This is the Manifest of the Holy Roman Empire. Please propose any and all changes on the talk page.
Preamble[]
We; Princes, Archbishops, Dukes and Sovereigns of the Holy Roman Empire (Sacrum Romanum Imperium); under the sight of Almighty God, One in the Holy Trinity, ratify this, our Great Charter of the Imperial Liberties and Laws (Magna Carta Imperium Libertarum et Leges), for the better organization of our lands and souls under the laws of both God and men, for the welfare of our people and for the only and True Religion, the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church.
Articles of the Constitution[]
Title I. The States of the Empire[]
Article I. The Seculars[]
Paragraph I. A state of the Empire is secular if the Sovereign is a layman and have not received the Holy Orders.
Paragraph II. A secular state may freely choose how it will be governed.
Paragraph III. A secular state may hold its own armies, which will only have as many regular men as the Imperial Law (Imperium Lex) prescribes and the rest in reserve, and will only operate for the internal security of the state.
Paragraph IV. A secular state may administer for itself the laws concerning those matters not concerned by Imperial Law.
Paragraph V. A secular state may hold its own commercial navies and guilds.
Paragraph VI. A secular state may send ambassadors to foreign courts and receive ambassadors from them, and make any kind of deals or treaties the Imperial Law does not forbid.
Paragraph VII. A secular state may administer all matters not delegated to the Emperor or his officers.
Paragraph VIII. A secular state may judge by itself the crimes committed by its citizens inside its boundaries.
Paragraph IX. A secular state may administer its own taxation and spending, but the Imperial Tax must be pai
Article II. The Ecclesiasticals[]
Paragraph X. A state of the Empire is ecclesiastical when it is governed by members of the clergy.
Paragraph XI. The ecclesiastical states shall be governed according to canonical law and the Word of God.
Paragraph XII. The ecclesiastical states shall hold inquisitions or armies in the size that the Imperial Law permits and when the Holy Father authorizes it, and they shall use them to maintain the order established by God and combat heresy in all its forms among the states of the Empire, under the sight of the Emperor.
Paragraph XIII. The ecclesiastical states may hold commercial navies and guilds to finance the missions of God and in the circumstances the Holy Father approves.
Paragraph XIV. The ecclesiastical states may sends ambassadors and receive them, and make any kind of deals or treaties that neither God’s laws nor the Emperor’s laws condemn.
Paragraph XV. The ecclesiastical states shall hold spiritual authority delegated upon them by the Holy Church.
Paragraph XVI. The ecclesiastical states may judge any crime committed inside its boundaries or by its clerical or lay ministers no matter where they are.
Paragraph XVII. The ecclesiastical states may administer their own taxes and spending according to canonical law, but the Imperial Taxes must be paid.
Article III. Imperial Immediacy[]
Paragraph XVIII. Any territory or person holding Imperial Immediacy is responsible for his acts to no-one but the Emperor and his officers.
Paragraph XIX. Those with Imperial Immediacy are governed by the Emperor or his delegates, or by the way he determines they shall be governed.
Paragraph XX. The law of the state with the largest border with a territory holding Imperial Immediacy affects on all matters not regulated by Imperial Law.
Paragraph XXI. The persons holding Imperial Immediacy, such as the Imperial Knights and the Princes of the Empire, are subject to the laws of the state of their residence, but cannot be judged for them.
Paragraph XXII. Only the imperial tribunals can judge Imperial Knights.
Paragraph XXXIII. The Emperor is responsible for any violation of the Imperial Law committed by a territory holding Imperial Immediacy against another Imperial State.
Paragraph XXIV. Those ones holding Imperial Immediacy pay taxes to no-one but the Emperor.
Article IV. Territorial changes in the Holy Roman Empire[]
Paragraph XXV. A state may join the Holy Roman Empire by petition presented to the Emperor and notified to the Imperial Diet (Reichstag). The Imperial capital must always remain in control of the Emperor, and never be under the juristiction of a state.
Paragraph XXVI. If the Emperor agrees or one third of the Prince-Electors (Kurfürsten) support the new state’s entrance, then the subject will pass to the Reichstag.
