Chapter 5&6: parliament

Question 1

What were the 4 ancient privileges enjoyed by MP’s?

Answer 1

Free access to monarch and the house of lords to convey opinions.

The right to correct mistakes or misunderstandings that may prejudice the commons.

Freedom from arrest while parliament is sitting and for 20 days after it is dissolved (except treason, felony, and breach of the peace).

Freedom of speech (within vague limits that were often disputed).

Question 2

Shirley’s case: date?

Answer 2

1604

Question 3

Shirley’s case: details and impact?

Answer 3

MP Thomas Shirley was arrested for debt.

It upset MP’s as it infringed on their right to freedom from arrest.

They sent the governor of fleet debtors prison to the tower of London until Shirley was released.

Question 4

What was the ‘form of apology and satisfaction’ and what prompted it?

Answer 4

It was a document made by some MP’s protesting James’ handling of political issues.

It was bc some MP’s were upset that James refused to allow the house of commons to pass ecclesiastical reforms, there was also discontent over wardship and purveyance.

Question 5

Union of Scotland and England: date?

Answer 5

1606

Question 6

Union of Scotland and England: details and impact?

Answer 6

James declared:

• His title would be ‘King of GB, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith- Parliament didn’t want it to be GB as they thought the laws would be abolished and written for more power
• New currency called the ‘unite’
• All ships carry the union flag

Parliament opposed it on religious, legal, economic and political grounds- disliked the Scots- worried about James absolutist tendencies

The plan collapsed

Question 7

The Buckinghamshire Election: date?

Answer 7

1604

Question 8

The Buckinghamshire Election: details?

Answer 8

Court of Cancery annulled election of Francis Goodwin as MP for Buckinghamshire bc he was an outlaw for two outstanding summonses for debt

In the second election, John Fortescue (privy council) was made his replacement- he actually lost the first election

Question 9

The Buckinghamshire Election: impact?

Answer 9

This was seen as royal interference, they heard Goodwin’s case and reinstated him

James saw this as acting illegally allowing an outlaw

James asked them to consult the house of lords for legal advice and didn’t restrict the debate

The debate widened to constitutional issues and a battle over balance of parliamentary privilege and royal prerogative

James suggested Goodwin and Fortescue should be scrapped and hold new election.

He also allowed the commons to judge some elections in return

Question 10

Addled Parliament of 1614: financial need

Answer 10

Failure of great contract, Cecil died, crown lands sold

Decreased long term income

Financial pressure on James I- debt in 1614= £680,000

Question 11

Addled Parliament of 1614: fractional conflict

Answer 11

Competing groups

Howard faction- pro catholic Spain

Protestant faction

Protestant faction called Parliament to attach the Howard faction

Question 12

Addled Parliament of 1614: manipulation of MP’s

Answer 12

Controversial crown plans to make deals for Parliament support leaked

Henry Nevilles ‘certain propositions’ - goodwill by concession

Bacon- influence elections by patronage

Mp’s were fearful of absolutism

Question 13

Addled Parliament of 1614: James I indecisiveness

Answer 13

Appointed no secretary of state to represent him in commons until the last minute

Even then it was Ralph Winwood who was incompetent

Question 14

Addled Parliament of 1614: impositions

Answer 14

Financial issues

Taxes on everything

Monarch’s feudal right

Question 15

1621 Parliament: tensions and conflicts

Answer 15

Tensions due to abuse of monopolies

James tried to use anti-catholic parliament to scare Spain into Spanish match by threatening war

3rd Dec 1621- MP petition criticising the Spanish match
-James stated that MP’s could not discuss foreign policy and that it was a Prerogative right

James dissolved parliament

18th Dec 1621- protest that it was Parliaments ‘undoubted birthright’ to discuss foreign policy
-James I used prerogative to rip out the document from the commons journal

Question 16

Thirty years war: how it started? Why did James have reason to get involved? Why didn’t he?

Answer 16

Triggered by election of German catholic prince as king of Bohemia

Was originally a religious fight but became more about limiting Hapsburg’s power- catholic head of roman empire

There was a protestant rebellion and they offered the title to Frederik of the Palinate

James daughter Elizabeth married Frederik

Oct 1620 they were forced into exile

James saw himself as ‘Rex Pacificus’ the peaceful king and refused to get involved even though he had religious and dynastic reason to

Question 17

Madrid trip: date?

Answer 17

1623

Question 18

Madrid trip: details and impact?

Answer 18

Charles and Buckingham went to Madrid to complete the Spanish match

They received poor treatment at Spanish court as the court was anti-protestant

C and B now pro-war

Made C surfacely popular

James warned that allying with Parliament could be damaging long term bc of foreign policy, religion and finance

C married French Catholic

Question 19

1624 Parliament: what did Charles and Buckingham do?

Answer 19

James I was ill

Charles and Buckingham were anti-Spanish now and pro-war- led parliament- undermined James authority

James pushed for more aggressive anti-Spanish stance

• MP’s were reluctant to provide funds
• Possible James did this to prove to Parliament that they didn’t really want war bc it was against financial interests

Question 20

1625 parliament: what did Charles need? What did parliament give him? Who did Parliament blame?

Answer 20

C needed £1 million for war w/ Spain from Parliament

He made no attempt to get Parliament on his side

Parliament granted him two subsidies to prove their loyalty- not enough so he asked for more

Parliament granted him a limited grant for tonnage and poundage as they were worried about its use and impositions

Charles was very offended- saw it as an attack on his prerogative

Continued to collect T&P after

Parliament blamed Buckingham for mishandling the kings affairs

Charles I dissolved Parliament w/in 2 months

Question 21

Foreign Policy Failure: Cadiz

Date? Details?

