"The new members will have heard the first twenty items of my minutes on the floor - if they were not drowned out - but there are another seventeen, should they desire the context."

"Personally, I liked the suggestion of voting to amend or approve minutes--yours did rather have a perspective--but I don't object to hearing the whole thing first."

“I would appreciate a reading of the minutes.” 

Voshrelka has no problem being caught up on what happened for the day she wasn't here. Also, she probably needs the minutes re-read because she was kind of busy during the arguing earlier.

"Could I request a full reading, including what you've already gone over?" Because he was absolutely drowned out, and Voshrelka was not paying enough attention.

"Fair warning, they're deeply biased," Liushna murmurs to her. 

Coeliaris glances at him. "Seems wise to have them read. Perhaps we could for the next meeting have them copied and distributed beforehand?"

Most things are deeply biased, but she appreciates the warning and gives Liushna a subtle nod.

"If Delegate Liushna could specify perhaps that would become a productive observation."

"The minutes are—as far as I can tell—accurate. If anyone wishes to amend them, please mention specifics after we read them."

Permira is here. Permira is not happy.

"Thank you, Delegate Vivas.

1. Following some remarks in an unspecified language between Delegates Permira, Alonso, and Millet, Delegate Barro moved that business be conducted in Chelish Taldane, seconded by Delegate Vivas.

2. Following an ostensible translation of these remarks into questions about the then-chair Delegate Moles's personal property situation, discussion devolved into personal attacks. I moved that inquiries into the personal business of any member be grounds for expulsion. Delegate Permira attempted to put it to a vote on her own recognizance. After several mixed votes were issued I noted that if I were to depart the committee would lack representation from the religious delegation and therefore plausibly be invalidated.

3. Delegate Moles remarked that he had hoped that the first order of business could be to overturn the new regime's law permitting the existence of free halflings but that it might be impossible with the committee composed as it was, and speculated about removing the halflings from the committee.

4. I announced that I expected that a committee changing composition midstream in such a way would likely attract attention from the President.

5. Delegates Vivas and Ramirez expressed that this approach would be ineffective and reduce the perceived validity of the committee.

6. A detour into the question of whether slavery is, per se, Asmodean.

7. This detour was punctuated by Delegate Permira observing that the chair was appointed without vote. She nominated Delegate Vivas. Delegate Barro nominated myself. I indicated support for Delegate Ramirez but agreed that I would serve if called upon. Predictable vote distribution is available in the sidebar. Delegate Vivas won the seat.

8. Delegate Vivas said, I quote, “I do not think we can continue with anything resembling the current situation, but it is not as simple as saying 'no more slavery' and being done with it. If we free the slaves, what will their legal status become? What will we do about existing slave owners—should there be any compensation for their expected losses? If anyone has specific proposals for new policies, I would be interested in hearing them.”

9. Delegate Permira proposed that all slaves be emancipated without regard to species and compensated with a division of their master’s land, and that the penalty for failure to comply should be death.

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 moved 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."

"It's Asmodean. It's not a lie, it's just Asmodean, the way they all say things so that they barely aren't lying. Points nineteen and twenty are me and Liushna saying that what he was saying was wicked and so either his god was bad or his god didn't support him saying that."

Jaume grew up in an urbanized area in Cheliax with the widsom score necessary to be a cleric and the alignment to be Asmodeus's and he still isn't.

This information would be wasted on this creature.

Are minutes supposed to be funny? Because these are. She doesn't laugh, but she can't keep the amusement out of her expression.

"21. I clarify in response to a summary remark from Delegate Vivas that compensating slaveowners for the expropriation of their slaves will not enrich them, merely ameliorate the damage.

22. Delegate Permira puts forth the respectably formed argument that current slaveholders are betting their fortunes on slavery and that this should be punished; that we should compensate owners who willingly free their slaves; reiterates that she wants to divide the lands of masters among their slaves; and asserts that one works harder for oneself than for a master with a whip.

23. I pointed out that many halfling slaves have been sold, mostly overseas, and that not all slaveowners own land.

24. Delegate Ramirez asks for clarification about why it would be desirable to compensate slaveowners as opposed to other possible uses of Crown funds. I explain the limitations of insurance as it has been historically available and suggest that an interim measure of less destructive potential might be to restrict the sale of slaves to purchases other than the Crown or manumission-inclined churches, as an intended compromise with hypothetical consistent abolitionists interested in allaying the sale of halflings overseas.

25. Delegate Ramirez questions whether slave mothers are compensated, which I explain is not the premise on which any of those slaves were invested in.

26. Delegate Barro points out that if someone heard tell of a law that their slaves and lands would be taken so that the former could receive the latter they would be incentivized to put their slaves to death. Delegate Permira opines that this should be construed as murder and carry a death penalty. Delegate Barro replies with a definition of a retroactive sentence.

27. Delegate Vivas calls for votes on vaguely worded preliminary proposals:
Should chattel slavery in Cheliax be abolished?
Should former slaveowners be compensated?
Should former slaves be compensated?

28. Delegates Liushna and Permira make some statements to the effect that slavery itself is in some way theft, that it is unAbadaran, that it is Abadaran and that this is an error of Abadar’s.

29. Emancipation vote is predictable apart from a detour into the distinction between emancipation and abolition.

30. Abolition vote is predictable apart from a protest against its legitimacy by Delegate Moles.

31. Vote for compensation of former slaveowners is predictable.

32. Vote for compensation of former slaves ensues predictably. Delegate Vivas says he will vote in favor if the proposal is sent to the floor separately from the others.

33. Delegate Moles begins and Delegate Ramirez continues a detour into personal insult.

34. Delegate Permira says, and I quote, “I propose that all found to keep, own or refuse to release slaves after this law takes effect be put to death.” This is put to a vote. I point out that it does not have to be but the chair invites voting nonetheless. Delegate Ramirez says, and I quote, “You cannot possibly expect men to divine that the law has changed before anyone has managed to tell them, and to punish them for breaking a new law that nobody told them was law is - Asmodean.” The vote is otherwise predictable, with Delegate Vivas expressing that he would prefer to see it voted down rather than refused by chair fiat. Delegate Moles departs in protest of this eventuality. Delegate Barro follows, stating for the record, ‘the slips are murderous thieves and it should never have been legal to free them’.

35. Delegate Liushna asks Delegate Vivas for an explanation of why he thinks Delegate Permira’s proposal is a poor idea. He explains that it will instantiate a cycle of violence and that it will not pass the floor.

36. A detour to explain the concept of arrest to Delegate Liushna. Proposals incorporating this notion are workshopped between Delegates Vivas and Permira.

37. Delegate Ramirez proposes adjourning for the day."

"Does anyone actually want me to go over these on a point-by-point basis explaining the bias." 

"Not particularly, it's fairly obvious to me. Delegate Agramunt, you do know it's less words to just say what the votes end up as instead of 'is predictable,'" says Voshrelka. "We can put the predictions together, but really, why."

"I have those noted in a sidebar if their enumeration is desirable."

"Honor the noble tree that made the necessary sacrifice for your paper, and just cut to the chase," snorts Voshrelka. "Save us all time."

"This is rag paper."

"Noted."

If no one stops him he will go ahead and read aloud all of his sidebars on the votes with each delegate named separately.

Of course he is. This man is a parody of himself.

"Fuck it. How about I write the minutes this time."

She retrieves paper and a pen from her Handy Haversack, and begins taking much better notes than this travesty she's being subjected to.

"I have no objection to there being multiple sets."

Carlota has a servant who follows her around taking notes on her committees. She decides not to call attention to this. It will probably just offend both the Abadaran and the druid.