26. Prince of the Empire (1845-1850)
October 10, 1850 Imperial Council Manila
Andres had four members in his council - Chief of General Staff from the Army, Chief of Naval Staff from the navy and the two ministers from Civil service; one for home office the other for foreign office.
They were reviewing the update from the foreign office of the situation in Europe.
The Dutch requested again that the Philippine government to stop Philippine merchants from supplying Javan rebels and Balinese with weapons.
The council discussed what options they have…
After the discussion on what to do with Dutch control of East Indies, Andres shares a letter from Queen Victoria accepting his request.
In 1845, Andres was getting old. His children were not interested nor qualified to run the state. His brother Mariano was ageing and his children were also not interested in politics nor qualified. They were more interested in arts, literature and the luxuries of life. Nor they joined the army or navy. One of Andres’ son was even thrown to the prison labor camp for killing one of the naval sailors during a bar fight. Imperial Judiciary found Andres’ son guilty. Andres’ mistress appealed to Andres to release their son. Andres did not interfere in the court’s proceedings. He does not want a rebellious navy. His son was thrown to the prison labor camps which Andres signs off. Andres' relationship with his family was strained. The army and navy won’t allow both Novales’ descendants to take power. Andres knows that if he had chosen one of the members of the army or navy, a civil war might spark.
His plan was to install a person that his army, navy would fear, respect to ensure continuity and stability. The British were feared by his army and navy knowing they can invade Manila anytime. Although they believe they can resist the first British attack, they do not believe they can win in the long run with British blockades. Any ambitious plans by opportunistic locals to execute and takeover a son of Queen Victoria may earn the wrath of the British which both military and economically could be disastrous.
In his letter in 1845, Andres offered the Philippine crown to Queen Victoria’s son Alfred upon his death. Queen Victoria and the British did not respond after 6 months. Then, Andres started inquiring other candidates that had significant navies. He inquired from the French and Russian nobilities. Philippine representatives was in contact with Napoleon II, then in exile in London. No one exactly knows what Philippine representatives and Napoleon II talked about but it was rumored that he was offered the crown. Henri d’ Orleans, Duke of Aumale, was also in contention. He had a distinguished military career during the French pacification of Algeria in 1847. Henri is the son of then, French King Louis Philippe. Grand Duke Konstantin was also considered. He is the son of Czar Nicholas I of Russia.
The Army had their own candidate they were pushing in the absence of a British candidate. Prince Charles (Friedrich Karl Alexander) of Prussia who is the brother of the current King Frederick William IV. Prince Charles served the Prussian army since the age of ten in 1811 and is now the Inspector-General of the army.
The Home office and the foreign office were very pro-British. The Foreign office policies were very much British aligned. The Home office is also very pro-British with a lot of British capital invested in the Philippines. The Navy was very pro-British with British advisors and naval officers trained by the British. However, in the absence of a British candidate, and the removal of Orleans line from French monarchy, and reestablishment of the Bonaparte’s in French government, the three offices would prefer a Bonaparte than a Hohenzollern.
When the British learned about Andres’ French, Prussian and Russian inquiries and the birth of Prince Arthur (third son of Queen Victoria), the British agreed to Andres’ proposal. The British did not want Andres handing over Philippines into the hands of the French or Russians or the Prussians which would push the Philippines away from British sphere of influence. The birth of Prince Arthur gave the British monarchy a spare to the heir, Prince Albert.
The Philippines was also not immune to protests or revolts like Europe. There were violent protests in Manila and Cebu in 1849 demanding more liberal laws. The Imperial Police arrested the protesters. In early 1850, there was an orderly protest by army and navy veterans at the streets of Ermita, Manila demanding right to vote. After their service, veterans lose the power or say once they were out of the army or navy. Andres and Imperial police only allowed these people to protest. He does not dare arrest veterans of the army and navy. Any other protesters were disapproved or rounded up as troublemakers.
Andres had a draft of the constitution, made by a committee appointed by Andres, and would form a regency (picked by Andres) upon his death until Alfred arrives and come to age.
The constitution includes all previous imperial decrees, freedom of religion, equality for all citizens, everyone gets a right to vote, and formation of an assembly/parliament. Citizenship can be acquired thru allegiance or birth. Legislation requires confirmation of the parliament and monarch. But the monarch gets to make legislation in case the Parliament is not in session. The Monarch retains most of his/her function including right to declare war, grant pardons, appoint ministers and judges, etc.
