The Constitutional History of England, from the Accession of Henry VII, to the Death of George II, by Henry Hallam; Incorporating the Author's Latest Additions and Corrections, and Adapted to the Use of Students (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1880 Excerpt: ...more than once ordered to be brought in for repealing the triennial act; but no further steps were taken till the king thought it at length necessary, in the year 166.4, to give them an intimation of his desires. The commons were sufficiently compliant to pass a bill for the repeal of that which had been enacted with unanimous consent m 1641. The preamble recites the said act to have been "in derogation of his majesty's just rights and prerogative inherent in the imperial crown of this realm for the calling and assembling of parliaments." The bill then repeals and annuls every clause and article in the fullest manner; yet, with an inconsistency not unusual in our statutes, adds a provision that parliaments shall not in future be intermitted for above three years at the most. This clause is evidently framed in a different spirit from the original bill, and may be attributed to the influence of that party in the house which had begun to oppose the court, and already showed itself in considerable strength. Thus the effect of this compromise was, that the law of the long parliament subsisted as to its principle, without those unusual clauses which had been enacted to render its observance secure. The king assured them, in giving his assent to the repeal, that he would not be a day more without a parliament on that account. Some parties were anxious to restore the two great levers of prerogative, the courts of star-chamber and high commission; but it may be questionable whether, even amidst the fervid loyalty of 1661, the house of commons would have concurred in re-establishing the star-chamber. They had taken marked precautions in passing an act for the restoration of ecclesiastical jurisdiction, that it should not be construed to restore the high-com...