The House of Commons

[Azan27]

"Yes, a vote!" replyed Hastings. "However, I stress again, we MUST attach the conditions I set forth of a diplomatic mission being sent to all of the residents of the Snowdown system, in order to assure them that our intentions are not imperialistic, but rather humanistic. Attach these measures, and let us bring this to a vote!"

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Let it burn.

[jammi]

The debate had flowed back and forth several times since Hastings had last spoke. The House had later been excused for the night, then reconvened in the morning. In that time, Maloney had been busy. He'd been down in The Duchess, an exclusive social club located a few short steps from New Westminster Palace. It was a frequent haunt of Royalist MPs after a hard day in the Commons. There, they had discussed the day's debates and the various points' flaws and merits. Together, they had drawn up the Settlement of Sprague Bill, 819. With a little tinkering from the legal team, it was considered ready for submission: a Bill worthy of DO Adama's sentiments.

Shortly before Parliament convened that day, Maloney made sure to consult the Speaker. Happy that he'd have the first opportunity to speak, he entered the building. After the MPs that had decided to present themselves for the day's activities had seated themselves, he rose and looked to the House Speaker. Receiving a nod of affirmation from the esteemed gentleman, he trundled over to the House floor. Taking his position at the room's Royalist podium on the right, he plugged in his datapad to the attachment slot and downloaded the Bill in question.

Smiling curtly at the opposition seats, he readied himself to speak. "My honoured fellow MPs, yesterday there was talk regarding a vote on the colonisation of Sprague. To that end, myself and my fellows have drafted an initial Bill that should cover the necessities relating to the planet's initial development, settlement and political situation." Pressing a button on the datapad, the Bill was sent to all of the MPs present in the room.

"Do please take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with the text. I will be taking questions, following which, I hope a vote will be called."

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[Azan27]

Marcus Hastings took is time perusing the bill... He saw no immediate problems with it, and it seemed to be worded just fine. So long as the two corperations that they would be entrusting the development of the planet with didn't try to exploit the Snowdown system, everything would go smoothly.

He hoped that a vote would be held, post haste.

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Let it burn.

[arvg]

The Duke of Norfolk read the bill, lifting his glasses off his nose as he looked up.

"I see nothing at fault here, save adequate measures of defense. But I am sure that arrangements can be made." He cleared his throat as he stood up.

"I would like to take this moment to fully endorse the Settlement of Sprague Bill, 819AS, and to show how committed I am to the project, I am willing to make a sizable donation to the cause under the condition that once settled, Sprague has lands set aside for the men and crews of those wayward Privateering vessels, those who choose to return home and accept amnesty... a form of pension, which, in turn, will allow money to flow into the colony coffers much the same way that they did in Jamaica back on old Earth, I think it only fitting that Kusari Gold be put to the good of the Crown."

He nodded, sitting down.

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[Azan27]

Marcus Hastings nodded in respect to the once-privateer Duke of Norfolk.

"With the Duke's suggestion for a source of revinue, the funding for the Sprauge project becomes less and less an issue. Whats more, may I remind you that having a presence in Sprauge will serve to increase the export rate of Her Majasty's hydrocarbon production efforts in the area. After all, those ships that are bringing refugees to Sprauge must have something to bring back to Bretonian, correct? It seems that the construction of a refugee colony on Sprauge can only do Her Majesty's subjects good."

With that, he smiled, thankful for the Duke's endorsement on what was a devisive issue.

---

Let it burn.

[Slainte]

McDonald rose from his seat with a sigh,

"Baroness, i dont think i ever said that Port Jackson was a " better alternative" for refugees to be. In fact, if this is a measure of Bowex's idea of a how to treat refugees and colonists, i dread to imagine the mess they will make of planet Sprague!
I trust that my fellow MP's, here in the commons, can see what a dangerous folly this endevour will be."

McDonald returned to his seat in anticipation of a vote on the matter.

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[arvg]

The Duke stood.

"The only danger I see, is ignoring the planet and letting a certain group of squatters suddenly get the idea that it's worth it for them to settle there... and of course we know where that leads, yet another Corsair colony on our doorsteps. Best we make use of the planet now, and get it underway, lest other less savoury types attempt it."

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[jammi]

Maloney frowned for a moment while McDonald spoke. To say the man had struck a nerve would perhaps be slightly exaggerating the matter, but it still peeved him to hear one of his crowning achievements come under fire. "Ah, the timid Mr McDonald again. I can assure you that the citizens of Port Jackson are amply protected, both by ExSec, "retired" elements of the Army and a rather splendid planetary shield. They're coordinated by "ex"-Colonel Archibald Baker. He's a splendid fellow, when you get to know him. The perimeter defences tend to make short fiery work of any Corsair brigands that attempt to fly across the peninsular ocean, too." He scratched his chin idly, making his beard rustle.

"In any case, Port Jackson's security is not entirely relevant to this particular scenario. The political and military climates of Snowdown and Omega 49 are utterly different. For one thing, we're operating within our own territory, without restraint by any Zoner treaties. Where the Armed Forces could not roam freely in '49, they are unfettered in Snowdown. Corsair raiders will most certainly be dissuaded from their nefarious goals by the impressive firepower of the Norfolk Great Fleet. Furthermore, security on the ground is to be overseen by a garrison of several regiments of crack Cambridge troops. If pilots are in short supply, I can assure you, Bretonia has no shortage of men and women who can be trained to hold a laser carbine and do their duty on the ground."

He squinted short-sightedly at McDonald's approximate location before continuing. He was going to have to go back to the optician and see about getting a set of glasses. "As the good Duke admirably said, the only dangerous folly to be found here is inactivity. Fortune favours the bold, and dallying while the wolves circle merely shows a lack spirit; a sign of weakness. A wolf who senses weakness is one that is soon to bare its fangs - sadly, I'm not talking about Kusari, either. Simply put, the colonisation of Sprague would secure the Snowdown system, now and forever." As an afternote, he added, "I would also support the proposal to form a "privateer's pension" for those who renounce their "condemnable" ways and receive an amnesty after the war. This is of course a matter best suited to another bill, as opposed to being shoe-horned into this one."

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[Echo 7-7]

Michael Kingston took a copy of the Settlement Bill handed to him by an aide. He was determined to thoroughly pick it apart before it even got to a vote. He looked quietly in disgust at the meagre environmental provision tacked on to the end of the Bill.

"Make no mistake, gentlemen... your headlong charge into the development of Sprague is sure to be the damnation of this pristine planet."

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There was a sig here, once.

[DarthBindo]

Tammo looked down the bridge of his nose at Mr. Kingston in a rather quizzical manner before sighing and rising.
"Mr. Kingston, from Miss Hunter's report, it's a pristine planet full of nothing but grasses. By no means is it a Gaia, or even a Cambridge with a delicate ecosystem."
He paused for a moment before adderessing the rest of the assembly.
"That being said, refugees will need jobs, and lots of them, quickly, for unskilled labour that may not have the time, inclination, or ability to learn advanced skills. The only method to accomplish this is industry, and as we have seen with Leeds, industry does not always play nice.
Both air and water quality will have to be preserved, by fource of law and regulatory authority, something the language as presented in article eight does not guarantee nor provide for any authority or recompense."

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gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|