Orgy of Honest Legislation

In the 2nd part of his publication on the 16th-century Poland1,

the diplomat and royal secretary, Marcin Kromer,
describes the division of state and local authorities
in this gentry republic.

So, the king from election (a foreigner) is controlled by the Senate -

made up of advisers from the knighthood and clergy.
Together with the king, the upper chamber combines limited legislative
with executive power: in addition to heads of regions (including voivods)
and dignitaries, there are also several ministers in it.

The apparatus of regional authority is well developed

and is the legacy of the medieval territorial division,
when the main regions were ruled by the princes of the first dynasty.
Revenue of state, royal and local officials is insignificant -
Kromer says. These offices are full of wealthy people.
Judicial power is also varied, each of the social classes
has its minutely organized judiciary.

However, it is the Sejm2 -

where the king presents his legislative initiatives -
seems to be a kind of intellectual orgy of legislation.
The success of his proposals depends on
the general opinion of gentry deputies, as well as senators.
Kromer praises this power control system by invoking
the ancient institutions of ephors and tribunes of the people
in Sparta and Rome.

MMXVIII

1 Polonia sive de situ, populis, moribus, magistratibus et Republica regni Polonici libri duo (Poland or
About the Geography, Population, Customs, Offices, and Public Matters of the Polish Kingdom in Two
Volumes) - a work by Marcin Kromer (1512-1589) summing up all knowledge about Poland of the sixteenth
century - geographical, ethnic, cultural, social, economic and constitutional data
2 historical name for the parliament