Constitutional Acts of the Long Parliament. Reforms of the Long Parliament

14.09.2020

Opposition to royal policy led to the drawing up by Parliament in 1628 of the Petition of Right, a document listing the demands of the dissatisfied. The opposition advocated the protection of private property from the arbitrariness of the crown and the church, against new taxes introduced by the king without the permission of parliament and subsidies extorted by him, for the rights and liberties of parliament. In response, Charles I disbanded parliament and ruled alone for eleven years. In order to find funds that Parliament refused to provide him, the king increased indirect taxes, revived long-forgotten feudal taxes, distributed patents, privileges, monopolies for the production of certain goods to his close associates. With the help of his favorite, the Earl of Strafford, he extorted money from enslaved Ireland. Another adherent and defender of the absolutism of the Stuarts, Archbishop Laud, increased the oppression of the Anglican Church over the minds and wallets of his subjects.

In 1639 the war with Scotland began. The northern neighbor of England did not want to submit to the absolutist innovations in the state and the church. The troops of the Scottish clans crossed the border and occupied a number of fortresses. Charles I was forced to convene Parliament. It worked for only two weeks, from April 13 to May 5, 1640, and was dissolved without giving the king permission to collect new taxes. It went down in history under the name of the Short Parliament.

The conduct of a protracted and unpopular war, as well as the needs of the crown, required funds, and on November 3, 1640, the king convened a new parliament, which later became known as the Long. Its convocation is considered to be the beginning of the English Revolution.

The program of the bourgeois-noble opposition, which expressed its political, economic and religious demands, was reflected in two documents - "Petitions on Roots and Branches" (December 1640) and "Great Remonstrance" (December 1641). The Parliament also took specific measures to implement this program. In July 1641, the courts of the Star Chamber and the High Commission, the bodies of royal and episcopal arbitrariness, were abolished; On August 7 of the same year, the hated feudal extortion - "ship money" was canceled. Opposition leaders were released from prisons.

In its struggle, the parliamentary opposition relied on a broad movement of the popular masses. Their dissatisfaction was most clearly manifested in the case of Earl Strafford, who created an army in Ireland, ready to invade England at the first call of the king to suppress the opposition. The parliamentary leaders arrested Strafford in the very first days of the meetings. When his trial began in May 1641, crowds of thousands of people gathered at the walls of the royal palace of Whitehall to force the king to sign the death warrant for the hated temporary worker. Strafford was executed on May 12, 1641, with a huge gathering of people in the square in front of the Tower. Later, the same fate befell Lod.

In the autumn of 1641, an uprising broke out in Ireland, exhausted by extortions and oppression. The revolution was growing. In January 1642, Charles I tried to arrest five parliamentary leaders who were in favor of fulfilling the demands of the "Great Remonstrance". But the people sheltered them in the City of London. The streets of the city were again filled with a raging armed crowd. The king personally, at the head of a detachment of 400 soldiers, appeared in parliament demanding the extradition of the rebels, but the deputies refused. The House of Commons moved its meetings to the City for the time being. The king, who suffered a shameful defeat, departed on January 10, 1642, to the north and in August declared civil war on parliament.

The beginning of the revolution. "Long Parliament". With the activities of the "Long Parliament" begins the first stage of the revolution - constitutional.

In general, the history of the English bourgeois revolution is usually divided into four stages:

2) first Civil War (1642 - 1646);

3) the second civil war or the struggle for the establishment of the republic (1646 - 1649);

4) independent republic (1649 - 1653).

Having heeded the "advice" of his inner circle, on November 3, 1640, the king opened the session of Parliament. And although the parliamentary elections did not give a composition of parliament favorable for the monarch, Charles I hoped for a successful solution to the financial issue.

However, in order to protect itself from an unexpected dissolution, the Long Parliament adopted a number of important acts.

This so-called triennial act(“Act for the Prevention of Inconveniences Occurring as a Result of Long Intervals between Convocations of Parliaments” dated February 15, 1641). It was established that non-parliamentary government could last no more than three years. If this rule is ignored by the king and his government, the initiative of the elections passes to the sheriffs, and if the latter are inactive, then to the population. It was established that Parliament could not be dissolved or adjourned earlier than 50 days from the beginning of the session. And the act according to which Parliament could not be dissolved except by its own decision.

Parliament, taking advantage of the favorable moment, takes away the command of the army from the king, passes a law on the betrayal of Earl Strafford, the royal favorite, and his execution is obtained.

