Constitution of the TDC Empire

Constitution of the TDC Empire
Front page of the constitution
Created	10 June, 2023
Ratified	10 June, 2023
Location	Imperial City of Bresdin
Authors	Jason I

The Constitution of the TDC Empire is the constitution of the TDC Empire, which is applied equally in all Treskan colonies. It was adopted on the 10th of June. 2023 and was written by Jason I.

Content

The Treskan constitution consists of a preamble and 6 sections, structured into 27 total articles. The Constitution has been published on the TDC discord for all members to read.

Section		Article	Content
0	Preamble	0	The sovereign country, in order to form a more successful state of nation, estable Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity recognizes the ruling monarch as head of state of the TDC Empire, and all further text must be approved by the Monarch.
1	Territory of the Confederation	1-3	For territory that is run as a separate entity from a state and that does not have a place in the parliament is to be run by an appointed official who will govern the territory for the empire. Different divisions are to be made of the administrative outlines for these territories. The separation of territory or protectorate from a colony is the status given to the administration area by the Kaiser. If a sovereign wishes to join the Confederation they must first surrender partial rights to the Kaiser and Legislature of the Empire, then they must have the Kaiser give a charter of admission.
2	Legislature of the Empire	4-15	Within this confederate territory, the Empire exercised the right of legislation according to the tenor of this Constitution, and with the understanding that Imperial laws take precedence over the laws of the States. The Imperial laws receive their binding power by their publication in the name of the Empire, which takes place by means of an Imperial announcement put out by the Chancellor or the Kaiser bi-monthly. For the entire Empire one common nationality exists with the effect, that every subject of the Empire itself, belonging to any one of the Confederate States is to be treated in every other of the Confederate states as a born native, which means to enjoy all other civil rights under the same presuppositions as the natives, and likewise to be treated equally with regard to legal prosecution or legal protection. The following affairs are subject to the legislation of the empire: the right of citizenship, passport, and police regulations for strangers, the regulation of the system of the coinage, weights, and measures, likewise the establishment of the principles for the issue of funded and unfunded paper money under the Ministry of Economic Growth and Management, the organization of the common protection of TDC commerce in foreign countries under the joint management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Management. The verification of public documents, the military and naval affairs of the Empire, the regulations for the press, and the protection of intellectual property under the granting of patents for inventions. The Imperial Parliament of the Confederation carries out the legislation of the Empire under the two bodies. The accordance of the majority of votes in both assemblies is necessary and sufficient for a law of the empire. In projects of law on military affairs and on Naval affairs, the Chancellor has the casting vote in cases where there is a difference of opinion if his vote is in favor of the maintenance of the existing. The lower house of  Parliament of the Confederation consists of the Representatives of the members of the Confederation, amongst which the votes are decided in such a manner that each state has a single vote that is cast. Each member of the Confederation can nominate as many plenipotentiaries to the Parliament of the Confederation as it has voted. The Lower House of the Parliament of the Confederation determines: what bills are to be brought before the upper house of parliament, and on the resolutions passed by the same, as to the administrative measures and arrangements necessary for the general execution of the Imperial legislation, in so far as no other Imperial Law had decreed to the contrary & As to defects which have made themselves manifest in the execution of the Imperial laws or the above-mentioned measures and arrangements. Every representative in the lower house of Parliament has the right to propose bills and to recommend them. The decisions take place by simple majority. Non-represented votes are not counted, In equal division, the chancellor is the casting vote. In decisions upon affairs, where according to the rules of this constitution, the whole empire has not a common interest, only the votes of those confederate states are counted which are of common interest. The upper house of Parliament of the Confederation consists of the appointed officials that the Kaiser sees fit to put into the position of Parliament members. At any point in time, there can only be three officials who can serve in the upper house of Parliament. The proceedings of the upper house of Parliament are public. Accurate reports of the proceedings in the public sittings of the upper house are free from any responsibility. The upper house of Parliament has the right to propose laws within the empire, and to forward petitions which have been addressed to it in the house of nobles, or to the chancellor of the empire. The upper house of Parliament decides by an absolute majority of votes. The presence of a majority of the legal number of the members is necessary for the validity of the resolution. In voting on a matter which, according to the stipulations of this constitution is not common to the whole Empire, only the votes of those members will be counted who have been elected in those Confederate states to which the matter is common. The members of the upper house of parliament are representatives of the entire people and are not bound by orders and instructions. The members of the upper house must not receive any salary of indemnification in that capacity.
