Charles II's Courts Flashcards
The convention parliament
to restore order and constitutional monarchy
(temporary parliament to re-establish monarchy)
The convention parliament
indemnity
Charles ii promised in the declaration of Breda a general pardon for those who sided with parliament during the civil war apart from these involved in the regicide. parliament helped to decide who should be excluded
in the indemnity debates, royalists called for widespread vengeance
in the end, 30 men were excluded
when was the indemnity act passed and why was it a pragmatic necessity for Charles
29th august 1660
Charles needed -
- the army to disband
- money from the city of London
- support of the political elite, many of whom were parliamentarians
despite the indemnity act, the restoration was accompanied by the persecution of anyone who was seen as a threat to the reimposition of the monarchy
The convention parliament
land settlement
as a result of the revolution of 1649, which removed the monarch and brought Cromwell to power, the lands of bishops, royalists, catholics and the crown were sold off
purchasers had vested interest in the previous interregnum regimes and Charles needed to be careful not to upset them. he left the matter to parliament
parliament failed to legislate a formal solution because it was such a complex issue
church and crown lands were reclaimed and the land question was settled partly because the most substantial purchasers were excluded from the indemnity act and their lands seized
The convention parliament
disbanding the army
in the declaration of breda Charles had promised the army its arrears. with the indemnity act passed and arrears voted by the convention parliament, the army was peacefully disbanded
The convention parliament
constitution
Charles became king with no limitations placed on him
those who wished to limit his powers were not in a position to do anything
a bill to confirm parliamentary privileged and fundamental laws stalled in the house of lords through Charles’ influence
it would have confirmed Magna Carta as well as the legislation of 1641 and in theory the legislation passed by the long parliament as a whole thereby maintaining these laws as limits on the returning monarch
that they were not confirmed meant that they did not become a part of the restored settlement that was essentially an unwritten agreement between Charles and the political nation
The convention parliament
finance
initially the convention parliament kept finance in its own hands and it paid off the army
in terms of a settlement for the monarch it was decided to abolish the feudal rights but to provide compensation -
Charles ii was granted tonnage and poundage for life. customs were also granted to the king but only those specified in a parliamentary bill. these were the means by which the king should ‘live off his own’
Charles ii was granted £1.2 million a year for government costs in peacetime. this would come from customs and excise. as this was almost double Charles is income, it appeared generous but in practice only 440,000 could be raised from these means
in 1662 a hearth tax was introduced to try bridge the gap. this itself proved insufficient and Charles ii’s finances were to come under even greater pressure because of his wars with the Dutch
the chief consequence of the limits of the crown finances was that Charles ii was dependant on parliamentary grants and therefore had to call parliament every year between 1660 and 1681
The convention parliament
religion
key question at the time in this parliament was what kind of church should be restored
the declaration of breda had promised an indulgence for nonconformists, which meant they had their right to worship freely would be recognised
this did not materialise
about 700 of Englands 9000 ministers were removed as the church of england was restored but not broadened to encompass any nonconformists, not even the moderate Presbyterians, let alone the radical quakers
The convention parliament
militia
