Not especially.

He's failed all reasonable tests and will be a disaster but Ser Cansellarion couldn't convince them of that, so no further ones.

He asked his questions days ago; he waits calmly for the vote.

There are a couple more questions, tying up loose ends from the previous day, and then Jonatan calls the vote.

"In favor."

"In favor."

"Abstain."

He recommended the man. “In favor.”

"Against, and don't say I didn't warn you."

Yes, Archduchess, we've all heard your fascinating theories about how the best way to prevent riots is to refuse to enforce the laws if it might possibly inconvenience someone.

"For."

"For."

"In favor."

And that you think that's what I was saying, and don't have anyone with the expertise to tell the difference, is why this is going to be a disaster. And a massacre, unless I decide that preventing one is worth the political capital I'd give up by doing so.

You defended Valia Wain at trial after the city burned down on her orders.

The law defended her, after she did no such thing. Because she did no such thing. And even if I had, every criticism I said in this committee would still be true, and you would still have no one qualified to judge better than me. You need expertise to run a city, let alone a country, even if all the available experts are people you hate.

"Against." He trusts Bainilus' and Shawil's judgment that the city needs an administrator more than a military man, and even if he disagreed on that point there are dozens of military men more qualified to run an occupation.

"I think we need a civilian, not a soldier, but if it's a soldier the rest of you are set on, I can recommend some Reclamation men who have experience policing Chelish cities."

"Against." If no one changes votes on Cansellarion's recommendation the vote still passes, but he for one doesn't know anything about cities and is only here to try to prevent something worse from happening, so he's just going to copy Cansellarion.

There are many circumstances under which he'd love to hear a recommendation from Cansellarion, but the aftermath of riots sparked by an Iomedaean cleric seem like one where his candidate's judgment is likely to be uniquely bad. With that being said, if the Lord-Marshal commits to opposing them, he can probably manage to shut down their candidate.

"Provisionally in favor, but I'd be happy for us to interview Lord-Marshal Cansellarion's recommendation tomorrow before we decide whether to send this to the floor. The vote provisionally passes."

He nods to the Hellknight. "During the Judiciary Committee's meeting, we heard a report from Sir Vallvé on punishments that were in common use in Infernal Cheliax, and how their severity was viewed by the populace. I requested that he share that report with this committee as well."

"Thank you, Conde. I hope it can be useful here..." and he'll give roughly the same speech as before.

"Much appreciated, Sir Vallvé. That leads us into the next topic I wanted to discuss as a committee, namely, legal restrictions on specific forms of punishment. I've heard a number of concerns raised that the status quo is creating undesirable incentives, particularly in the cities, and I'd like to open the floor to suggestions on ways to address that."

"I think it's pretty clear that making all executions private and painless has emboldened the worst elements of society. I am sure it was well intentioned, but part of good intentions is changing course when what you're doing doesn't work. And when I speak to the people of Westcrown, they are eager for the return of public and more exciting executions. I think it'll do the city a great deal of good to return to executions as they were practiced under Aspex's law."

"I think there is significant value in differentiating ourselves from the Thrunes, and Aspex did not have to design his punishments to accommodate the sensibilities of paladins. Let our justice be swift and inescapable, and the Judge will know better than us what they deserve."

"We also don't have to design our punishments to accommodate the sensibilities of paladins, and our attempts to do so is why traitors are released to the applause of cheering crowds and hundreds lie dead in the streets. There are twelve paladins in this body of six hundred people. May they vote as their goddess commands them, and the rest will vote for safety and order and peace."

He will nod, and see what others have to say about the proposal.