The vibe was pretty intense over at The Union Congress on Friday, November 27, 1789, as the 197th session rolled out. Speaker of the House Stanisław Małachowski kicked things off by stressing the importance of careful deliberation over hasty decision-making.

The hottest topic on deck? The new drafts concerning military recruitment were presented—one addressing the Polish-Ukrainian side and the other from the Lithuanian-Belarusian perspective. The discussion revolved around ensuring a solid number of recruits without undermining the current laws that maintain a standing army of 100,000 men.

The urgency around these drafts is linked to a much bigger fish to fry: a potential military threat. Word on the street—reportedly from Lieutenant Kossakowski—is that several Russian regiments may be planning to cross into The Union from Mohilow, bringing with them infantry, cavalry, and artillery. This may not be confirmed, but Kazimierz Sapieha, Speaker of the Lithuanian-Belarusian House, commended Kossakowski's vigilance, underscoring the need for preparation over panic.

In response, some representatives, like Jan Suchorzewski from Kalisz, gave impassioned speeches calling for immediate measures to secure Lithuania-Belarus's borders and for the more affluent Polish states to lend a financial and military hand to their less equipped neighbors. The overriding sentiment is: The Union needs to present a united front, ready to either defend its sovereignty or go down swinging.

Outside of wartime talks, a few legal tweaks about the aforementioned recruitment issue passed, but the specifics of accountability and penalties for non-compliance whipped up a debate so fiery, they had to hit pause until the next session.

Upping the ante on accountability, proposals to ensure every village pitches in and penalties for those shirking their responsibilities took the floor. Yet, they couldn't quite reach a consensus—should defaulters cough up a significant fine, or would such a move risk incentivizing the wealthy to evade their duties?

Amid the stream of proposals, a unified resolve emerged: keep The Union's military robust, and ensure it's got the funds and firepower to back its bite. As the clock ticked away, Speaker Małachowski suggested that they shelve it for further discussions at the provincial level to hash out the nitty-gritty without the pressure of the ticking Congress clock.

The President, seeing the need for a definitive call to action, put a bow on it by tasking the Secretaries of State to schedule a special session focused on how The Union's civilian military leadership will be elected.

And that's all for today, folks! Congress is adjourned until Monday, leaving us all hanging on the edge of our seats. Stay tuned for the next report as The Union navigates these turbulent waters of wartime preparation and political strategies.

Topics: Military reform; Recruitment and completion of the army; Border security and invasion threat; Equipment and financing of the armed forces; Development of internal administration and economy; Situation of Jews and tax obligations; Discussions on the responsibilities of government bodies; Reports and communications from the Military Commission; Parliamentary proceedings and drafting of legislation; Proposals and petitions from deputies;