Paragraph XXVII. The Reichstag will vote under the rules established in paragraph LXVI and the majority of half its members plus one shall decide if the state joins the Empire or not. The Emperor decides in case of tie result.
Paragraph XXVIII. If a state wishes to abandon the Holy Roman Empire, such state shall ask permission to the Emperor, who shall decide if granting the state a truce for leaving the Empire freely or to take the subject to the High Imperial Court.
Paragraph XXIX. If a state commits treason or any other major crime de lesa Imperium (against the Empire) or de lesa Ecclesia (against the Church), then the High Imperial Court can decide, with the Emperor’s assent, on expelling such state from the Empire, creating a new government or dividing it between old or new states. Such decisison shall be made by two thirds its members signing in favor of the proposal.
Article V. The Prince-Electors[]
Paragraph XXX. Every state with a vote on Conclave is an electorate.
Paragraph XXXI. The ruler or representative of such a state is a prince-elector.
Paragraph XXXII. Only the Reichstag, with the Holy Father’s assent and two thirds of the total votes in favor, can create states into electorates.
Paragraph XXXIII. Only Electorates have granted the right to mint coinage of their own. Imperial banks and guilds may mint the official imperial coinage in the electorates.
Paragraph XXXIV. Only electorates have granted the right to tax Jews.
Paragraph XXXV. Only electorates have granted the right to collect tolls in their boundaries.
Paragraph XXXVI. Only electorates have granted the right to own by themselves, without imperial intromission, metal mines in their territory.
Paragraph XXXVII. All states shall pay taxes to the Emperor in a percentage of its own taxation gains, fixed by the Reichstag.
Paragraph XXXVIII. All electors have granted the title of Most Serene Highness (Durchläuchtigste).
Article VI. Common attributions to all states[]
Paragraph XXXIX. The ruler or representative of an imperial state is a Prince of the Empire.
Paragraph XL. In the states and imperial territories the imperial coinage established by the Reichstag will be the only legal, and it will be minted by the Emperor, his banks and his guilds.
Paragraph XLI. All states may collect tolls in the roads inside such state. The Emperor may collect tolls in the territories holding Imperial Immediacy.
Paragraph XLII. The Emperor will possess the mines, by himself or jointly with the princes.
Paragraph XLIII. All princes of the empire have granted the title of Serene Highness (Durchlaucht).
Article VIII. The Capital[]
Paragraph XLIV. The capital shall be a territory with all characteristics of the Imperial Immediacy but ruled by a perpetual commission of all princes or their representatives, who shall avoid any imperial abuse or intromission of the close states in the territory.
Paragraph XLV. The capital has been determined by the Conclave and Emperor to be Karolin, in the Imperial Territory district within the state of Baden-Wurttemberg.
Title II. The Holy Roman Emperor[]
Article VII. The Imperial Election[]
Paragraph XLVI. At any time during his reign, an Emperor can call for the Conclave to meet for an election.
Paragraph XLVII. When the Emperor dies and no King of the Romans is elected, the Conclave will necessarily meet.
Paragraph XLVIII. The Conclave will meet at the capital.
Paragraph XLVIII. Once assembled, the Conclave will vote on who shall be the next King of the Romans, electing any good man.
Paragraph XLIX. The majority of half the prince-electors plus one shall decide on who is the King of the Romans.
Article VIII. The King of the Romans[]
Paragraph L. The King of the Romans (Rex Romanorum) is the elected person who shall succeed the Emperor upon his death.
Paragraph LI. The King of the Romans, once elected, if the Emperor dies, abdicates or for any reason in not available to reign, may rule over the Empire, with both Imperial Vicars taking turns month by month to supervise him until he accesses the title of Emperor.
Article IX. The Holy Emperor of the Romans, always August[]
Paragraph LII. Once the King of the Romans is crowned or, if impossible, recognized by the Holy Father, he shall take the title of Holy Emperor of the Romans, always August (Sacrum Imperator Romanorum, semper Augustus).
