"My motion for none of us having to pay taxes was first so we should vote on it first." (Conradí is not even pretending to be following the system where you have to wait for the chair to call on you.)

"I see no reason not to bring your proposal to a vote, Archduke, but I would like to clarify what it is you are asking the body to vote for. Are you asking that the constitution establish abolish the institution of chattel slavery, that it not recognize the institution but make no further proposition to penalize it, or that delegates at this convention not use language suggesting that any person is a slave?"

"That the constitution abolish the institution. I had intended also that delegates not refer to this abolition as though it were the theft of their property, but on reflection I withdraw that part; I see no need to prohibit any line of argument by delegates, however odious I may find it. I do not wish to vote now on compensation, penalties, or any other adjacent issues, only that abolition happen eventually and somehow, with the details to be worked out in committee."

"To answer the objection of Count Bellumar, I do hope that abolition be accomplished thoughtfully and in a reasonable fashion. However, this absolutely cannot happen when the committee created to discuss the issue of slavery is equally divided between former slaves seeking bloody vengeance, and slavers wishing to indefinitely perpetuate the institution. I had hoped that an early floor vote on abolition might motivate compromise on adjacent issues. I do apologize in advance if I turn out to be wrong."

"I propose in that case an explicitly symbolic resolution to the effect that Asmodeus is the god of slavery and that we abhor the many evils that the institution plays host to and mean to chart a course inspired by the examples of Lastwall and Andoran."

Does anyone want the rest of the minutes or nah.

"Very well." He doesn't need the Duchess annoyed at him, and this has already spun far out of control. "I second that motion and withdraw my own."

"I think that we should finish reading the minutes before voting. Or if not, I can testify under Abadar's Truthtelling that the things I said earlier were true."

Nobody cares what you think.

"That sounds like a good start. I believe Andoran has the right of the matter on slavery, but that doesn't mean we have nothing to learn from them - we should craft the best proposal we can, and also not wait to signal our conviction."

"10. I expressed a concern for the economic consequences of this plan and my belief that it would be an offense unto Abadar.
11. Delegate Liushna moves that it be impermissible to refer to people as property.
12. A digression into Delegate Liushna’s preferred form of address and linguistic accomplishments.
13. An enumeration by myself at Delegate Vivas’s request of the types of unfree labor, chattel slavery being the only one in which anyone is held as specifically property, contrasted with indenture, conscription, minor children, convicts, and other less commonplace situations.
14. Delegate Ramirez volunteered his services as a translator into Draconic.
15. Delegate Liushna expressed a perceived tension between people being referred to as property and also understood to be people. A detour onto this topic ensued.
16. At Delegate Vivas’s request I gave a defense of the notion of compensating expropriated slaveowners on the grounds that doing otherwise would create an economic catastrophe particularly in our already fragile financial state. Delegate Permira had two followup questions; I elaborated in response to the first but the chair did not ask that I go on in reply to the second.
17. Delegate Vivas inquires about minimum economic reimbursement to keep the economy afloat, such as compensating emancipated slaves themselves. I recommend against this on the grounds that it is more urgent than usual to grant money in exchange for activities which build up wealth, but allow that it is not per se blasphemous against Abadar to distribute gifts.
18. Delegate Liushna questions whether the will of Abadar is relevant. I alluded to the expropriation of the banks in Razmiran, prompting a mass exodus of Abadarans from its territory, even without provoking the god Himself, which Cheliax can ill afford.
19. Delegate Liushna impugns Abadar’s alignment.
20. Delegate Permira impugns my personal integrity."

This is spectacularly unproductive.

"I would like to move that the committee on slavery be expanded, to replace those members who quit with others who have some experience with legal proceedings and who have no personal stake in the matter." Reformers and halflings are intended to hear that as "others who are not slaveowners". Everyone else is intended to hear "Others who are not bloodthirsty ex-slaves".

"I see now that clearly I was mistaken in my impression that strix and slips do not good committee members make," he mutters loudly.

Oh, right, that guy sucks. 

"Hang on, I never said I quit the committee." He'd meant to be quitting but if they're going to replace him with a slip-lover that's worse.

"I volunteer to join the slavery committee. I am not a slaveowner, and I have long experience on related legal matters."

Wow that guy is determined to fail as hard as possible isn’t he.  Fernando is looking forward to seeing him dragged off for torture reeducation when this convention is over.

"Bearing in mind that such Minutes remain until Voted on the personal Recollection and Testimony of the wise Fiducia Agramunt, do said Minutes at least record the purported 'storming out' of certain Members of said Committee, and their remarks upon the occasion of the same? Moreover the intentions of said Members upon purportedly 'storming out' is a question of Fact, not completely amenable to Magic but more amenable to it, should this Body desire an inquest into their Motives. I have heard no dispute before now from any who sat in that Acrimonious Room that several Delegates resigned in a great Furor from the Committee in question, and confess my great Skepticism as to this sudden Claim."

Lluïsa doesn't really want to join the slavery committee but maybe should consider it, just so they stop making a mockery of Constitutional Drafting?

"I also volunteer. I have been a slaveowner at some times, freed slaves at other times, and have lived as a citizen in a country which permitted limited slavery in a way substantially superior to Infernal Cheliax. I think the broad experience may be helpful in providing examples which are acceptable compromises to all concerned." Also he's fairly radical on this subject but only people who have asked him about it or talked to the free halflings of Westcrown, which is to say no one but halflings, is likely to guess that.

"I nominate the Duchess of Chelam to the slavery committee, if she be agreeable."

She desperately does not want to deal with that. She nods her head gracefully. "I accept. I want to help the committee arrive at a proposal which will be acceptable to the larger body and Her Majesty and good for all the people of Cheliax, be they free or enslaved."

Well, so much for abolishing slavery.

"I would like to ask the President what the rules are for adding and removing members to or from a committee?"

Hmph. He'd rather almost anyone else besides the Duchess. Ah, well. Maybe they can come to an accord on the matter.

UGH she RESPECTED that guy why did he suggest "ooh lookit me I'm in charge because I said so" bitch for the committee. 

It'll be a headache but they'll get it done and she'll probably when she's done grousing about the headache be glad it was done well. "In that case, may I propose we table the floor resolutions for the time being, and see if more productive work on this can be done in committee with a different committee?"

"The slips and the strix are still on it!"