The English Parliament

We shall next show:

• how each person got a share in the government
• what share of it was allotted to each of them.

Every person who had an estate great or small, had a right=

• to sit in the king’s court, and
• to consult and advise with him on public matters.

In William Rufus’ reign, 700 sat in parliament.

In Henry 3rd’s time, it was enacted that the smaller barons, who could not afford to attend in parliament, should send a representative.

• These representatives were considered as lords.
• They sat in the same house with them.

In the same way, boroughs came to have representatives in parliament, because they themselves became opulent and powerful. The king found it his interest to give them some weight to lessen the authority of the peers. It became necessary to have the consent of them and the barons before any law was passed. These borough representatives sat in a house by themselves.

The smaller barons soon joined them. They were:

• far from the level of the great lords with whom they sat, and
• not much superior to the commons.

The king’s revenues then were insufficient for the rising government expenses. His revenue consisted chiefly in=

• The royal demesnes
• knights’ services
• feudal emoluments such as wardships
• fines, compositions for crimes, etc.
• all ownerless goods

When joined, the two bodies of the commoners made a very considerable figure. Most of the subsidies came from them. The king excused the smaller barons from a constant attendance and instead called them as he pleased through a writ summoning them. This became the origin of creating peers by writ or patent, which is the only way of doing it at present.