Paragraph LIII. Once elected and crowned, the Emperor may:
- a) Command the Imperial Armies, supplied by the states and the imperial territories.
- b) Command the Imperial Navy, supplied by the states and the imperial territories.
- c) Collect tolls in boundaries between states and the foreign countries.
- d) Tax the Jews, Orthodox Catholics, Imperial Knights, persons holding Imperial Immediacy, the capital and the states.
- e) Represent the whole Empire and lead the relationships with other realms, vetoing any individual actions of the states that he considers to run against the imperial aims.
- f) Create the Imperial Laws to be revised by the Reichstag.
- g) Preside over the Reichstag.
- h) Maintain the Imperial Treasury and appoint the treasurers.
- i) Mint the general currency of the Empire.
- j) Regulate the Church in the Empire, the chapters, synods and bishops, when absent the will of the Pope.
- k) Call the Conclave and the Reichstag on extraordinary meetings.
- l) Elevate any judicial trial to a higher tribunal.
- m) Declare war or make peace with consent of two thirds of the Conclave.
- n) Decree Edicts to make law interpretation more clear or to make their action more effective.
- o) Appoint the Executor of Justice and reject or approve the counselors' election.
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Paragraph LIV. The Emperor shall command the imperial forces provided by the states and the imperial territories.
Paragraph LV. The Emperor shall decide on the hierarchy and appointments to commanders of the imperial forces.
Paragraph LVI. In case of war, each state will have all its reserves joining the imperial forces.
Paragraph LVII. In case of war, each state shall recruit militias to maintain the welfare in the state itself, but providing half of it to the imperial forces in the imperial frontier.
Article XI. The Conclave[]
Paragraph LVIII. The Conclave will be composed of all prince-electors or their representatives.
Paragraph LIX. The Conclave will elect the King of the Romans by half of its votes plus one.
Paragraph LX. The Conclave will fix the capital by two thirds of its votes.
Paragraph LXI. The Conclave will make war and peace by two thirds of its votes.
Article XII. The Imperial Vicars[]
Paragraph LXII. The Imperial Vicars are always two, the Executor of Justice and the Chancellor of the Empire, never the same person of the Emperor nor any member of his family.
Paragraph LXIII. They rule vetoing the other one’s actions during the interregnum if the King of the Romans is not elected and no Emperor sits on the throne.
Paragraph LXIV. They take monthly turns in supervising the King of the Romans who is still uncrowned, being the Executor of Justice the first one to take the office of Interrex. Veto on the King's actions is decided by consensus of both Imperial Vicars, but only the Interrex may call for veto and only for the action made during his month of rule.
Paragraph LXV. They, by mutual agreement, can call a trial against the reigning Emperor to depose him. If the Emperor remains in throne, both vicars will lose the title.
Paragraph LXVI. They act as secretaries of the Emperor during the Reichstag.
Paragraph LXVII. They declare the reigning Emperor who is still alive, incapable of acting because of his age, if he has more than seventy years old; because of deadly illness; or because he is captive outside the Empire, having to wait at least one year after the condition becomes apparent and with approval of two electors.
Paragraph LXVIII. They can call for the Reichstag, the Conclave or the High Imperial Court only when the Emperor cannot.
Title III. The Imperial Diet (Reichstag)[]
Article XIII. Representation in the Imperial Diet[]
Paragraph LXIX. Each state shall have one seat in the Reichstag, and he can be any catholic inhabitant of the state.
Paragraph LXX. The Imperial Vicars shall take one seat each in the Reichstag, and they will supply the Emperor with any important information and help him counting the votes and identifying each seatholder as legitimate representative of the state. The Emperor and the King of the Romans shall hold each a seat.
Paragraph LXXI. The landowners of boroughs shall elect representatives to hold a collegiate vote, decided by majority, in the Reichstag, though they will meet in the same room, only in a different bench, the Bench of Burgomasters.
Paragraph LXXII. The Imperial Commanders, Imperial Admirals and Imperial Knights shall hold a bench, the Bench of Knights, to give a collegiate vote, decided by the majority.
