The President arrived in the Senate, and the session was kick-started by Speaker Stanisław Małachowski alongside the Polish-Ukrainian Councillors. The Lithuanian-Belarussian States’ agent, Stanisław Małachowski, gave the floor to Michał Zaleski from Lithuania-Belarus to clarify a previous issue. Zaleski defended his position, arguing that hasty decisions could lead to unintended consequences. His speech highlighted the complexity of reform and the potential risks of empowering rebellious subjects, suggesting that subjects should be 'educated' before being granted more freedoms.

Next, voices were heard from Józef Kossakowski, a Latvian bishop in the Senate, Jan Krasiński from West Poland, and Julian Niemcewicz also from Latvia, all supporting the concerns of the subjects (serfs). They pointed out that oppressive taxes by nobles on serfs often lead to uprisings, like those on the Polish-Ukrainian borderlands, and argued for laws that would protect serfs from such injustices. The President later summoned The Cabinet to discuss these issues and restated his view that those who contribute to the nation's prosperity through their labor deserve protection from exploitation.

Kazimierz Rzewuski, a Representative from West Poland, suggested that addressing these concerns about the law could be facilitated through a separate, more detailed proposal. Joseph Weyssenhoff, a representative from Latvia, expressed doubt that laws alone could prevent greedy landlords from finding ways to exploit their serfs. A representative from Chełm voiced concerns that rushing to grant more freedoms could lead to wider social and political instabilities.

Speaker Małachowski yielded the floor to other representatives, showcasing a variety of opinions on the issue of serfdom. The session moved on to administrative matters, involving reports from the Treasury Commissions of the Union and discussions on tax matters.

Adam Czartoryski and Stanisław Potocki, Representatives from Lublin, along with several others, concurred that instant changes in serfdom laws are not advisable, suggesting instead that landowners - not serfs - should bear the responsibility for taxes and that The Treasury Commission should penalize landowners who disobey.

Walerian Strojnowski from Volhynia informed the House of a letter from citizens concerned about military movements, while Michał Czacki from Chernihiv requested to read a similar dispatch from his region. Following these reports, the Speaker, Małachowski, allowed further discussions about military recruitment proposals.

The Congressional session saw the approval of a decree on military conscription despite initial resistance from some members, who later conceded. Finally, it was agreed that the Secretary of the Congress would be paid from the Treasury.

The President adjourned the session, and The Cabinet was scheduled to reconvene the following morning at 10 a.m.

Topics: defense of subjects; tax burdens; freedom and rights of the people; Treasury Commissions; rebellion of the subjects; military recruitment project; punishment for abusing heirs; defense of personal freedom;

Contribution from Our King

In a time when the Union needs quick and effective funding to bolster its military, our President, seeing the Houses of Congress eagerly offering their own wealth, which truly gladdens our hearts, has decided not to rely solely on existing laws. Instead, he's contributing all revenues from his royal estates, including the incomes from his cities of Grodno and Brest-Litovsk, which until now flowed into the royal treasury, to the military needs of Lithuania-Belarus. Eagerly sacrificing this portion of his income for the good of the motherland, he ensures the remaining revenues, which up till now have been secured by law, will continue to support the royal finances.

Topics: Royal Sacrifice; Republic's Needs; Military Augmentation; Royal Table Revenues; Customs Revenue; Royal Cities: Grodno and Brest; Grand Duchy of Lithuania; Treasury Administration;