Prosperity and the Public Auction

Overview

For a long time it was traditional for private citizens who had supplies of mithril, white granite, weirwood and ilium to send them to Anvil to be auctioned to the highest bidder by the civil service. In Summer 382YE, a Highborn protest against the open market approach to selling white granite led to conflict within the Empire, leading to the Synod urging mass boycots of the public auction.

The Cinderpath Exchange

The incident began when an opportunity was identified for Highguard to create the Cinderpath Exchange. Frustration arising from the repeated failure of Highborn projects to get approval from the Imperial Senate, led to benefactors arguing that Highborn citizens should look to create their own market for surplus white granite. Their plan was for local merchants to get a good price for their goods, while allowing the Highborn Assembly to appoint someone to purchase the white granite to put it to a virtuous use.

To rally support for the initiative and make it more effective, the Synod had the opportunity to endorse mandates in support of the proposal. The major drawback with the scheme, apart from the costs of establishing the exchange, were that it would result in less white granite being available for auction in the public auction at Anvil.

Opposition in the Senate

The Exchange almost immediately ran into problems. A motion to commission the exchange was voted down by the Imperial Senate, but the outcome was judged to have been materially affected by incorrect information provided by Magistrate Abraham on the floor of the Senate. Somewhat red-faced the civil service agreed to bring the motion back to the Senate as an administrative motion - whereupon it was summarily defeated again.

At the same time the civil service were challenged over the constitutional advice offered initially that suggested that the title could be appointed by judgement of the Highborn Assembly. After due consideration the civil service issued an amendment explaining that that the constitutional path for appointment would be by Tally of the Votes - which in Highguard would mean a vote by owners of congregations. While the net outcome is relatively similar, this has very different legal and constitutional implications.

In response to popular support from general populace, the Highborn Senators tried again in 383YE Spring, but the Senate still refused to pass the motion. Instead, it was announced by the Bearer of an Imperial Wayleave, circumventing the need for Senate approval.

Support in the Synod

Although the Senate initially declined to authorize the commission of the Cinderpath Exchange, Bartimaeus led the Highborn Assembly to endorse a mandate urging citizens to support the exchange. With no exchange to support, that might have been the end of the matter, but in Autumn 382YE, at the subsequent summit, Edna of the Chantry led the Propsperity Assembly to pass a statement of principle supporting the construction of the Cindepath Exchange which passed with a greater majority.

This statement was communicated across the Empire and led to widespread interest in the fate of the Cindepath Exchange and the role of the public auction and created opportunities for the Synod to become involved in the debate. There were a number of mandates the Synod could have passed, but in the end they chose three.

The Highborn Assembly endorsed a mandate by Raziel of the Shattered Tower calling for Highborn citizens to boycott the public auction. At the same time, the Prosperity Assembly endorsed a similar mandate from Edna of the Chantry calling for all citizens to refuse to send their white granite to Anvil for sale at the public auction. Meanwhile the General Assembly endorsed a mandate by Bartimaeus urging the citizens of every land to look for ways that the bourse resources currently being sent to the Public Auction might be harnessed by their own people.