Paragraph LXXIII. The imperial abbots, of abbacies holding Imperial Immediacy, the Bishops, Archbishops and Cardinals shall hold a bench, the Apostolic Bench, to give one collegiate vote, decided by majority.
Article XIV. Powers of the Imperial Diet[]
Paragraph LXIV. The Reichstag shall hold the responsibility of:
- a) Revising laws decreed by the Emperor and approve or disapprove them.
- b) Making all laws regarding taxation to the states.
- c) Making all laws regarding to relations between states and foreign nations.
- d) Making all laws regarding to relations between states and other states.
- e) Making all laws regarding to the imperial Army and Navy.
- f) Making all laws regarding to relations with the Church.
- g) Appointing the Chancellor of the Empire.
- h) Making laws regarding to currency.
- i) Revise the canonical law to correct the imperial ones.
- j) Notify the Pope about the imperial legislation in force.
- k) Supervise and veto state laws not in accordance with the Imperial Law.
- l) Control entering, abandoning and changes of states and changes in the territory.
Paragraph LXV. The Reichstag will elect a perpetual commission to rule the capital and its military affairs.
Article XV. Decision-making procedure[]
Paragraph LXVI. All decisions will be taken only if it counts with support of half the votes plus one.
Paragraph LXVII. All ties will be decided by the Emperor.
Paragraph LXVIII. Consensus of the Emperor, Pope and the Imperial Vicars will make a seatholder abandon his seat.
Article XVI. The Chancellor of the Empire (Reichskanzler)[]
Paragraph LXIX. The Reichskanzler shall be elected every ten years for two thirds of the Reichstag.
Paragraph LXX. The Reichskanzler will hold the power of call extraordinary sessions of the Reichstag if the Emperor does not disagree.
Paragraph LXXI. The Reichskanzler will hold power to decree Edicts concerning Imperial Law interpretation.
Paragraph LXXII. The Reichskanzler holds power to veto any Imperial Law that counts not with at least two thirds the votes and is not supported by the Emperor.
Paragraph LXXIII. The Reichskanzler holds the power to supervise the laws of each state and to veto them if he considers they are not in accordance with the Imperial Law or the canonical law, previous agreement of the Emperor.
Paragraph LXXIV. The Reichskanzler is an Imperial Vicar.
Article XVI. Meetings and sessions[]
Paragraph LXXV. The Reichstag will regularly meet at least once every four years.
Paragraph LXXVI. The Reichstag will hold the regular sessions for at least two weeks.
Paragraph LXXVII. The Reichstag will hold at least five sessions until the regular meeting ends, but will not have session on Sunday.
Paragraph LXXVIII. The Reichstag will meet in at least one regular session when war or peace is declared.
Paragraph LXXIX. The Emperor or the Chancellor with permission of the Emperor will call for extraordinary meetings.
Paragraph LXXX. Extraordinary meeting will follow a regime of sessions established by the Chancellor with permission of the Emperor.
Article XVII. Imperial Law[]
Paragraph LXXXI. The Imperial Law shall affect the whole Empire and its states and territories.
Paragraph LXXXII. Any state or person acting against the Imperial Law will be judged by the High Imperial Court.
Paragraph LXXXIII. The Emperor decrees Imperial Law not regarding in taxation, currency or territorial changes; these Laws shall become such the day the Emperor enacts them.
Paragraph LXXXIV. The Imperial Vicars shall have notice of every Imperial Law enacted by the Emperor and judge their accordance to canonical law, this Magna Carta and already established Imperial Law.
Paragraph LXXXV. The Reichstag shall hear the judgment of the Imperial Vicars regarding the Imperial Laws enacted by the Emperor.
Paragraph LXXXVI. The Reichstag shall veto or pass Laws decreed by the Emperor.
Paragraph LXXXVII. The Reichstag will enact Laws by itself.
Paragraph LXXXVII. Imperial Law regarding taxation, currency and territorial change will be discussed and voted in Reichstag and shall not come into force until such body passes them.
