The Chronicle

of the month of Kryll in the year 151

Alderman William Trueman has finally completed his ruling on the Lambourne Hearing with a decision to commit him to Trial. Addressing the court with much solemnity Alderman Trueman declared, "Councillor Lambourne has done no wrong in expressing his opinions and I would hope that this case reinforces the right of a councillor to express his honest opinions. However, on the charge that Councillor Lambourne has put his personal sympathies ahead of the interests of the city, I have reached a different conclusion. I have seen no evidence to acquit Councillor Lambourne. Furthermore, I also believe that he would have preferred King Kieran's army to have defeated Princess Selina's forces on the field of battle. While I will not deal with the affairs of Kings and Princesses here, the likely outcome would have been the sacking of the City of Linrodeth. This is manifestly not in the interests of the city. I am not absolutely certain that Councillor Lambourne took any actions against the interests of the city, but neither am I convinced that he is innocent. Thus it is my legal duty to commit him for trial on the Charge of Misconduct on this matter." The reaction of Marcus Lambourne has been noble whilst Alderman Alan Monterey has made it clear he intends to challenge the legal basis of the whole event. Cllr Lambourne has not been imprisoned. Cllr Irvine Grendle, an old hand at Witanmoot politics, described Lambourne as "incredibly lucky that Lady Andrews is soft." he declared, "Old Lord Dixon would have topped him without trial months ago". The trial will take place before Lady Andrews next month.

The Witanmoot has clearly resolved into two distinct groups. The first a coalition of William Trueman, Jim Bottler and Petro Cutario has a strong and positive line on the new budget and the need for a massive Merchant Navy. The second, led by Marcus Lambourne and Alan Monterey, has denounced Lady Andrews policy, the budget and the expenditure on ships as sheer folly. However the key split goes deeper than this, with the pro-Selina faction looking to an independent Linrodeth and the Pro-Kieran faction seeking to link Linrodeth into a wider Athionic alliance with High King Kieran.

The budget debate provided an excellent opportunity to see the widening gulf between the two groups. The speeches of one time allies Jim Bottler and Alan Monterey sum up the situation. Bottler's proud speech to the council commending the budget as "a forward looking investment in the future" was met by Monterey's careful explanation of the budgets' faults and outraged incredulity. Things became tense when Alderman Monterey declared that the shipping budget would be passed over his dead body and several councillors stood up to oblige him. However it became clear that the new league had done a deal and Monterey and Lambourne were simply not worthy of their consideration. Indeed the turning point of the argument occurred when, after strong speeches by Lambourne and Monterey regarding the cut donation to Esprayenna, Alderman Cutario stood up and expressed surprise that they had not checked facts and that the Esprayenna Temple had itself suggested the cut. In the end it was not the arguments but the combined votes of the new league which won the day. Once Lady Andrews, Cutario and Bottler has agreed to Trueman's amendment to donate the contingency from Trade to Law and Order in order to raise the donation to Hahn, votes went through on the strength of the new league block vote of 162 to 114 with most of the independents siding with the new league.

The first of the newly refitted armed merchantmen has completed its sea trials and participated in a successful raid against a large Noordic port. The Pugnacious returned from her mission having destroyed two Noordic boats and captured a third. The refitted 200 tun cogs Bellicose and Belligerent will be launched this month to join the consortium fleet.

Repercussions from the budget debate are continuing to create tensions throughout the city and within various factions. Richard Saunders and Jenny Davy launched a combined assault on the Shipping budget's removal of the storm rescue funding. Alderman Monterey joined the fray and described Alderman Cutario suggestion that this was an unnecessary sinecure for the citizens of Bridge as a "vast insult to the people of Bridge". Richard Saunders was more reserved, and yet more scathing with his comment that. "The people of Bridge will still perform this duty as we have for decades. The reward has never been important. It is lives not money that matter to us".