Eternity RPC Board
06-16-2018, 01:08 AM
Paris, Anglo-Frankish Commonwealth | January 10, 1780
Lord Protector August FitzRoy, the Anglo-Frankish Commonwealth head of state, had spent the new year's eve and the coming days in his Summer house in Paris, a rather small but comfy palace of Late Baroque style. August was randomly walking in one large room which served as one of his official offices. There were several piles of papers and documents on his table, and several maps -include two big maps of the Indian continent, and a third of Northern Africa- were hanged on the wall.
FitzRoy's political career was certainly as constant as surprising. After being a young member in both in the East England assembly and the Commonwealth General Assembly, he was appointed Lieutenant-governor of East England at age 33. FitzRoy was elected to the Commonwealth Council in the early 1770s, becoming a close ally of both William Pitt and Henry Fox. After the death of the former, in the middle of a complicated international crisis, FitzRoy was able to secure his election as 12th Lord Protector of the Anglo-Frankish Commonwealth in 1778.
Only several months after being inaugurated as Lord Protector, FitzRoy was forced to negotiate and sign the Peace of Dax, which resulted in the end of the American War and the loss and independence of the Northern American colonies. Although nobody could really blame him personally, FitzRoy did not aim to be remembered as the Lord Protector who was forced to accept the loss of the wealthiest and more important of the Commonwealth colonies to the date. Of course, he had still other, and more pleasant, entertainments, but ideas about how to recover and increase the prestige of the Commonwealth kept coming to his mind, without much success or conviction so far.
"Your Honorable Excellency", one of the servants announced the Lord Protector, "Monsieur de Forbonnais arrived five minutes ago".
"Alright...I see", FitzRoy said without much conviction. "Tell him to come him immediately".
François Duverger de Forbonnais climbed the stairs slowly. Forbonnais had been Inspector-General of the Parisian House of Commerce for twenty years. A year ago, he was appointed by the Commonwealth Council as chairman of a commission to determine the situation of the Commonwealth's financial situation and, more importantly, to propose economic and financial reforms for the consideration of the Commonwealth Council. His assistant Arthur was following him, who was carrying two huge folders.
"As I promise you, Your Honorable Excellency Lord Protector", François Duverger said, "I bring you our 270-page report that our commission has prepared...".
"Did you say 270...?", the Lord Protector asked. "Do you pretend that I have enough time to read that?".
"Well", François Duverger replied, "I thought it could be helpful that you are able to check it, not necessarily in detail of course, as it includes quite technical date, just before we introduce our report to the Council of State the next month".
"Alright", the Lord Protector said, "I will try to read at least the introduction and the conclusion. Could you give me an advance? Did you find complicated to reach an agreement?".
"The work of the commission wasn't easy, Your Honorable Excellency, but I am proud of our job", François Duverger answered. "The financial situation is certainly dreary, and we have propose urgent reforms. While I wouldn't say that the situation is desperate, it is undeniable that the costs of the war were great, we were forced to increase our debts, and it is complicated that we will be able to balance our finances immediately. Losing the northern colonies has also reduced considerably the financial resources of the state. But I am confident that, with our reforms, we will be able to reverse the situation".
"So you are saying we are not bankrupt", the Lord Protector said without much interest.
"Fortunately we are not that bad...although the situation is serious enough", François Duverger answered. "It is difficult to make realistic analysis, as the information we obtained is not as precise as we would like. However, it is safe to say that the Atlantic trade is slowly recovering, Your Honorable Excellency, and although it is too early too say, production in the northern colonies is slowly recovering as well, with a reduction of the prices in cotton. Our other northern territories, sadly, they don't contribute much to the treasury, rather the contrary, and our other possessions, such as Jamaica and the Barbudan archipelago, mostly based on sugar are only slightly profitable. To balance such external situation, it will be required to do some serious reforms at home. For example, we have observed that differences in taxes between our provinces is creating serious problems for trade and industrial production. This had some sense in the past...But it is required a reform on this if we want to improve the economy".
