The Grantville Constitutional Convention took place in the late fall of 1631 (NTL). In an October meeting, the Emergency Committee Cabinet decided that the security situation via foreign armies and sufficient internal stabilization of Grantville's refugee influx and recent victory in the Battle of Jena Crossroads allowed for a reasonably secure transition of power. John Chandler Simpson led a coalition opposed to giving franchise rights to down-timers without extensive laws limiting the right to vote—a stance abhorrent to the Committee Cabinet. A political rally at the Thuringen Gardens denounced Simpson's position.