Territorial reforms enacted by Parliament
The Empire sees various territorial reforms with the passage of the Amerdansk, Augusta and New Richmond Act 2019. The Act, proposed to the House of Representatives by Prime Minister Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, has separated the former New Richmond borough of North New Saint Josephsburg from that City, becoming the Town of Augusta. The now Lord Riley Kennedy, Baron of Augusta – the younger brother of Lord Admiral Joseph – has been appointed Acting Representative of Augusta pending a local election. Lord Riley has joined the Imperial Party, and as a Representative has become a member of the Imperial Party Board (the governing body of the party). The legislation has also re-annexed portions of the New Richmond borough of Saint Josephsburg which were previously ceded to the United States by the New Richmond Act 2014. The newly re-annexed land consists of the house where Lord Admiral Joseph resided at the time of New Richmond’s transition from a Crown Dependency to a Town, and is currently resided in by his aunt and her three children. The Town of Amerdansk, formerly represented in Parliament by Lord Anthony Clark, has been transitioned to a Crown Dependency, which the now The Rt. Hon. Anthony Clark has been appointed Governing Commissioner of. This is in response to Clark’s withdrawal from active politics, including within Parliament.
Changes to New Richmond
An Act of Parliament was passed this morning which ceded some areas of New Richmond to the United States of America whilst annexing some to it back from the USA. North New Richmond and the western half of Saint Josephsburg were ceded to the USA, while two new areas of land were annexed to New Richmond. These two new areas are yet to be named by its town council. As a result of these changes, New Richmond (and therefore the Empire as a whole) has made a net gain of roughly 23,895 square feet and a net loss of one resident. New Richmond is set to gain the status of a city on 9 January next year, meaning that they will elect a Mayor in their next local election.
Further expansion for New Richmond
After expanding to become Austenasia’s largest Town only a few weeks ago, New Richmond has once again grown with the addition of two new houses. Joseph Nobilissimus Caesar and his immediate family have moved from their former home in Saint Josephsburg to a new house several miles away. The former has been ceded back to the United States of America, whereas the latter has now joined the Empire and New Richmond as the district of West Richmond, along with the neighbouring house. The house next to the Caesar’s new home belongs to relatives of his, who agreed to leaving the United States and joining West Richmond. This simultaneous cession and annexation of land – formalised by an Act of Parliament and a transfer of sovereignty ceremony earlier this evening – has increased the Empire’s population to 54. The cession of the Caesar’s old house in Saint Josephsburg is the first time that Austenasia has relinquished sovereignty over territory since January 2010, when a small area of land was given to the Slinky Empyre. The rest of Saint Josephsburg has remained Austenasian. More information, as well as photographs, will be published when available.
New Richmond and Shineshore become Towns as former expands
The Crown Dependencies of New Richmond and Shineshore have become Towns, a day after New Richmond was ceded land from Ashukovo. New Richmond and Shineshore are the first Towns of the Empire to be established outside of Great Britain, the former an enclave of the United States and the latter an enclave of Canada. The transition took place earlier today through an Act of Parliament. All Austenasian land outside of Great Britain has until now joined the Empire as Crown Dependencies, but requests were made by Shineshore and New Richmond to become Towns. This gives them representation in Parliament, but also places them under the authority of the central government. Lord Centurion Alastair and the now Lord Dux Joseph, the former Governing Commissioners of Shineshore and of New Richmond respectively, have become the Acting Representatives of the two new Towns. This comes only a day after New Richmond expanded after annexing Saint Josephsburg from the Ashukov Federation. Saint Josephsburg, which has eight residents including Lord Dux Joseph Kennedy and is estimated to span roughly 15400 square feet, was yesterday ceded with the consent of its population by Ashukovo to New Richmond. Separated by just over 14 miles, Saint Josephsburg and the original New Richmond – the latter now known as North New Richmond – now comprise the most populated territorial division in Austenasia, with ten residents. With the annexation of Saint Josephsburg, New Richmond now contains a shop which sells home appliances to the citizens of the neighbouring United States, whereas in Shineshore, plans for a space agency have recently been discussed. Arrangements for local government are currently being put into place in the two new Towns.