When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 591 Constitutional Convention (Part )
Today is May 5th. The constitutional convention has lasted for three weeks. With the arrival of the first rain in early summer, it finally comes to an end.

The rain dripped on the eaves of the Central Palace, and from time to time a thread of rain flew into the room through the gaps in the window.

The brass chandelier flickered with dim candlelight, and white wax tears fell from the lampstand onto the table, leaving behind a series of burning marks.

The three representatives sat solemnly, their eyes focused on the main podium. No matter they were nobles or commoners, their eyes were filled with excitement and solemnity.

Standing in the fishy smell of rain, Horn held the main podium with his hands and read out Article 5 of the Sacred Charter that had just been adopted.

"…Then we decide on the name of the country, the Holy Monarchy of the Thousand Valleys, the national flag is a black and red iris, and there are two capitals - the Absolute Duke's seat, Xialu City (Flying Castle was renamed) and the Patriarch's seat, the Holy Armory."

"Whoosh-"

"it is good!"

"Holy Father, bless you!"

The representatives of the three seats stood up and applauded vigorously, accompanied by continuous cheers.

The entire venue was shrouded in an atmosphere that was both solemn and relaxed. Representatives from various factions had different expressions, some satisfied, some regretful, and some vaguely uneasy.

When the fifth charter was passed, it meant that the constitutional convention was about to end.

Several representatives from the middle seats couldn't help showing a trace of anxiety and reluctance. Although they had delayed a lot of their work, they still couldn't give up.

The taste of power is really hard for them to resist.

With his hands raised slightly, Horn signaled for silence, and at this time Meliati also stood up from the throne.

“Today, we stand at a turning point in history. Because after the reading of the fifth article of the Charter, in this land that has suffered so much, we have accomplished a great cause together.

The first constitution of the Thousand Valleys - the Sacred Charter of the Thousand Valleys - was completed today!
It connects the will of the Holy Father with the order of the world, integrates the responsibilities of the nobility and the rights of the subjects, and marks the first time that the cornerstone of our country has been established in written form in the Thousand Valleys.

From now on, every citizen, regardless of their wealth, will enjoy the basic right to life and freedom in this land.

Every lord, whether noble or clergyman, will understand that his power comes from the common recognition of the Holy Father and the believers, and only by fulfilling his responsibilities can he enjoy authority.

Completing this charter does not mean the end of our responsibilities, but the beginning of new responsibilities.

We need to unite under the Charter to face future challenges, whether they are threats from external enemies or internal divisions.

So today is not only the end of the first Constituent Assembly, but also the opening of the first Council of State meeting."

All the representatives, except those on Horn's side, became alert at the same time, and some even stood up.

They were all waiting for that sentence, that extremely crucial sentence.

"The implementation of the charter requires the right people to promote it." The person who spoke changed from Horn to Meliati, and her words sounded with a hint of magnetism, "Today, we will discuss and determine the first batch of county governors of the Holy Monarchy of the Thousand Valleys, as well as the distribution of positions in the central administrative organs."

This is what we have been waiting for! The representatives all looked excited.

In accordance with Article 3 of the Charter, which confirms the structure of government, His Majesty the Absolute appoints officials not on the basis of blood but on the basis of ability and character.

In other words, if Meliati wanted to promote an official, he would either recommend him from the Advisory Council or promote him from the Advisory Council.

Originally they were just the leaders of a township, a town or even a village, and were powerful people behind closed doors.

But now, they actually have the opportunity to get their hands on the entire Thousand River Valley, which has millions of people. However, Meliati seemed not to see their anxious eyes, and continued to read slowly: "Don't bite off more than you can chew. I must ensure that every power is used properly and every responsibility is implemented in reliable hands."

Pulling out a thick account book from under the main podium, Meliati slowly opened it: "However, before assigning positions, we have to face a more critical issue - the finances of the Thousand River Valley."

Suddenly, whispers broke out in the meeting hall, and the faces of representatives from various factions changed slightly.

Only the monks of the Patriarchate, who were independent of the autocratic system, crossed their legs and watched the joke; some even took out bottles of wine, bread, ham and cheese.

After Horn's unfriendly look swept across them, the monks immediately sat up straight and put on heavy and solemn expressions.

"So, I suggest that we start with the finances of the Thousand River Valley." Meliati closed the account book, with a hint of coldness in her voice, "After all, if you don't know these things clearly, the so-called Thousand River Valley is nothing more than a castle built on the beach."

Through the summary and statistics of the church's account books over the past month, a total population and total cultivated land in the Thousand River Valley was listed based solely on the account books.

The Holy Monarchy of a Thousand Valleys has a total of 86 tax-paying households, and the total tax-paying population should be more than 400 million.

The total amount of arable land subject to tax is 49322 square kilometers, or about 7395 million mu of arable land, which is theoretically enough to feed more than 600 million people.

Under the sustainable rule of priests and nobles, the Thousand River Valley sent 6 gold pounds and 9 gold pounds to the Royal Family of Leia and the Holy See City respectively every year.

Due to the concealment of information by local lords and knights and the corruption of middlemen and tax farmers, the accounts in various places were actually very little.

Based on the correspondence left by Duchess of Kush, Bamanda, the investigation report, and the rough calculations of hundreds of accountants and bankers over the past month.

Take Hotam County as an example. Two years ago, it paid 19920 gold pounds to the Royal Family of Leia and 22500 gold pounds to the Holy See City, but the actual theoretical tax that can be collected is about 20 gold pounds.

Therefore, the actual effective tax revenue is only 20%, and the other % is either confiscated or embezzled or wasted by a small group of people.

As for where the money went to waste, just look at the monasteries and manor gardens all over Hotham County, and the luxurious clothes of the nobles.

In addition, there was the so-called pilgrimage of the nobles, which was actually a trip to the coastal areas to socialize and travel once every two or three years.

After experiencing two and a half years of natural disasters and war, although the Kingdom of Leia is facing a powerful enemy, the Thousand River Valley still has to reduce taxes first and then collect taxes normally.

Having said that, the two and a half years of natural disasters and war also had an important outcome.

It is to directly or indirectly kill and expel a large number of tax middlemen and corrupt officials, taking Langsand County as an example where the cleanup was relatively thorough.

Theoretically, the tax that can be collected in Langsand County is only about 6 gold pounds, but Horn can collect a budget of 2 gold pounds through the reform of the hundred-household district.

This is not just 2 gold pounds. The total tax revenue is estimated to be close to 3 gold pounds, but nearly gold pounds are still kept in the local monastery.

This was the result of Horn eliminating all the middlemen in Longsander County (knights, small lords, sub-contractors, tax-free monasteries, and tax farmers) and collecting taxes directly.

Thanks to efficient government efficiency, the Pope of the Holy See can achieve close to 50% effective tax revenue in the special zones under his jurisdiction.

Under the premise of tax and rent reductions, the tax revenue that can be effectively used may be even greater than before.

"Your Highness, the Despot, what do you mean?" the representative asked, standing up tremblingly.

“The Land Registration Bill may not be passed, but the population and tax surveys should be done, right?”

(End of this chapter)