Title IV. High Imperial Court[]
Article XVIII. Of the Counselors[]
Paragraph LXXXIX. The High Imperial Court is composed by seven Counselors who last twelve years in office and must have proved knowledge in roman and canonical law.
Paragraph XC. The state courts shall appoint six counselors to be vetted by the Emperor.
Paragraph XCI. One person who has received the Holy Orders will be appointed counselor by the Holy Father.
Paragraph XCII. One counselor shall be appointed by the Emperor alone, this will be the Executor of Justice.
Paragraph XCIII. In case of failing of one of the counselor to attend the High Imperial Court, the Executor of Justice shall appoint a substitute among candidates presented by the Emperor.
Article XIX. The Executor of Justice[]
Paragraph XCIV. The Executor of Justice is the head and administrator of the High Imperial Court.
Paragraph XCV. The Executor of Justice may elevate any case to trial by the High Imperial Court.
Paragraph XCVI. The Executor of Justice shall create laws upon precedent of the trials in the High Imperial Court.
Paragraph XCVII. The Executor of Justice may call for impeachment for any officer of the High Imperial Court, the Chancellor of the Empire or a prince-elector.
Paragraph XCVIII. The Executor of Justice will be an Imperial Vicar.
Article XX. Trial procedure[]
Paragraph XCIX. Anyone can appeal to the High Court on matters not about the government laws of a state or the currency and taxes of a state.
Paragraph C. The Emperor, the Executor of Justice, two counselors, or five prince-electors in accordance may elevate a trial to the High Court.
Paragraph CI. The matters affecting the Imperial Law but not that one of the states shall be judged only by the High Court.
Paragraph CII. The counselors and Executor of Justice will vote on guilt or innocence of one of the parts and agree by two thirds of signatures, after having listened each part's case.
Paragraph CIII. If agreement is impossible, then a new trial shall be called. If agreement remains impossible, a panel formed of the twenty wealthiest men of the states with no connection to the case and equal estate and range to the accused parts will decide. No-one will be judged for a crime he has already been proved innocent for.
Title V. General liberties and laws[]
Article XXI. Of the lay individuals[]
Paragraph CIV. The individuals shall obey the law of the states, the Empire and the Church.
Paragraph CV. No religion will be tolerated but the true and Roman Catholic and Apostolic Religion.
Paragraph CVI. Only Jews and Greeks may practice their own religions in privacy and according the canonical law.
Paragraph CVII. All freemen shall join the militia when required by the prince over them.
Paragraph CVIII. All men shall pay taxes.
Paragraph CIX. All freemen may maintain serfs.
Paragraph CXX. All freemen may marry freely.
Paragraph CXXI. All freemen may possess patrimony untouched by authority if they do not commit crimes.
Paragraph CXXII. All freemen may assemble freely with other freemen not declared criminals by law.
Article XXII. Of the ecclesiastical individuals[]
Paragraph CXXIII. All clergymen shall rule themselves according to canonical law.
Paragraph CXXIV. All clergymen shall pay taxes only when the Pope does not claim that such money is to be used for religious purposes.
Paragraph CXXV. No clergyman shall join or gather armies.
Paragraph CXXVI. All clergymen shall benefit all military campaigns of the Empire.
Clarifications:[]
(a) The electorates are the player nations, their vassals and Bohemia (the Palatinate lost its privileges by supporting Albert VI’s rebellion).
(b) The bohemian vote is decided by assigning each candidate a number between 1 and 9. Then we multiply the edit count of both Imperial Vicars and, upon the last digit of the result, we get a random vote. 0 is abstention. Pair is in favor, odd is against.
(c) The formula above we will use to calculate votes of non-player nations, but each nation will have assigned a number and that number will be multiplied by the result.
(d) We will calculate the time an Emperor can hold such title. We multiple the Emperor’s edit count and pi and the ninth and tenth digits after the comma are the time the Emperor shall rule if no abdication, overthrown or such happens. If the number is more than 50, then we discount the eight digit, but the number will be at least 50. The top number is 80 years, if the emperor started reigning at 25 years or less. For example, I (galaguerra) am elected. My current edit count is 1251 x pi = 3930,1234096408... I would rule for 8 years.