By a special act, the Act on the regulation of the activities of the Privy Council and the abolition of the court, commonly referred to as the "Star Chamber" of July 5, 1641, such important instruments of royal absolutism as the Star Chamber and the High Commission were liquidated. Legal courts were declared "courts of common law" (and the chancellor's court). The independence of judges from the crown and their non-removability were proclaimed.

December 1, 1641 Parliament passed Great Remonstrance (protest). The Remonstrance began by pointing out the danger that hung over the kingdom, the source of which was a "malicious party" in its desire to change the religion and political system of England. The actions of this "party" explained the wars with Scotland, and the uprising in Ireland, and the constitutional conflict between the king and parliament. In the Remonstrance, demands were made to remove bishops from the House of Lords and reduce their power over subjects. To this end, it was proposed to carry out a complete reformation of the church. Responsibility of ministers to parliament was introduced. All dignitaries - ministers, privy councillors, ambassadors - must enjoy parliamentary confidence. Many articles of the Remonstrance are devoted to the issues of the inviolability of property, both movable and immovable. The illegality of the fencing of communal lands and the ruin of the cloth industry were also noted. A number of articles pointed to the destruction and impossibility of arbitrariness in the collection of taxes on the part of royal power and non-parliamentary government.

The House of Commons approved the Great Remonstrance with a majority of just 11 votes. The discussion of this document in Parliament showed how deep the differences were in the House of Commons itself on issues not related to the immediate existence of Parliament itself.

All the documents adopted by the Long Parliament limited the royal power and contributed to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy.

Charles I approved all constitutional acts, this was due to his fear of a crowd of armed Londoners. The threatening behavior of the crowd was the decisive argument of the House of Commons in the implementation of the most important acts of the constitutional period of the revolution.

However, the king tries to use force against the parliamentarians. So on January 4, 1642, Charles I appears in the House of Commons, with the intention of arresting the opposition leaders Pym and Hampden, but they manage to escape. Parliament and London are in revolt. The king was forced to leave the capital and take refuge in provincial Oxford.

The constitutional conflict was not resolved, and by the autumn of 1642 it escalated into an armed conflict.

In the course of the civil war, two stages can be distinguished: 1) when the military leadership was in the hands of the Presbyterians and 2) when this leadership passed to the Independents.

At the first stage of the war, the advantage is on the side of the royal army, better trained and armed. The failures of the parliamentary army forced it to be reorganized according to the plan proposed by General O. Cromwell (1599 - 1658). As a result of the reform, an army called the "new model" was created. Soldiers began to be recruited from people of military origin, the army was subordinated to a single command, capable people from the people were promoted to command positions. Cromwell, being an Independent, secured a leading role in the army for members of the Independent communities. To eliminate aristocrats from the military leadership, the "Bill of Self-denial" was adopted, according to which members of parliament could not hold command positions in the army. An exception was made for Cromwell.

In 1645, the royal troops were defeated, and the king fled to Scotland, where he was handed over to Parliament.

Conflict between parliament and the army. By this time, the differences between Parliament and the army of Presbyterians who sat in Parliament were becoming clearer and the revolution, in fact, was completed. They were quite satisfied with the idea of the supremacy of the parliament, which exercises power in the country together with the king, that is, the idea of a political system similar to a constitutional monarchy. The Independents, and especially the Levellers, demanded more radical reforms. They concluded the so-called "People's Agreement", which included a whole program of actions: the dissolution of the Long Parliament; new elections involving all men; equal representation from the counties in parliament; equality of all before the law, etc.

The struggle between the Independents and the Prosbyterians escalated in the spring of 1648 - a second civil war broke out, unleashed by the king and the Presbyterian Parliament. Only the support of the Levelers ensured the victory of the Independent army, within which a split occurred between the top commanders (giants) and the rank and file.

After the victory, Cromwell removed active Prosbyterian members from Parliament (purge of Colonel Pride). Of the 90 "cleaned" 40 were arrested. In the end, only 100 deputies obedient to the army (Independents) remained.

In the same year, in December, a bill was submitted to the House on the trial of the king, who was accused of violating the laws of the country, of waging war against the people, etc. The Lords (that is, that part of the upper house that remained in London) unanimously rejected this bill.

Then the lower house adopts on January 4, 1649 a resolution ( Ordinance of the House of Commons declaring itself the supreme authority of the English state). Its essence lies in the recognition of the supremacy of the lower house over the upper house and over all authorities in general (including the king).

Following this, a decision is made to create a special supreme court of 135 people, which is entrusted with deciding the fate of Charles I ( Oronance establishing the trial of the king, January 8, 1649).

