24. Government under William and Mary

Question 1

W3’s gov (2)

Answer 1

1) Due to focusing on war w/ France, W accepted cabinet gov as this would be most efficient to coordinate a war effort - a group of chosen ministers providing advice + direction over the crown (esp. w/ W being away often)
2) Focus on war led to tension due to his suspension of habeus corpus, imprisonment requiring a trial, use of royal veto + attempt to keep a standing army in peace time after ‘97 Treaty of Ryswick

Question 2

Benefits of cabinet government (2)

Answer 2

1) Closer coordination of military, diplomatic + financial policies (enabled W to fight the European War)
2) Provided Mary w/ advice from an inner group of gov officials + Privy Councillors whilst W was absent

Question 3

Impacts of the cabinet (2)

Answer 3

1) Saw a decline in the importance of the royal court as a political forum
2) Wider range of opinions than would be found at court

Question 4

Strengthening of Pments position under W

Answer 4

1) Met every year ‘89 - 1702
2) Increased importance due to a reliance on Pmentary finance for the crown
3) Principal of ‘appropriation’ est. forcing a reason to be behind each grant
4) Financial rev. Forced W to accept Triennial Act ‘94 - Pment meets annually + holds general elections every 3 years - removes W power to dissolve pment whenever

Question 5

First Pment of W3 (10)

Answer 5

1) Act of Grace passed in May 1690 pardoned activities before GR (brought him to power)
2) Dec 1690 an act established commission of public accounts, with members to be chosen by parliament to review state finances
3) In Nov 91, this attacked the govs usage of money + recommended cutting the army, limiting the power of the crowns army
4) In 1691, £4.6 million granted to William due to Danbys influence and fears of France
5) Between 91 and 93, treason bill proposed jointly by T’s and W’s to limit monarchs legal power, defeated by HoL
6) £4 million raised in 93 by land tax, but William still costing lots of money
7) Many wanted a water based strategy rather than land war, strengthening country position
8) Appointed Junto Whigs under Earl of Sunderlands guidance
9) Shrewsbury instrumental in cabinet
10) Junto Whigs link to ‘monied’ men let them fund W3 (war)

Question 6

The introduction of further taxation under W3 (3)

Answer 6

1) Est. between 1689 - ‘97 the costs of warfare averaged £5.5 million p.a - W3 had to accept greater Pmentary scrutiny
2) 1690 - Public Accounts Act est. Public Accounts Commission to examine gov income + expenditure - opend the way for resources through taxation - Excise tax extended to cover wider range of commodities + land tax - levied 4 shillings in the pound - 20% tax - became regular + voted annually
3) meant by 1701 the Crown was in receipt of over £5 million a year from taxation (over 30% came from Land Tax)

Question 7

Financial Rev. (4)

Answer 7

1) 1st undisputably Protestant King since J1 - trust between C+P - working tog.
2) W3 permitted to raise £1 Mill. loan by the Million Loan Act - guaranteed repayments out of Pmentary taxation
3) Bank of England ‘94 est. (by Whigs) in return for further loan of £1.2 million - creditors permitted to provide baking services + arrange future gov borrowing - creation of National Debt - underwritten by Pment - covered + managed by future tax receipts
4) Civil List - ‘98 - to provide for the monarch’s personal + household expenses as a separate item clearly distinguishable from the costs of gov. (in return = scrutiny) - replaces ordinary rev. - Pment manages patronage

Question 8

Military expansion of W3

Answer 8

(military fiscal state - all expenditure on military is buoying economy) - 1) King + Pment more prepared to trust each other, enabling them to unlock the kingdom’s wealth _ turning Britain into a nation (w/ allies) capable of defeating Louis XIV
2) Financial rev allowed navy to grow from 46 ships-of-the-line (largest warships of the period) in 1650 to 122 by 1705 + army grow from 10k in ‘89 to 76k in ‘97

Question 9

Death of Mary

Answer 9

Dec ‘94, led to Tories becoming hostile (Danby, now Duke of Leeds attacked so W3 dissolves Pment)

Question 10

2nd Pment of W3 (5)

Answer 10

1) ‘95 - ‘98
2) Opp. focused on escalation of war, influence of Dutch advisors, increased taxes, Bank of England + influence of monied men
3) Assassination attempt in Feb 96 strengthened Junto Whigs position, and all office holders had to ensure William was rightful King
4) Many tories refused, allowing them to get removed
5) After Rhyswick, Junto Whigs collapsed due to their loss of financial influence

Question 11

3rd Pment of W3 (5)

Answer 11

1) lasted 98 - 1700
2) Most rallied against kings large army, disbanding bill in jan 99 reduced army to 7000
3) in 98, parliament voted £700,000 annually for crowns government costs est. the Civil List, leading to an end for William funding himself
4) Pmentary pressure through Place Bill - designed to remove thousands of Crown office holders from Pment
5) Prorogued after they attempted to remove Dutch advisors from his councils

Question 12

Act of settlement (5)

Answer 12

1) Introduced in W3’s 4 Pment -1701
2) excluded 57 catholic heirs to the throne (in favour of J1’s granddaughter Sophia of Hanover + her descendants - guarantee protestant succession - monarch had to be an active communicant of the CofE
3) any non-english monarch had to have parliamentary consent to declare war in defence of non-english territorie
5) Pment, not the crown, could remove judges (attack on Godden v. Hales)
6) no gov. office holder or anyone receiving a crown pension could be an MP (restrains crown patronage) - (all government was to be transacted in privy council instead of secret advisors)
7) no monarch was allowed to leave England w/o permission of Pment - direct attack on W3

Question 13

5th Pment of William

Answer 13

Abjuration act forced all MP’s to deny allegiance to James II, William died in March 1702, leaving Queen Anne in charge

Question 14

Development of limited monarchy 1689

Answer 14

Bill of Rights

Question 15

Development of limited monarchy 1690

Answer 15

Mar - Grant of excise duties to the Crown for life + customs receipts for 4 yrs
Oct - Pmentary grants totaling £4.6 million (subsidy)
Dec - PUBLIC ACCOUNTS ACT - helped state evolve into a more efficient bureaucracy (‘civil service’) + meant Pment could hold W3 to account for his spending

Question 16

Development of limited monarchy 1692

Answer 16

Nov - LAND TAX INTRODUCED (big no no) - new taxes levied by Pment, more money for crown in return for more scrutiny ; Pment approved war expenditure in excess of £4 million

Question 17

Development of limited monarchy 1693

Answer 17

Million Loan Act

Question 18

Development of limited monarchy 1694

Answer 18

Apr - BANK OF ENGLAND ESTABLISHED (financial revolution)
Nov - Triennial Act passed (can’t be refused) - forced the king to work more closely w/ Pment - institution not event + therefore encouraged dev. of whigs + tories (competed more regularly for seats in HoC)

Question 19

Development of limited monarchy 1697

Answer 19

Treaty of Ryswick; Pment attack on W3’s standing army

Question 20

Development of limited monarchy 1698

Answer 20

CIVIL LIST ESTABLISHED (war shaped administrative changes)

Question 21

Development of limited monarchy 1701

Answer 21

Act of Settlement (used to hold W3 to account)

Question 22

Development of limited monarchy 1702

Answer 22

By 1702 Pment had been able to introduce such legislative changes that the monarchy was - in theory at least - now held in check + constrained by the law of the land