1. The official weights shall be kept secured in the vault of the bank or within a secured location within the Community. Any tampering with the weight will result in permanent slavery and branding or death. The Stone and Foot will be measured annually at the Sardar Fairs for accuracy.
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2. Head of Caste and Merchant Magistrate will be appointed by a vote of the Caste Members in the respective Community. The Caste may file grievances with the Merchant Magistrate about the Head of Caste. Merchant Magistrate will then decide the merits of the grievance.
A) The Head of Merchant's position includes recruitment of all merchants, representing the merchants in a manner consistent with the traditions of the position, working with the Merchant Magistrate in implementing laws, maintaining a composure as a role model for all low castes. et. al.
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3. All laws shall be passed at the Sardar Fair and implemented in accordance with the Codes of the Caste of Merchants all Caste of Merchant members.
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4. A Merchant library shall be kept in all Cities/Villages for all forms and trials of the Merchant Magistrate and Head of Caste. The Merchant Magistrate and Head of Caste should work with a Scribe appointed by the Head Scribe of their respective Community in maintaining the Merchant library.
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5. Any land leased to or by the Merchant Caste of a Home Stone for purposes of a Garrison, Barracks, or Stockade shall be supplied with food, arms, and other amenities applicable to the purposed function. It shall be the responsibility of the Merchant Caste to maintain proper inventories of provisions and or arms applicable to the specified maximum number of men or prisoners as defined in the lease contract. Anyone in violation shall be subject to investigation and discplinary action up to and including expulsion from the Caste, by the Merchant Magistrate Elders at any of the Sardar Fairs. Complaints of violation of lease shall be brought forth by the lessor no later than the 5th day of the Fair.
Livestock (Animals and Slaves)
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1. Be it known that any and all human persons who have been branded, collared, or performed an act of submission before any Free Person shall officially from hence forth have no rights or freedoms and shall be considered livestock for sale, trade, or any other purposes as deemed by their owner.
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2. Privately owned livestock of a Dead Citizen becomes the property of the the Citizen's Free Companion. In the absence of a Free Companion they become the property of the owner's next of kin. In the event of neither Companion or next of kin, they become the property of the one who bested the Dead Citizen in combat, as long as the victor is a Citizen of the Deceased's Community . If the citizen is not of the same Home Stone then the livestock becomes the property of the Merchant Caste, and the Head Merchant will decide on selling to the Community, or keeping the stock for the Caste. Merchant caste will use the proceeds of such sale to pay documented debt claims against the deceased. Merchant Magistrate or his designee will arbitrate any disputes under this law.
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3. All livestock (including but not limited to bovine, fowl, beasts or burden, and/or slaves) can and will be periodically inspected by the Merchant Magistrate or his designee for proper documentation, marking, overall quality. Documentation can and will be checked for proper pedigree periodically. All livestock must be marked with a brand before it can be sold or traded. The three common brand sites are: Left Thigh, Right Thigh, Left Lower Abdomen, but personal brand sites are acceptable. Merchant Magistrate can stop or postpone any sale until proper paperwork and conditions are completed and filed in the Merchant Library Note: Merchant Law does not have jurisdiction over prisoners unless they are branded and collared, Prisoner Law falls under Civil Law.
A. Forgery or Falsification of livestock pedigree is a crime.
B. Attempting to sell or trade livestock without markings or brands is a crime.
C. The livestock becomes legally owned with a brand or gesture of submission.
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4.Enslavement of a male or female person cancels all debts,contracts, crimes, and other dishonorable acts, unless it is a punishment collar imposed by Civil or Merchant Magistrates, in which case only the debt which caused the act of punishment will be considered paid. All punishment collarings will be recorded by the Merchant or Civil Magistrate via trial proceedings and placed in the Merchant Library.
A. Livestock has no legal name.
B. Livestock may not have an appeal with reference to law and therefore have no rights.
C. Livestock may not hold citizenship.
D. Livestock's previous posessions will fall to the next of male kin (Companion and then nearest male relative) or in their absence the eldest Daughter after all due claims and taxes are paid. Should none be found refer to section 2.
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5. Any and all disputes over the maiming, dismemberment, death or other physical harming of livestock shall be decided on by the Merchant Magistrate. The owner of the dead or disfigured property may present a complaint to the Merchant Magistrate or his designee for consideration within one hand.