Independent Republic. After the execution of the king on January 29, 1649, the title of king of the English nation was abolished by special acts ( Act for the abolition of the royal title, March 17, 1649) The House of Lords was abolished Act of Abolition of the House of Lords, March 19, 1649.), and the House of Commons declared itself the supreme power. England was proclaimed a republic The act of declaring England a free state (Commonwealth) of May 19, 1669) The State Council became the supreme executive body. His tasks included: opposition to the restoration of the monarchy, the management of the country's armed forces, the establishment of taxes, the management of trade and the country's foreign policy.

Owing its establishment to the masses of the people, the republic, nevertheless, did nothing for them. In that main reason her weaknesses, and this predetermined her death.

Cromwell protectorate. Cromwell's power increasingly acquired the character of a personal dictatorship. Having not received support in Parliament, Cromwell dispersed it in 1653.

At the end of 1653, a constitution was introduced, called the Form of Government of the States of England, Scotland and Ireland and the possessions belonging to them (“Instrument of Government”) of December 13, 1653, which consolidated the military dictatorship of Cromwell.

Under the new constitution, the supreme legislative power was concentrated in the hands of the Lord Protector and Parliament. Parliament was unicameral. Participation in elections was limited to a rather high property qualification, which was 100 times higher than that existed before the revolution.

The supreme executive power was vested in the Lord Protector and the Council of State, which consisted of not less than 13 and not more than 21 members. The appointment of councillors depended on the Lord Protector.

Between sessions of Parliament, the Lord Protector commanded the armed forces, carried out diplomatic relations with other states, and appointed senior officials.

The constitution directly declared Cromwell Lord Protector for life, thus securing his personal dictatorship.

Soon Cromwell stopped convening Parliament, he appointed members of the Council of State at his own discretion. In 1657 the upper chamber was restored. Local government was concentrated in the hands of the generals of the Cromwellian army.

The “instrument of government” contained monarchical principles, although this constitutional act reflected the class interests of the bourgeoisie, the new nobility, who were interested in preventing the restoration of the monarchy. “The instrument of administration consolidated the regime of sole power, in terms of the breadth of powers corresponding to the monarchy. The Lord Protector had legislative power, but it was believed that he shared it with Parliament. The Lord Protector had executive power (although he had to reckon with the opinion of the Council of State). The courts actually depended on him. Since that time, the movement back gradually begins - from a republic to a monarchy.

Convocation of the Long Parliament

As a result of the wars between England and Scotland, called the Bishops' Wars, under the terms of the Truce of Ripon, the Scots were supposed to receive a monetary allowance, but there were no funds in the treasury. King Charles I was forced to convene Parliament twice - in April and November 1640 to raise the necessary funds. From the very beginning, the second parliament convened was dominated by the opposition, led by the Puritan John Pym (1584-1643), elected from Devonshire. Already in his first speech during the opening of the first session on November 7, 1640, he attacked the royal government with harsh criticism. It was he who acted as the main prosecutor at the earl Strafford's treason hearings. As a result, the king's chief adviser was found guilty and beheaded on the scaffold on May 12, 1641.

