Tudors and Stuarts 1558-1667Tudors and Stuarts 1558-1667Government and PoliticsGovernment and Politics

ParliamentParliament

Parliament• This was a trinity consisting of the monarch

and the House of Lords and the House of Commons

Parliament-House of Lords

• This House included: titled peers two archbishops 24 bishops law lords – to give legal advice only

Parliament- CommonsElected house• Two members were elected from

each county except Yorkshire (6) and Rutland (1)

• These members were elected by forty shilling freeholders

• These members were sometimes called ‘knights of the shire’

Parliament-Elections

• If elections were held it was under the jurisdiction of the Sheriff

• Often the gentry agreed on the candidates and no election was held.

• When elections were held the vote was often by acclamation (noise)

• Voters were sometimes counted• Elections could be very noisy and violent

Parliament- Boroughs• Parliamentary boroughs could elect either one or two members• Closed boroughs only allowed the mayor and councillors to vote• Westminster allowed all adult men to vote

Parliament- Boroughs

• ‘Scot and lot’ boroughs allowed certain taxpayers to vote• ‘Burgage’ boroughs voting was reserved for owners of certain

property• ‘Potwalloper’ boroughs allowed voting by all men who could

boil their own pot on their own fire• Often though the preferred candidate of the wealthy were

preferentially chosen

Parliament-Meetings• Parliament had extensive powers and was a

very important arm of government• But in the 45 years of Elizabeth’s reign there

were 10 parliaments meeting for 13 sessions• Sessions lasted for an average of 10 weeks• There was an average of 3 ½ years between

sessions

Parliament and the Queen

• The monarch needed parliament:• To vote taxes• To pass laws

Parliament-taxes

• In all but two sessions Parliament granted Elizabeth more taxes

• Elizabethan Parliaments always voted the amount requested

Parliament-Legislation

• In 1559 the Parliament was required to settle the question of religion

• 1563 Act of Apprentices• 1571 the Treason’s Act• In 1572 the Parliament had to make decisions

about Mary Queen of Scots• 1581 and 1584 penal laws against Catholics

Parliament-and Monarch

• Parliament was an important place for the Crown to meet with the ruling class and discuss many issues

Parliament-’Pork Barrel Politics’

• MPs attended Parliament to serve the Queen and to pass laws which may have brought them personal benefits

Parliament-Personal Bills

• These were about individual citizens: granting citizenship sorting out ownership of property restoring rights to those accused of treason

Parliament-Private Bills

• The laws were intended to benefit a locality or industry:

imposing quality standards allowing buildings to be built

Parliament-Impediments

• Private bills could hold up the workings of government unnecessarily

• Sessions usually debated between 110 and 120 bills

Parliament-Procedure• A bill could be introduced by either House• A bill passed three readings in each House• First reading-entire bill was read aloud• Second reading- debate and possible referral to

a committee for further work• Third reading-wording finalised and final vote• If passed the bill was sent to the other House

and the same thing happened• Finally royal assent

Parliament-Financing

• The Elizabethan government was always short of money

Parliament-Financing• Its methods of raising and collecting money were very

ineffectual and old fashioned• The Queen did not receive money from Parliament and

was expected to support herself ‘to live on her own’.She received: first fruits (first fees clergy received) custom duties rent from Crown Land feudal dues fees and fines from law courts tenths paid by clergy

Parliament- Extra funds

• Parliament voted extra funds in the form of ‘fifteenths’ a fee on moveable goods in rural areas

• And ‘tenths’ a fee on moveable goods in town• These fees took no account of inflation

Parliament-War Chest

• During times of peace Elizabeth and her ministers saved cash reserves

• Extra taxes were levied in times of war• The money was always less than expected• Government finance remained a problem

BibliographyHistory volume 2, Britain 1558-1667, by RobinSilcock, Longman Paul, Auckland, 1990

www.schoolhistory.co.nz

Revision• When you have completed the PowerPoints and related

worksheets get students to mind-map the ‘Government and Politics’ topics covered:

• The Crown• The Privy Council• Courts of Law• Local Government• Parliament’• If you are unfamiliar with the basic concepts of mind-mapping

then check the ‘Mind mapping with Tony Buzan’ video found on the www.schoolhistory.co.nz site and show