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6. Should a slave runaway or be taken, the owner has 2 hands (10) of days to find and reclaim said property or no longer have claim over it. Abandonment time will be determined by the laws of the owner's Home Stone if known or the Community in possesion of the slave and turned over to the Merchant Magistrate or his representative at that time. The Merchant Magistrate will take the livestock for the Merchant Caste and send notification to the previous owner. The livestock shall be placed in one of the kennels designated by the Magistrate and kept fed and groomed until it's fate is determined after the period of 10 days.
A. Owners of runaway slaves should notify the Merchant Magistrate in writing if they are literate or by a verbal meeting if they are not literate so that a Notice of Warrant can be filled out and posted, thus starting the two hand time period.
B. The standard punishment for slaves who runaway from an owner should be whipping for the first offense, hamstrung for the second offense. ***Note: Se'Kara 10113, this became a guideline and not requirement.***
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7. Livestock may only be released or sold by it's owner. If a Free Woman sells livestock of their Companion it shall be considered a crime and vice versa, akin to theft. The only other way livestock can be sold or released by someone other than their documented owner in the case of the fall of the city. At the fall of a city the livestock's rescuer becomes their legal owner and may elect to free or keep them enslaved.
A. Any and All Livestock who are freed should report with their previous owner to the scribes of their Home Stone to have manumission papers drawn up. If the previous owner is not accompanying the newly freed person then a sealed letter of manumission shall accompany said individual. Freed persons will be given 1 day to secure proper clothing and removal of the collar without threat of re-collaring by any citizen of the same Home Stone. All freed persons will keep a sealed copy of their manumission papers on them at all times in case of challenges to their status. Former slaves who are challenged, found to be branded, and without proper manumission papers shall be re-enslaved and sold from the public block after a 3 day holding period.
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8. Principle Merchant may inspect, by means of themselves or a designee, any work chain to make sure that no innocent Free are being held against their will.
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9. Any Livestock who strikes a Free can be punished by the person who was struck, including but not limited to: punching, slapping, kicking, biting with malice, hitting with an object. Punishment can include torture and execution and the owner of said property will not recieve compensation.
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10. Slaves shall not impersonate a free person execpt during public plays for the purposes of entertainment where the slave shall continue to wear a visible token of his or her bondage. Those slaves caught impersonating a free shall be subject to a severe whipping for the first offense and impalement for the second.
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11. All citizens of each City/Village shall within one hand of claiming ownership of any livestock meet with the Scribes appointed to the Merchants' work by the Head Scribe of the city and file proper ownership documentation and with the Physicians for health examination. Failure to do so may result in livestock being confiscated.
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12. All livestock sold from any slave house shall come with a receipt, health papers, pedigree certifications and any other applicable documents. Failure to do such may result in fines assesed against the slaver house.
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13. Livestock who have not reached mating age are granted limited protections consistent with their legal status and will be kept seperately from all adult livestock.
Business/Trade
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1. All Low Caste Manufacturers, Performers, Slavers and Merchants who sell items, entertainment, and other goods for profit must be registered and apply for a permit for operation of their business with the Merchant Magistrate or Head Merchant. All applications will be approved or rejected before business can be conducted. Periodic inspections of all manufacturing places, all shoppes, all storage facilities can and will be done by the Merchant Magistrate and /or Head Merchant; including food storages, livestock facilities, et al.
A) All Merchants and Slavers must maintain in their possession a license renewed yearly by their Home Stone's Merchant Caste as validation of their trade and must be presented when asked for by any Merchant Magistrate or Head Merchant for permits or any other purposes.
B) Any and all fees pertaining to Merchant Validation License must be made in accordance with Merchant Caste Codes. Any violation will be brought forth to the Merchant Magistrate at the next Sardar Fair with possible expulsion from the Caste.
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2. All imports and exports must have a manifest before entering or exiting any City/Village. Any and all taxes(imposed by the Home Stone or Merchant Caste of same Home Stone) will be recorded in the register of the Gate/Harbor Master and all copies of import and export manifests shall accompany said taxes. Each register will be filed in the Merchant Library for the previous Month by the last day of following Passage Hand. The Waiting Hand will be included in the register of En'kara. All persons with livestock and other goods will be registered with the Gate/Harbor Master before entering or leaving the city.
