Speaker of the House Mr. Stanisław Małachowski kicked off today's session by expressing his frustration at the slow progress made in government reform, despite strong initial enthusiasm. He emphasized the urgency for action, with foreign powers nearing peace agreements while internal debates continue to drag on. Speaker Małachowski implored representatives to expedite deliberations and avoid distractions, especially with the limited time remaining to tackle significant remaining issues.

House Secretary Mr. Jan Łuszczewski proceeded to read a proposal concerning penalties for land leaseholders who fail to pay their taxes, stressing the need for a clear contract with landowners and documenting payments.

Representative Mr. Marcin Rakowski from Bracław spoke in favor of allowing non-landowning gentry providing loans for leases or interest to participate in local congress debates if they can prove tax contributions.

Senator Mr. Piotr Ożarowski voiced concern over current proposals that may restrict the free vote in local congresses, a cornerstone of Polish-Ukrainian liberties. He advocated for preserving the inclusivity of the system, calling for a vote on the matter and submitting his speech to the official record.

Mr. Wojciech Narbutt, Representative from Lida, criticized the pace of the session, wasted on debate rather than solving pressing issues. He recommended sidelining the classification of citizen estates to move forward with the project.

Mr. Józef Miaskowski, Representative from Kalisz, argued that the right to participate in congress debates should be limited to property owners and those who contribute to the public treasury. He suggested that leaseholders should have a voice in local congresses provided they pay their taxes and pushed for a decision on the proposed project.

However, Mr. Pius Borejko from Podolia opposed the proposal, warning that it may lead to undue influence in local congresses and contribute to internal instability, which could be more destructive than any external military threat.

On the initiative of Mr. Ignacy Siwicki, Speaker Małachowski called for a vote on whether leaseholders should pay 100 or 50 gold pieces as their tax contribution for local congress participation rights.

Mr. Michał Bernowicz from Nowogródek insisted that leaseholders should not be equated with property owners, proposing a separate vote on whether they should be allowed to participate in local congresses.

In support, Senator Mr. Franciszek Żeleński, echoed historical precedence for excluding leaseholders from local congresses and recommended adopting the less-inclusive proposal.

Prince Kazimierz Sapieha, Speaker of the Lithuanian-Belarusian Confederation, suggested increasing the tax threshold to 500 gold pieces for leaseholders to gain local congress rights—effectively disqualifying many from participation.

Mr. Jan Suchorzewski, from Kalisz, found all the current proposals inadequate and offered an alternative that would only allow leaseholders managing an entire village or town to participate in local congresses.

Mr. Stefan Zambrzycki from Nur argued strongly against the inclusion of any leaseholders in the local congresses, likening them to birds of passage, unconcerned with the lasting health of the land they temporarily inhabit.

Mr. Tadeusz Matuszewicz from Brześć agreed with Mr. Suchorzewski's proposal, restricting the entrance to only those leaseholders who manage entire villages or towns, thereby excluding renters.

Finally, the House, led by Speaker Małachowski, voted on Mr. Suchorzewski's proposal but ultimately decided by a majority of votes that leaseholders shall not be admitted to local congresses.

The session was then adjourned until Monday.

Topics: government reform; project for government improvement; peace treaties; sejmik project; taxation of heirs and leaseholders; voting of the nobility capitalists; discussion on landowners; issue of liberum veto; classification of citizens' estates; sejmiks and the right to vote;

Appointment of Assessors to Our Court Judicatures of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania-Belarus

Greetings, congressional buffs and legal eagles! Here's the latest scoop from the halls of power: The President, with the green light from the united Houses of Congress, has declared by presidential rescript the appointment of assessors to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania-Belarus's court judicatures. These appointments are temporary, just until the next elections roll around, so don't get too attached to these new faces in the judiciary!

Topics: Appointment of assessors to courts; Court tribunals of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania; Royal rescript; Election of judicial officers; Grand Duchy of Lithuania;

Joining the Act of the General Confederation of Both Nations

Hey folks, coming to you straight from the bustling corridors of history, modernized for your 21st century sensibilities! We've got news from the Union of Poland-Ukraine and Lithuania-Belarus, aka The Union, and it looks like unity is the word of the day. Bear in mind, these proceedings transpired back in the late 18th century but hang on, because we are translating that old-timey legislative lingo into today's terms.

The Union Congress, a blend of the Senate and the House of Representatives, recently ratified a decidedly significant law. It's all about affirming collective support for what they called the "General Confederation of Both Nations," which encompasses both the Poland-Ukraine region and Lithuania-Belarus region, as well as Latvia – though they referred to it back then as "Inflanty".

Each State had its county authorities and representatives signing on to this historical document, committing to abide by unified Confederate principles. It's as if the U.S. states were each affirming their allegiance to the grand old Federal government. Their "Mister President" – imagine President George Washington in their context – would have had quite the broad, multi-region support network!

This document didn't just list who was onboard; it was a veritable who's-who of the Union's regional leaders and decision-makers from the West Poland to East Poland-Ukraine and Lithuania-Belarus, all the way to the Latvian territories. It's like a roll call of the Union's founding fathers (no mothers, sorry, it was the 18th century), all captured for posterity.

So what does all this mean? It's essentially a pledge of cooperation and mutual defense, binding the Union's diverse regions together against external threats of the era. And of course, the participants ensured that their regions (we'd call 'em States and Counties) were recognized as cooperating equals, much in line with today's understandings of federalism.

Prompting this show of unity might have been the geopolitical climate of the time. Europe was a tough neighborhood in those days, folks, and the Union was basically saying, "United we stand, divided we fall" with this law. They were gearing up to face off with expansionist powers, namely their not-so-friendly neighbors looking to carve up the Union’s territory.

Interestingly, the Union’s government structure isn't a world away from what we see in the U.S.—they had their own versions of Secretaries for Defense, Treasury, and State, among other Cabinet roles. We can also see the early inklings of bicameral legislative bodies, with a Senate and a House of Representatives, or as they would have called them, the Senat and Izba Poselska.

All in all, this old piece of legislation gives us a glimpse into the earliest efforts to form a cohesive, multi-national state in the heart of Europe. It's about unity, shared responsibility, and forward-thinking governance, concepts that were ahead of their time and that resonate even today in our modern institutions.

For those wanting to delve right into the nuts and bolts of the Union's past politics, the full list of signatories and details can be found here. Check it out and see history come to life with names that shaped a nation’s destiny and laid the groundwork for contemporary democratic governance. Pretty cool, right?

Topics: Accession to the act of the general confederation of both nations; Sejm (Parliament); Krakow Voivodeship; Poznań Voivodeship; Wschowa Land; Vilnius Voivodeship; Oszmiana County; Lida County; Wiłkomierz County; Sandomierz Voivodeship; Kalisz Voivodeship; Gniezno Voivodeship; Troki Voivodeship; Deputies; Sejm sessions; Representatives;