3	The Kaiser	16-20	The head of the Confederation belongs to the current youngest male member of the Prune family, who bears the name of Kaiser. The Kaiser has to represent the Empire internationally, declare war, and conclude peace in the name of the Empire, enter into alliances and other treaties with foreign powers to accredit and receive ambassadors. The consent of the House of Nobles is necessary for the declaration of war in the name of the Empire unless an attack on the territory of the confederation has taken place. The Emperor has the right to summon, to open, to prorogue, and to close both the lower and upper houses of parliament. The presidency in the lower house of the parliament and the direction of business belongs to the chancellor of the Empire, who is to be appointed by the Kaiser.  The Chancellor of the empire can be represented, on his giving written information thereof, by any other member of the lower house of parliament. The expedition and proclamation of the laws of the Empire, and the care of their execution, belongs to the Emperor, needing his signature to be fully implemented as law. The Orders and Decrees of the Emperor are issued in the name of the Empire and require for their validity the counter-signature of the Chancellor of the Empire, who thereby undertakes the responsibility. The Kaiser nominates the Imperial officials, causes them to be sworn for the Empire, and, when necessary, decrees their dismissal. The officials of any State of the Confederation, when appointed to any Imperial office, are entitled to the same rights with respect to the Empire, as they would enjoy from their official position in their own country, excepting in such cases as have otherwise been provided for by the Imperial Legislation before their entrance into the Imperial service.
4	Military Affairs of the Empire	21-24	The expenses and burdens of the whole of the military affairs of the Empire are to be borne equally by all of the States of the Confederation and those belonging to them, so that no preferences, or overburdening of any single States or classes, are in principle admissible. Where an equal division of the burdens is not practicable in nature, without prejudice to the public welfare, the matter is to be arranged on the principles of equity by means of legislation. After the publication of this constitution, the whole TDC military code of laws is to be made and introduced throughout the empire without delay, both the laws themselves and the regulations, instructions, and rescripts issued for the explanation and completion. The entire land force of the Empire will form a single army, Which in war and peace is under the command of the Emperor. The regiments, &c., bear running numbers for the entire TDC Army. For their clothing, the ground colors and fashion of the Royal Prussian army are to be the model. It is left to the chiefs of the respective contingents to determine the external marks of distinction (cockades, &c.). It is the duty and the right of the Emperor to take care that all the divisions of troops within the TDC army are numerically complete and effective for war, and that unity in the organization and formation, in the armament and command, in the training of the men, as well as in the qualifications of the officers, be established and maintained. For this purpose, the Emperor has the right to convince himself of the condition of the separate contingents at all times by inspection, and to order the reformation of any defects thereby discovered. The Emperor determines the effective strength, division, and arrangement of the contingents of the Imperial army, he also has the right to determine the garrisons within the territories of the Confederation, and to order the embodiment of any part of the Imperial army in a state of preparation for war. For the purpose of keeping up the indispensable uniformity in the administration, maintenance, armament, and equipment of all the divisions of troops of the TDC army. All TDC troops are bound to obey the commands of the Kaiser unconditionally.
5	Shipping and Navigation	25-26	The war navy of the Empire was one united navy under the chief command of the Emperor. The organization and composition thereof is the business of the Emperor, who appoints the Naval officers and officials, and into whose service they and the men are to be sworn. The necessary expenses for the establishment and maintenance of the war fleet, and the institutions in connection therewith, are paid from the Treasury of the Empire. The merchant vessels of all the States of the Confederation form one undivided commercial navy. The Empire has to determine the method of ascertaining the burden of sea-going vessels, to grant bills of admeasurement, as well as to regulate the ship certificates, and determine the conditions upon which the permission to command a sea-going vessel depends. The commercial ships of all the States of the Confederation will be admitted and treated on equal terms in the sea harbors and in all the natural and artificial waterways of the separate States of the Confederation. The dues to be levied in the seaports from sea-going vessels or their cargoes for using the navigation appliances, must not exceed the expenses which are requisite for the maintenance and ordinary repairs of those appliances. On all natural waterways dues may only be levied for the use of such appliances as are specially intended for the furtherance of traffic. These dues, as well as the dues payable for making use of such artificial waterways as State property, must not exceed the expenses that are requisite for the maintenance and ordinary repairs of such erections and works. These regulations are also applicable to floatage so far as it takes place on navigable waterways. The imposition of other or higher dues on foreign ships, or their cargoes, than those paid by the ships of the Federal States, does not belong to any single State, but solely to the Empire. The flag of the navy and of merchant shipping is a black and white cross with the coat of arms of the Kaiser in the top right of the flag.
6	General Stipulations	27	those provisions of the constitution of the Empire, by which certain rights are established can only be altered with the consent of the states of the confederation in which are entitled to those rights.