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3. The Gates of any City/Village may be closed to goods at anytime by the Merchant Magistrate or Principle Merchant to restrict inflow or outflow of goods at any given time for economic reasons.
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4. Any person may bring an accusation against any manufacturer, distributor, seller of goods to the Merchant Magistrate about the quality of any product sold or dishonest business practices.
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5. In times of war or conflict with other cities, a trade agreement will be set up by the Principle Merchant and Merchant Magistrate, with the Heads of the Merchant Caste from the other city, to be recognized by the Warriors and Administration of said cities, to allow for unimpeded trade and free safe travel. This shall be done as a courtesy for merchants who are travelling and may not be aware, although this, according to the Sardar War Act of En'Var 10002, shall not stop merchants from warring cities to ply their trade and Caste business in the opposing cities. Any violation of this shall be taken before the Caste Elders at the following Fair for possible sanctions against the violating city in question.
NOTE: This does not exempt the Merchant from being inspected by either Army/Navy, and does not exempt the Merchant from being imprisoned for carrying contraband.
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6. Any Home Stone may establish it's own copyright and patent laws under the Merchant Caste but are not enforceable under Sardar Approved Merchant Law and thus only enforceable as far as the city walls.
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7. All those companies and individuals wishing to perform music, plays, or other forms of entertainment in the streets of any Home Stone shall first obtain a license from the Merchant Magistrate's office. Performing without such a license is a criminal offense that may be punished with fines and imprisonment. The Merchant Magistrate's office shall review all such requests and may demand payment before said license is issued. No Free Woman can act in plays in the public square. All females in public plays must be slaves. Free Women may be storytellers, poets, musicians, etc. and will be free from being enslaved during the time of their permit and ONLY during performances of their entertainment.
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8. Contracts are only enforcible if they are written and the original signators are present, verbal contracts shall not be enforcible. Contracts for business between two people are not handed down to their next of kin in case of death (Jus Sanquis), debt contracts shall be handed down to the next of kin.
Coins/Bank
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Only Merchants and or the Community may operate a bank and will be under strict scrutiny of the Caste of Merchants in accordance with the Security Act of En'Kara 9957 and the Holding/Lending/Minting Acts of Se'Var 10003, En'Var 9807, and Se'Kara 9958
1. All Bank Vaults will be secured at all times by only approved guards. No one person will ever hold more than 4 of the 7 keys required for each entrance into the Bank Vault. No one person shall ever enter the Bank Vault alone under penalty of execution. Any and all persons entering and exiting the Bank Vault shall be subject to search, Free Men and Free Women included. No unauthorised materials may enter the Bank Vault at any time.
2. All coins minted or brought into any Home Stone will be subject to inspection by the Merchant Magistrate and/or Head Merchant for quality and correct weight. All coins must bear a name of the city of minting and be recorded in the register and filed in the Merchant Library upon date of final manufacture. The Community whose name guarantees the weight and value of the minted coin. Private coinage is permitted but must be authorized by the community in which it was minted and acknowledged as having the support, acceptance, and guarantee of value of that Community.
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3. Tampering/Debasing with any coin is considered a crime. Any holes in a coin shall be stamped during production, they can not be drilled.
4. All Credit Notes issued by and/or in any Home Stone will have a serial number and be listed on the Register of the Credit and kept secured in the vault of the Bank, including all Credit Notes issed by Citizens of the same Home Stone. All Credit notes issued by the Honestone's citizens shall be registered on the bank vault within 20 ahn of issuance.
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5. Forgery or tampering with Credit Notes is considered a crime.
6. Currency Exchange Rates will be adjusted by a vote of the Merchant Magistrate, Head Merchant, and Caste Members. Tax rates will be left to the individual Home Stone, including but not limited to Income Tax, Luxury Tax, Import and Export Taxes. Additional rates may also be placed by the Principle Merchant to raise money for the Merchant Caste for such things as Merchant Guards, Bank Guards, and other general welfare matters of the Low Castes.
7. Interest Rates for Credit Notes shall be decided upon by the Head Merchant and posted for one hand before taking effect.