On Trial. Day 4.

The Republic of Venice was the centre of a trading empire whose contacts spread not just around the Mediterranean, but also along the Silk Road to the far east. They traded not just silk and spices, but also livestock, including horses and dogs. Some of the latter, from the mysterious land of Nippon, were much prized for their intelligence and sought after by the ruling elite.

Now the leader of Venice was elected for life. The Venetians were opposed to the idea of inherited office, although many leaders tried to bypass this by nominating their sons as the next leader. Eventually laws were passed preventing this. This angered the current leader, who took revenge by nominating his pet, saying that there was nothing in the rules to prevent it. Thus it came about that a Shiba Inu was elected Doge.
 
Despite their having first come to public prominence in the 1930s, it was only the second generation of the Nessie clan that entered Scottish politics in the 1970s. The eldest son Nes conducted a tour of Scotland, traveling beyond the confines of the Loch via a specially constructed aquatic tank. Like his father had first done in the 1930s, he would leave the water for brief intervals, becoming a popular figure and dynamic orator.

In the run-up to the 1979 devolution referendum, Nes campaigned for the Yes vote. The frequent campaigning and highlighting of the need for at least 40% of the electorate to turn out would be cited as critical in its success. A 52.6% majority representing 42% of the electorate put the provisions of the Scotland Act 1978 into effect. Nes would become a member of the parliament and would become a key figure in the successive Scottish independence referendum that followed the 1982 collapse of the Thatcher government following the Malvinas Conflict that year.
 
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