Trade Assemblies

Trade Assemblies were for all intents and purposes the local ruling bodies of settlements in the Aurian Empire. They had no ability to create law, this power was held by the Senate and the Emperor. Though in Senatorial cities the local senators interacted and worked along side the the Trade Assemby for that city/town/village/hamlet. Local law would be informed by the senator and in a Senatorial city they would need to sign off on any local adaptation of Imperial Law. Senators acted as judges in criminal appeals as well. Though in smaller settlements the Trade Assembly sat as a tribunal in criminal charges.

## Different Types

The different types of Trade Assemblies was based as most things in the Empire on geography and size.

* Trade Assembly (Hamlet) - These were usually made of a small assortment of local people of importance, typically family leaders. They had to have owned land or had enough assets to have placed them among the ten richest people in the area. These assemblies were often dispersed and met rarly and only for significant business such as paying the annual tax, dealing with a serious criminal/civil dispute or collecting the vote. Typically these numbered less than 8 people.
* Trade Assembly (Village) - As hamlet but there will be more members and the members will change more often as people can stand for and challenge for seats. The Village Caller would have been paid for his role and had to be a man. Every year the assembly could have called for a vote on the Caller. Most years the assembly would not change or if it did it would only be one or two positions would change Typically these assemblies numbered between 10 and 14 people.
* Trade Assembly (Town) - Similar to village assemblies in many respects. At this level, position in the assembly would require the time of the members daily. As a result these assembly members would have been paid from the trade tarrifs of the town. The leader was called the Town Caller. Due to their increased involvement taking them away from direct business you could be sponsered to sit on the Trade Assembly representing a member of the town who was far wealthier than you. In this case you were said to be 'sitting for them'. Typically these assemblies numbered between 10 and 20 men and women.
* Trade Assembly (Senatorial Town) - As Trade Assembly Town only the wage was higher and the numbers larger and the local Senator could demand to be present at any meeting.
* Trade Assembly (Senatorial City) - The Trade Assembly of a city was a large separate organisation governing trade, land ownership, business licencing, employment levies, local banks, guild disputes, the poor and civil tribunals. The law and law enforcement was left in the hands of the Senator(s) and the Protectorans. Led by a City Caller and numbering 30 to 40 individuals.
* Trade Assembly (Trading Area) - These were massive administrative bodies and were actually a formal part of the Audit Corporation. They audited the voting, lower Trading Assembies, import and export taxes, freedom of travel and intercity organisational business management and fees. Led by an Area Caller and numbered in the order of at least 50 members.
* The Honourable Trading Masters Assembly of Tor Honarik. This was the formal name for the original Trading Assembly of Tor Honarik formed from the Ro'Tier. They opperated very differently from a city's typical Trade Assembly as they were theoretically the standard for all others to match. If something was to change in the manner of operation, postions or powers of trade assemblies it must happen in this one first. It has archaic traditions and theoretical powers that it had not tried to enforce for many years. Led by the Honourable Trading Master of Tor Honarik and numbering exactly 25 members.

## The Role of the Caller

All Assemblies were led by a City Caller. Such an individual was always a man and had to be among the richest 10 people in the settlement or sponsered by such. The Caller was chosen from among the assembly by its members only. A caller could be called once a year and if a Caller died within that year and so there was a call sooner than that, that date became the new anniversary of the call.

Callers were the only member of the assembly who had powers to call new business before the assembly, including new local tarrifs and laws. Though any member could agenda an item for discussion and propose action if it had been raised and had not yet been archived. If an archived matter was to be acted on again, the Caller must be pursuaded to raise the matter anew before any official action could be taken in particular votes or the expenditure of funds.

## The Role of the Assembly Members

Within most assemblies the rest of the attendees had a theoretically equal standing under the Caller. The ability to stand for an assembly position was based on economic standing so in most areas the nobility dominated the assemblies. If someone lost enough fortune to become ineligible, their position could be officially challenged and they could be removed from the assembly (and even the nobility).