Dear Readers, a remarkable event unfolded in the Senate chamber as the Speaker of the House, Mr. Stanisław Małachowski, addressed the assembly. He remarked that sometimes when a critical project seems complete, it turns out there’s still essential work to be done. The same holds for the recent Universal, which looked finished but required further additions.

Sentiments were voiced to refine the apparently complete Universal—a pressing task that Representative Walerian Strojnowski from Volhynia was to undertake alongside the delegate from Chełm, aiming to satisfy views expressed during the last session. Other proposed amendments concerning civil-military commissioners and town commissioners shall be considered after revisiting this matter.

Mr. Walerian Strojnowski declared the refined draft ready for review, and the secretary Mr. Jan Łuszczewski read it aloud, emphasizing that instructions must reflect the nation's true will. No instruction falling short of these standards would be deemed valid.

Amendments to the draft were numerous — Representative Ignacy Zakrzewski from Poznań suggested clarifications around votes, including secret ballots for decision-making and elections. Meanwhile, Representative Mateusz Butrymowicz from Pińsk addressed a specific procedural custom in Lithuania-Belarus.

Debate ensued over who decides the validity of instructions, to which Mr. Wojciech Suchodolski from Chełm explained it’s a matter to be settled at local congresses. This led to fears from Representative Onufry Morski from Podolia that opening instructions to complaints would lead to endless challenges.

The session saw the sharing of several viewpoints on how the instructions should be decided to ensure fairness and legality in the electoral process. A desire to clarify and systematize the voting procedure was echoed by other statesmen.

After some debate, the assembly unanimously agreed that instructions must be decided before electing Representatives. This set a new order that would significantly affect the upcoming local congresses scheduled for November 16.

The day's discussions highlighted the continuous evolution of The Union's political process. Different regions, including West and East Poland-Ukraine, Lithuania-Belarus, and Latvia, were all active participants in shaping the future of their shared political entity.

The adherence to procedural norms and the quest for a truly representative system of instruction were evident. As the session ended, it was clear that the complexities of Constitutional government were at the forefront of The Union's affairs.

Tune in for more updates as delegates continue to navigate the intricate dance of 18th-century politics in the Union of Poland-Ukraine and Lithuania-Belarus!

Topics: King's indisposition; Stanisław Małachowski, Marshal of the Sejm; Sejm Instruction Project; Walerian Strojnowski; voting and decision-making in sejmiks (regional assemblies); Ignacy Zakrzewski; Mateusz Butrymowicz; Tomasz Dłuski; Jan Łuszczewski; sejmik session proceedings; legislative project of the Estates; Wojciech Świętosławski;

Continuation Clause

Good news, folks! Our Representatives at Congress, recognizing the persistent needs of The Union (that's Poland-Ukraine and Lithuania-Belarus for us), have extended the duration of their ongoing session. Turns out, there's still a lot on their plates—unfinished government business and securing our political situation, to name a few tasks at hand.

Here's the deal: The current Representatives forming this Congressional confederation are betting on continuity. They're sticking around. Every State and County will elect as many Representatives as usual on November 16th this year, moving up the local congresses (sejmiks) that were initially set for February 9th, 1791, to ease the hassle for citizens.

The Representatives already at Congress will convene again on December 16th. By joining the ongoing confederation, they will work alongside their freshly elected peers under the guidance of our trusty Speaker's gavel to wrap up the Union's essential matters. The Lithuania-Belarus contingent gets an extra promise: the next session's schedule will be considered explicitly for them once this confederation wraps up.

Topics: confederation; duration of the confederation; legislative Sejm; deputies; sejmiks (local assemblies); Lithuanian province; elections; political situation; republic; proceedings of the Sejm;