Andres tried to make the Judiciary under his reign independent, shielding them from the influence of military and home office. An independent judicial system was vital to the society he was creating. Technically, Andres had the power to manipulate the judiciary but he did not. He preferred the judiciary to practice interpreting with whatever law is written. He wanted this practice to continue after he is gone, with the power of judicial review separate from the monarch. He believes there should be prompt and impartial administration of justice to protect against the arbitrary will of the state.
The aim of Andres in the new constitution was to prevent crime rather than punish it. For that reason, torture was abolished and death penalty dropped for many crimes. Security and welfare of the community was the considered interest.
Censorship in all levels was still to be rigidly imposed except in the academics.
To prevent future repeat of army and navy veteran protests, the Imperial government organized veteran’s association for the army and navy. They will vote for representatives which will have direct access to the emperor and parliament. Right to peaceful assembly was allowed inside private homes or buildings. Political assembly, protest at public areas were not allowed. The police can arrest those who violate public spaces.
The council objects on several clauses on the draft. The army and navy rejects that everyone gets the right to vote. The army was the one who voted Andres in power not the people in 1823. The army and navy brass believes that right to vote should only belong to the people who serve within the military branches, enforce discipline and obedience to the state. Andres resolves the issue by citizens can only vote if they serve in the army or navy for 5 years. The Civil service representatives, composing of a lot of women civil servants, wants women to vote. The Army and Navy did not recruit females. Andres negotiates by forcing the Army and the navy to open both their branches to female recruits limiting them to non-combat assignments from medical personnel to administration and logistics.
Another contention is the right to run for member of parliament. The council rejects the idea that everyone should be able to run for office. Not everyone should be able to run without qualification. They added that the member must pass the civil service exam and serve Civil Service for 5 years (home office or foreign office). Then, one can run for member of parliament.
The Imperial council also wants descendants of Alfred to serve their branches for 10 years. All members of the imperial family should serve 3 years in the army and another 2 years in the navy and will be treated like everyone else with no special treatment. Then, serve another 3 years at home office, 2 years at the foreign office. Everyone must pass the civil service exam. Succession is absolute cognatic primogeniture. If one of Alfred’s descendant refuses service, they were out of succession and were stripped of any title and salary/allowance. If descendant is too young, the succession passes to the next in line who had completed government service.
After the issues were resolved, the army, navy and civil service both supported Alfred and the new Constitution.
With British approval, Spanish was added to Alfred’s curriculum of Latin, French and German. Andres regularly sends him books about the Philippines, laws and history. He also sends him news and updates on the life in the Philippines.
Nearing the end of the council meeting, Andres reminds them of dinner, to celebrate the retirement Jose Azcarraga Secretary of the Foreign office. The dinner will be held at Malacanang river house owned by Johannes Andreas Zobel, Jose’s friend and German migrant, local pharmaceutical mogul.[1] Everybody congratulates Jose in his last day in the Imperial council.
Before the meeting was adjourned, a Gurkha guard entered accompanying a man and Andres’ personal secretary. He was Andres next meeting.
This man was tall and features similar to a mestizo Sangley Filipino. Andres’ personal secretary presents him as Francisco Mercado.[2]
Andres is planning to build railways and telegraph lines all over Luzon. Francisco will be heading the construction of the railway and telegraph lines. He will begin with the line from Manila to Cavite City with a distance of 25 kilometers. Francisco will be assisted by British advisors and engineers.
Andres looks at the document of Francisco Mercado, combination of public records and research done by the Emperor’s eyes.
Born in Biñan Laguna 1818, Francisco Mercado’s father died in 1826. He attended public primary school, then graduated with multiple degrees of engineering at Varela University. He was part of the team that built the extension of railways and telegraphs in Cebu. He married a woman named Teodora Alonso in 1848, who he met at Varela University, graduating in Commerce. Teodora started several businesses in Calamba. They have a one-month-old child named Saturnina. [3]
[1] Johannes Andreas Zobel migration happened in OTL in 1832 and TTL. He was one of the patriarchs of the current billionaire Zobel-Ayala clan in OTL; Malacanang was not bought by the government TTL
[2] Francisco Mercado retained his name due TTL not having the OTL Spanish Claveria in 1849 decree forcing Filipinos to adopt Spanish approved names. However, due to changes in TTL, public school was more appealing than private school which offered Latin that Francisco took in OTL. He also took Latin and Philosophy in OTL in Colegio de San Jose compared to Varela University engineering TTL.
[3] Teodora Alonso and Saturnina remain as OTL except Teodora enrolls in business in TTL Varela University. In OTL Teodora met Francisco Mercado in Colegio de San Jose. Her education background in OTL was mathematics and literature. She was born in 1827 same as OTL.
