chapter 5 - relations and disputes with parliaments Flashcards
1604-29
parliamentary privilege
- legal immunity for MPs to speak without fear of legal action
- unwritten constitution
- balance between monarch’s prerogative and PP left to interpretation
- conflict
James 1st parliament
Buckinghamshire election
- Francis Goodwin broke law
- 2 summons for debt
- reinstated after case - not legally outlawed
- James believed he was acting illegally
- privilege came grant from him
- decided by court of chancery
Shirleys case
1604
- Thomas shirley was arrested for debt
- upset MPs keen to establish PP from arrest
-sent governor of fleet debtors prison to Tower of London
union of England/ Scotland
1606
-through James prerogative
- title of king of great Britain, France and Ireland
- new currency = unite
- all ships to Carry the union flag2
2nd parliament
1614 -
-addled = dissolved after 8 weeks
- finance - great contract failed selling of crown land (loss of income)
- James’ debt = £680,000
- factions - competing groups in politics (protestant and catholic)
- impositions - 1606 financial issue of kings ability to levy impositions
- source of conflict
3rd parliament
1621-
- MPs criticised abuse of monopolies
- attack Buckingham - exploited them to attack + impeach bacon
foreign policy
- monarchs prerogative allowed MPs ro discuss foreign policy to frighten Spain into agreeing to a Spanish match (end 30 years war)
-3rd dec 1621 - commons produced petition - criticised Spanish match - James backtracked - claimed prerogative
- 18th dec 1621 - parliament was dissolved
peace with Spain
- James wanted to continue good relations with Spain after the 1604 treaty of London
- anti catholicism of English made this unpopular
- alienated James even more
Madrid trip - 1623
- Charles + Buckingham —> Spain to complete Spanish match
- received poor treatment at court - both now favoured war
1624 - agreement for Charles to marry Henrietta Maria
4th Parliament - 1624
-failure of Madrid trip with Buckingham and Charles, MPs undermined James’ authority
- James appeared more anti Spanish - MPs reluctant to provide funds for aggressive foreign policy
- possibility that James was not truly anti Spanish
- appeared to push MPs to realising involvement against financial interest
- maintained working relationships with political nation when he died - march 1625
Charles 1st Parliament
1625
- needed 1 mill to fund war
- only granted 2 small subsidies and tonnage and poundage for a year
- this was viewed as a direct attack on prerogative
- appointed arminian cleric Montagu as royal chaplain
cadiz
1625 -
- failure in foreign policy
-troops raised by force
- shipped to Netherlands
- 4000/6000 died of disease and starvation
- failed to take spanish port
- made it necessary to call parliament for finance
La Rochelle
1627 -
- buckingham (lord high admiral)
- aiding catholic French against protestants Huguenots
- scaling ladders too short when attempting to seige
- policy rendered useless
- king of France made peace with huguenots
- 2989/7833 soldiers returned
- meant they were at war with Spain and France
three resolutions
1628-29 parliament
- parliament agreed to grant 5 subsidies if grievances addressed
- taxation - illegality of extra parliamentary taxation
- billeting - troops 4 war lodged temporarily in southwest
- civilians housed and fed them
- payment did not materialise
- martial law - imposed on south west where soldiers billeted
to absolutist for gentry
petition of right
1628
- response to concern Charles couldn’t be trusted to rule by unwritten constitution
1 - parliament had to consent to taxation
2 - people imprisoned only if just cause was shown
3 - imposition of martial law illegal
4 - imposition of billeting illegal
Charles accepted on 7th June - threat against Buckingham
did not use royal assent - denied force of law
needed 5 subsidies so gave royal assent
