.
   Section 2.  The Senate of the Grand Alliance shall be composed of one
Senator
from each allegiance, chosen in accordance with the laws of that allegiance,
for
two years, and each Senator shall have one vote.  The Heads of State of the
various allegiances may not be members of the Senate.
   Section 3.  The Head Of State of the Federation shall be President of the
Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.
   Section 4.  Senators shall receive a compensation for their services, to be
ascertained by law, and paid out of the Treasury of the Grand Alliance.
   Section 5.  The Senate shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties,
imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and
general welfare of the Grand Alliance; but all duties, imposts and excises
shall
be uniform throughout the Grand Alliance; the Senate shall have power to
recommend all laws to the membership at large, which shall be necessary for
carrying into execution all powers vested by this Constitution in the
Government
of the Grand Alliance.  The Senate shall propose no Law that violates this
Constitution.
   Section 6.  The membership of the Grand Alliance, defined as ship captains
and city leaders, shall be vested with the power to vote on all laws
recommended
by the Senate of the Grand Alliance.  A majority vote, of those casting votes
on
each specific legislation, will be required to constitute passage of the
legislation into the law of the Grand Alliance.

ARTICLE II
   Section 1.  The executive power shall be vested in The High Council.
   Section 2.  The High Council shall consist of the Presidents of the member
allegiances of the Grand Alliance, chosen in accordance with the laws of that
allegiance, for two years, and each member of the High Council shall have one
vote in the General Assembly of the High Council.  The President of the High
Council shall be the Head of State of the BN Government.  In the event of a tie
vote on any matter before the High Council, the President of the High Council
may decide between the options.
   Section 3.  The President of the High Council shall be Commander in Chief of
the Military of the Grand Alliance and of the Militia of the various
allegiances, when called into service of the Grand Alliance.
   Section 3.a.  The President of the High Council shall appoint a member of
the
High Council to serve as Head of Military Operations. The Head of Military
Operations shall receive directives from the President of the High Council and
will carry out all directives so ordered.
   Section 3.b.  The Head of each military allegiance shall be responsible for
the conduct of every member of their respective allegiance.  Additionally, the
Head of Military Operations shall be responsible for the conduct of each member
Military Allegiance.  In the event of alleged violation of the laws of the
Grand
Alliance by a member of one of the Military Allegiances, that individual will
be
subject to the Military Justice System of the specific Military Allegiance.  In
the event that no judicial action is taken within a six month period by the
Head
of the military allegiance involved, the President of the High Council may call
for a vote of the High Council on a motion to remove the military allegiance
from the Grand Alliance.  A unanimous vote of the High Council, excluding the
Head of the military allegiance involved, shall be required to validate the
expulsion order.
   Section 4.  The High Council shall have power to make treaties; and shall
appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and all other Officers
of the Grand Alliance; and shall have the power of veto, by unanimous vote, to
any legislation passed into law by the membership at large; and shall have
power
to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the Grand Alliance, except
in cases of impeachment, by a two-thirds vote of the High Council as a whole.
   Section 5.  The powers vested in the High Council by this article can be
delegated to another office at the discretion of the members of the High
Council, without diminishing their right to such powers.
   Section 6.  Executive Offices may be created by the High Council as deemed
necessary for the proper execution of the duties of the High Council.
   Section 7.  The High Council shall have the exclusive power to declare war,
grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make rules concerning captures.

ARTICLE III
   Section 1.  The judicial power of the Grand Alliance, shall be vested in one
Supreme Court consisting of three judges appointed by the President of The High
Council.  The judges shall hold their Offices during good behavior, and shall,
at stated times, receive for their services, a compensation, which shall not be
diminished during their continuance in office.
   Section 2.  The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law and equity,
arising under this Constitution, the laws of the Grand Alliance, and treaties
made, or which shall be made, under their authority.
   Section 3.  Treason against the Grand Alliance, shall consist only in
levying
war against the Grand Alliance, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them
aid
and comfort.  No being shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of
two witnesses to the same overt act or on confession in open court.
   Section 3.a.  The Senate shall have power to declare the punishment of
treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, or
forfeiture except during the life of the being attained.

ARTICLE IV
   Section 1.  The members of each allegiance shall be entitled to all
privileges and immunities of members of the several allegiances.
   Section 2.  New allegiances may be admitted, by the two-thirds vote of the
High Council, into the Grand Alliance.  Any allegiance that achieves membership
without the two-thirds vote of the High Council shall be ejected from the
Federation by order of the President of the High Council.
   Section 3.  The Grand Alliance shall guarantee to every individual and
allegiance in this Federation a democratic form of government, and shall, to
the
best of its ability, protect each of them against invasion; and on application
of the High Council against domestic violence.
   Section 4.  The Grand Alliance shall guarantee to every individual and
allegiance in this Federation the right to arm themselves for the purpose of
defending themselves from unauthorized aggressions in or on all positions
occupied, planetary sections or system sections that are owned or operated by
that individual or allegiance.
   Section 5.  The Grand Alliance shall guarantee the sovereign territory of
the
Federation.  Sovereign territory is defined as any system, planet, moon,
asteroid or artificial body that has been claimed by a member allegiance, or
member, and is registered with the High Council or an appropriate office
established by the High Council to oversee such matters.  No Allegiance may
claim any system unless they have an open market city in that system and there
are no other open market cities of other allegiances in the same system.  No
allegiance may claim any planetary body unless they have an expedition there
and
there are no other conflicting claims on the planetary body.
   Section 5.a.  The right to travel all systems on peaceful endeavors, by
members of the Grand Alliance, shall not be abridged.
   Section 5.b.  Sectors, ArcSectors, or MegaSectors or any other form of the
dimensioning of space other than listed above are to be considered open and
free
space. No Federation, allegiance, or individual may lay any form of claim to
open space.
   Section 5.c.  No sovereign territory may be closed by a member allegiance to
a member military allegiance during the apprehension of an individual found
guilty by the High Court of crimes against the Grand Alliance or any member
state of the Grand Alliance.
   Section 6.  The Grand Alliance, in order to promote the progress of science,
shall secure for limited times to inventors the exclusive right to their
discoveries.
   Section 7.  The Senate of the Grand Alliance shall initiate the necessary
legislation to enforce these rights.

ARTICLE V
   Section 1.  Whenever two thirds of the Senate and High Council shall deem it
necessary, they shall propose amendments to this Constitution, to be voted on
by
the membership.  A two thirds vote of the membership shall be required to pass
any amendment to this Constitution.

ARTICLE VI
   Section 1.  This Constitution, and the laws of the Grand Alliance which
shall
be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made,
under the authority of the Grand Alliance, shall be the supreme law of the
land.
   Section 2.  The Senators and all executive and judicial officers, both of
the
Grand Alliance and of the several Allegiances, shall be bound by oath or
affirmation, to support this Constitution.

ARTICLE VII
   Section 1.  The ratification of the conventions of four allegiances, shall
be
sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution between the allegiances
so
ratifying the same.

--
Sire Eitzen 'eitzenbe@utc01.avl.co.at'