(e) States may declare war and make peace alone, but the Emperor can veto any action he thinks could get involved the whole empire or affect the general effort of the empire.
(f) The third state vote, the Bench of Burgomasters, is an extra vote granted to the state with the largest popualtion (for now, I suppose it would be Venice). The vote of Knights is to the state with the largest military development (Saxony, at this time). The first estate vote, the Bench of Bishops, is to the religious center of the Empire, chosen by the Pope, or exercised by the Pope himself. (Until he declares anything, it is Bavaria).
(g) Votes will be emited as follows: <<Name>>; <<Titles>>; votes <<in favor/against/abstains/for XXXX candidate or option>>. <<Wiki Signature>>. Or <<Bench>>; by majority of its members, votes <<in favor/against/abstains/for XXXX candidate or option>>. <<Wiki Signature>>.
Ratification[]
- His Highness Edmund of the House of York, First of His Name, Prince of Calais and Grand Maester of the Monastic State of the Holy Order of the Knights of Saint Petroc, ratifies this Magna Carta. -- Galaguerra1 (talk) 02:52, September 26, 2012 (UTC)
- Monster Pumpkin (talk) 02:58, September 26, 2012 (UTC)
- His Imperial Majesty Wilhelm, Prince Elector of Brandenburg and King of Luxembourg and Duke of Pomerania, and William, King of the Crown of Aragon and of the Kingdom of Aragon and of Navarre and of Neopatria and of Andorra and of Bearn and of Gevaudan and of Sardinia and of Valencia and of the Catalan peoples and thus the rightful ruler of these people, and of the House of Hohenzollern and Barcelona, does hereby on this date (the 25th of Septembrus the Year of our Lord 2012 IRL) ratify this Constitutionem Sacri Romani Imperii for all his lands and possessions and territories.
Syngraféas Enallaktikí̱ Istoría, Dic mihi lingua Anglorum. 03:08, September 26, 2012 (UTC) (Trust me, that's only the simple version.) - Doge Nicolo Marcello, of the Most Serene Republic of Venexia, Prince of the Byzantine Empire, co-Duke of Croatia, Ruler of the Adriatic and Aegean Seas, Ruler Supreme over Crete and Dalmatia, Protector of the Greek peoples, Khan of Kaffa ratifies the Constitutionem Sacri Romani Imperii for all Venetian Holy Roman territories. Scandinator (talk) 07:03, September 29, 2012 (UTC)
- Francesco I Sforza, Duke of Milan, Marquess of Caravaggio, Count of Cotignola, Lord of Castell'Arquato (enough titles) ratifies the Constitutionem Sacri Romani Imperii for all lands under his possession.
- Carlo Gonzaga, Marquess and Protector of Asti, ratifies the Constitutionem Sacri Romani Imperii.
- Spinetta Campofregoso, Doge of the Most Serene Republic of Genoa and all Genoan lands and territories (too many) ratifies the Constitutionem Sacri Romani Imperii in all Genoan possessions.
- Leader of the Swiss Confederation ratifies the Constitutionem Sacri Romani Imperii within the borders of the Swiss state. I Am Walrus (talk) 16:46, September 29, 2012 (UTC)
- Charles Martin duke of Bufgundy ratifies the constitution of the of the empire in all its possesions.
- Anthony of Friesland ratifies the Constitutionem Sacri romanii imperii in the territories on its domains Sine dei gloriem (talk) 19:33, September 29, 2012 (UTC)
- His Majesty, King Andreas II the Merciful, Protector of the Realm, Duke of Bavaria-Munchen, King of All Bavarias, Sovereign of Baden-Wurttemberg, Co-Founder of the High Imperial Court, Sovereign of The Imperial Merchant's Guild(Bavaria side) and The Defender of The Holy Faith. Hereby ratifies the Constitutionem Sacri Romani Imperii for all of the Bavarias and for the nation-states of Baden and Wurttemberg.Andr3w777 (talk) 01:46, October 1, 2012 (UTC)