"You say that as if it was easy to do", the Lord Protector replied. "It's alright, let's hope all this work it out sooner than expected. We haven't that much time".
Lord Protector August FitzRoy, the Anglo-Frankish Commonwealth head of state, had spent the new year's eve and the coming days in his Summer house in Paris, a rather small but comfy palace of Late Baroque style. August was randomly walking in one large room which served as one of his official offices. There were several piles of papers and documents on his table, and several maps -include two big maps of the Indian continent, and a third of Northern Africa- were hanged on the wall.
FitzRoy's political career was certainly as constant as surprising. After being a young member in both in the East England assembly and the Commonwealth General Assembly, he was appointed Lieutenant-governor of East England at age 33. FitzRoy was elected to the Commonwealth Council in the early 1770s, becoming a close ally of both William Pitt and Henry Fox. After the death of the former, in the middle of a complicated international crisis, FitzRoy was able to secure his election as 12th Lord Protector of the Anglo-Frankish Commonwealth in 1778.
Only several months after being inaugurated as Lord Protector, FitzRoy was forced to negotiate and sign the Peace of Dax, which resulted in the end of the American War and the loss and independence of the Northern American colonies. Although nobody could really blame him personally, FitzRoy did not aim to be remembered as the Lord Protector who was forced to accept the loss of the wealthiest and more important of the Commonwealth colonies to the date. Of course, he had still other, and more pleasant, entertainments, but ideas about how to recover and increase the prestige of the Commonwealth kept coming to his mind, without much success or conviction so far.
"Your Honorable Excellency", one of the servants announced the Lord Protector, "Monsieur de Forbonnais arrived five minutes ago".
"Alright...I see", FitzRoy said without much conviction. "Tell him to come him immediately".
François Duverger de Forbonnais climbed the stairs slowly. Forbonnais had been Inspector-General of the Parisian House of Commerce for twenty years. A year ago, he was appointed by the Commonwealth Council as chairman of a commission to determine the situation of the Commonwealth's financial situation and, more importantly, to propose economic and financial reforms for the consideration of the Commonwealth Council. His assistant Arthur was following him, who was carrying two huge folders.
"As I promise you, Your Honorable Excellency Lord Protector", François Duverger said, "I bring you our 270-page report that our commission has prepared...".
"Did you say 270...?", the Lord Protector asked. "Do you pretend that I have enough time to read that?".
"Well", François Duverger replied, "I thought it could be helpful that you are able to check it, not necessarily in detail of course, as it includes quite technical date, just before we introduce our report to the Council of State the next month".
"Alright", the Lord Protector said, "I will try to read at least the introduction and the conclusion. Could you give me an advance? Did you find complicated to reach an agreement?".
"The work of the commission wasn't easy, Your Honorable Excellency, but I am proud of our job", François Duverger answered. "The financial situation is certainly dreary, and we have propose urgent reforms. While I wouldn't say that the situation is desperate, it is undeniable that the costs of the war were great, we were forced to increase our debts, and it is complicated that we will be able to balance our finances immediately. Losing the northern colonies has also reduced considerably the financial resources of the state. But I am confident that, with our reforms, we will be able to reverse the situation".
"So you are saying we are not bankrupt", the Lord Protector said without much interest.
"Fortunately we are not that bad...although the situation is serious enough", François Duverger answered. "It is difficult to make realistic analysis, as the information we obtained is not as precise as we would like. However, it is safe to say that the Atlantic trade is slowly recovering, Your Honorable Excellency, and although it is too early too say, production in the northern colonies is slowly recovering as well, with a reduction of the prices in cotton. Our other northern territories, sadly, they don't contribute much to the treasury, rather the contrary, and our other possessions, such as Jamaica and the Barbudan archipelago, mostly based on sugar are only slightly profitable. To balance such external situation, it will be required to do some serious reforms at home. For example, we have observed that differences in taxes between our provinces is creating serious problems for trade and industrial production. This had some sense in the past...But it is required a reform on this if we want to improve the economy".
"You say that as if it was easy to do", the Lord Protector replied. "It's alright, let's hope all this work it out sooner than expected. We haven't that much time".