Answer 21

1625

Troops for German mercenary Count Mansfield raised by force

Shipped to Netherlands w/o training and limited equipment

4000/6000 died from disease etc

Failed to take Spanish port Cadiz

• more english troops died bc no food
• soldiers got drunk on wine and abandoned attack

Buckingham was Lord Admiral so took most of the blame

Question 22

1626 Parliament:
Who did Buckingham remove from parliament? How? What happened to the Earl of Bristol?Why?
What did Parliament want to do to Buckingham?

Answer 22

Anti-calvinist William Laud preached opening sermon
-stressed obedience to the king

Some of his critics were removed (eg: Coke and Wentworth) by placing them as sheriffs- had to organise the polls but couldn’t stand for election

Buckingham removed anyone from court he thought was a threat

Parliament tried to impeach Buckingham- bc of Cadiz

• Earl of Bristol charged with treason bc he knew that Charles had bribed Spanish courtiers and offered stuff to catholics in Madrid
• He offered info on Buckingham to the house of lords
• Charles threatened Parliament and dissolved them to stop Buckinghams’ impeachment

Question 23

Foreign Policy Failure: La Rochelle

Date? Why did Buckingham attack France? Impact?

Answer 23

1627

France entered a secret alliance with Spain

Policy reverse to protect the Hugenots from persecution
-useless bc king fo France made peace w/ hugenots

Buckingham’s troops arrived on island just of La Rochelle to attack the French

• French troops withdrew and Buckingham laid siege
• B tried direct attack but the ladders were too short

Only 2989/7833 soldiers returned inc John Felton

Buckinghams attack started war with Spain and France
-no funds so Charles had to call parliament again

Question 24

Five Knights Case: date?

Answer 24

1627

Question 25

Five Knights Case: details and impact?

Answer 25

76 people were imprisoned for refusing to pay the forced loan

Nov 1627- 5 people imprisoned claiming habeas corpus
-had to be tried or released

Charles took them to trial
-the judgement upheld C prerogative right to imprison w/o trial for forced loan only!!!

Charles falsified records that this was a general prerogative right

Question 26

1628-1629 Parliament:
What grievances did Parliament want addressed?
What were the remonstrances and when?

Answer 26

At the beginning Parliament seemed willing to compromise
-Secretary of State John Coke dealt w/ Parliament not C which reduced tension

Parliament agreed to 5 subsidies if grievances addressed:

• Taxation: no illegal extra parliamentary taxation
• Billeting: troops for war lodged w/ local population, not payed to home them
• Martial law: imposed to control troops billeted, overruled all other law, absolutism
• Also imprisonment w/o trial eg: 5 Knights

17th June 1628- remonstrance attacking Buckingham’s foreign policy

Remonstrance a week later bc Charles continued to collect T&P- C prorogued P to collect T&P

Question 27

Petition of Right: date?

Answer 27

Accepted 7th June 1628

Question 28

Petition of Right: details and impact?
4 main points?
Issues with it?

Answer 28

Response to concern for Charles to rule w/ unwritten constitution

4 main points:

• Parliament had to consent to taxation
• Only imprisonment w/ just cause
• Imposition of billeting illegal
• Imposition of martial law illegal

Charles accepted it 7th June 1628 under threat against Buckingham bc needed funds

He didn’t give it royal assent- so not formally approved therefore not real law

Parliament forced him too

Led to more distrust of Charles

The petition of right printed version contained Charles’ original response which weakened it’s authority

The petition also did not explicitly mention the customs duty, impositions or T&P so Charles claimed he never gave up rights for these

Question 29

Buckingham’s Assassination: date?

Answer 29

23rd August 1628

Question 30

Buckingham’s Assassination: details and impact?

Answer 30

He was leaving the Greyhound Inn in Portsmouth and was bidding farewell to a colonel who was bowing to him

John Felton leaned over and stabbed him in the chest then fled into the kitchens and was later captured

18th Sept- torchlit procession through London to Westminster Abbey

Felton had a paper outlining his reasons stitched onto his hat- he claimed Buckingham was ‘cowardly, base and deserveth not the name of a gentleman or a soldier’

Felton was hanged

Public rejoiced for Buckinghams death

Charles blamed Parliament for B’s death- Felton said he was inspired by their remonstrance against Buckingham

Question 31

The Three Resolutions: date?

Answer 31

2nd March 1629

Question 32

The Three Resolutions: details and impact?
Who wrote them?
What were they?

Answer 32

Opposition to arminianism and the collection of T&P

Radical MP’s Denzil Holles and Benjamin Valentine held down the speaker until the resolutions were passed

Resolutions by Sir John Elliot

Capital enemy:

• Anyone who promoted innovation in religion, popery or arminianism
• People who collected T&P w/o parliamentary consent
• People who voluntarily payed T&P duties

It was passed and Charles dissolved Parliament

He had John Elliot, Holles and Valentine arrested for treason after

Question 33

1628-1629 Parliament Part 2:

Answer 33

The final session was dominated by the issues of Arminianism and T&P

Charles made concessions over religion

• Recusancy laws were enforced again
• Archbishop Abbot was readmitted to the privy council
• Increase in Arminian influence but C wouldn’t budge

Lots of distrust and Charles didn’t call another Parliament for 11 years