Civil War

In May, with the consent of the king, the so-called Triennial Act was adopted, according to which Parliament was to be convened at least once every three years. In October, unrest broke out in Scotland and Ireland. Supporters of the parliament took to the streets demanding the abolition of the episcopate. Another important step against the royal power was the adoption of the "Great Remonstrance", for which on November 22, 1641, 159 deputies voted against 148. Its 204 articles contained 150 "crimes" of the crown, government, Church. In the second part of the document, it was proposed to carry out economic and political reforms, the central of which would be the right of parliaments to approve members of the royal government. Soon Parliament began to demand the right to appoint the commander of the army and navy. Charles I refused to agree to the limitation of his own power and to church reform. Under these circumstances, the king decides to arrest the leaders of the opposition, accusing them of treason, but the latter found out about this and fled to the City. After that, the parliament split: royalist deputies (“cavaliers”) in Oxford, where the king left, formed a parallel parliament, and opposition deputies (“roundheads”) remained in London. In March 1642, the Long Parliament decided that its decisions had the force of laws and, without the approval of the king, martial law was introduced in the country. On August 23, 1642, King Charles I gathered his loyal supporters and raised the royal banner in Nottingham, a civil war began. In July 1643 the Cavaliers took Bristol and advanced towards London. At this time, among the deputies, the figure of O. Cromwell, a representative of the Independents, came forward, who formed a cavalry detachment, nicknamed the "iron-sided". On September 25, 1643, the parliaments of Scotland and England entered into an alliance. The preponderance of forces in the war swung towards parliament, after several victories, in the battle of Naseby on June 14, 1645, the royalist forces were defeated, the king fled to Scotland in May 1646 and surrendered. But in the camp of the winners it was restless, a confrontation began between the parliament and the army, which soon acquired a political character. Also in the parliament itself there was a split between supporters of further transformations, among the population the ideas of the Levellers became more and more popular, demanding universal equality, the abolition of all class privileges. In January 1647, the Scots gave Charles I to Parliament for a huge ransom, the military placed him in Hampton Court Palace. In October, at a military council held under the leadership of Cromwell, the Independents finally won, the split in the army was overcome. But political differences persisted, which was taken advantage of by the king, who fled to about. White, but was soon taken prisoner again. Royalist riots began to flare up again throughout the country, and the Scots came out on the side of Charles I. Cromwell's troops moved to suppress the rebellions, and in the general battle of Preston they defeated the Scottish troops. The Long Parliament turned to the king with a number of requirements, under which he could continue to rule. The Levellers and part of the army opposed the compromise, despite this, on December 5, 1648, parliament accepted the proposals of the king. The next day, the military under the command of Colonel Pride entered Parliament and insisted on the reversal of the earlier decision, many deputies were expelled or arrested, most of them were Presbyterians. The remaining Parliament was nicknamed "The Rump" and was made up primarily of Independents. It was they who decided to conduct a trial of the king, who was declared an enemy of "the state and the people." By court decision, the king was sentenced to death and beheaded in the square in front of Whitehall Palace. After that, the House of Lords was dissolved on February 6, and the monarchy was abolished the next day.

Protectorate regime

On April 4, 1649, Parliament proclaimed itself the bearer of supreme power, and on May 19, the “Act declaring England a republic” was adopted. The executive branch was represented by the Council of State, headed by O. Cromwell. In 1650 Parliament appointed him Lord General, i.e. commander in chief. In April 1653, by his decision, the Long Parliament was dissolved.

Reconvening of the Long Parliament

After the death of O. Cromwell, his son Richard Cromwell became Lord Protector, whose reign was unsuccessful. A conspiracy of the military followed, overthrowing him in 1659. After that, the Long Parliament, consisting mainly of the Rump, restored its activities. But in October, the parliament was dispersed by Major General D. Lambert, who became a military dictator. In the conditions of the beginning of unrest, the parliament was again convened at the end of December. In February 1660, the troops of General D. Monk entered London without hindrance, and Parliament was restored. Monk soon returns to parliament the deputies expelled during the "Pride Purge". The restored parliament in March 1660 called on King Charles II Stuart to return to England and take the royal throne, and also adopted a bill to abolish all decisions since 1648, and on March 16 announced self-dissolution.

In the parliament convened in 1640, called the Long (1640-1653), the Presbyterians occupied a dominant position. During 1640-1641. the parliament obtained from the king the approval of a number of important legal acts. First of all, at the initiative of the House of Commons, the main advisers of Charles I, Earl Strafford, Archbishop Laud, were condemned. Thus, the right of parliament to impeach senior officials was approved. Further, according to the Triennial Act on February 16, 1641, parliament was to be convened at least once every three years, and if the king did not agree to do this, he could be convened by other persons (peers, sheriffs) or convene independently. These provisions were supplemented by a law that prohibited the interruption, adjournment, and dissolution of the Long Parliament except by an act of Parliament itself. This ruled out the possibility of a return to non-parliamentary rule. Finally, in July 1641, two acts were adopted that limited the powers of the Privy Council in the field of legal proceedings and provided for the destruction of the system of emergency tribunals, primarily the Star Chamber and the High Commission. A series of acts passed in the summer of 1641 proclaimed the inviolability of the property of subjects and deprived the king of the right to arbitrarily impose various fines. The program document of the revolution was the Great Remonstration, adopted on December 1, 1641. It contained, in particular, a new requirement that the king henceforth appoint only those officials whom parliament had reason to trust. This meant, in fact, the political responsibility of officials to parliament and was perceived by the king as an intrusion into his prerogative, the executive power. The king refused to approve the Great Remonstrance.

The Acts of Parliament of 1641 were aimed at limiting the absolute power of the king and meant a transition to a certain kind of constitutional monarchy. However, in fact, this form of the bourgeois state did not have time to establish itself with the outbreak of civil wars between the king and parliament (1642-1647 and 1648-1649).

Long Parliament.

With the activities of the Long Parliament, the first stage of the revolution begins - the constitutional one.

In general, the history of the English bourgeois revolution is usually divided into four stages:

2. First civil war (1642 - 1646);

3. The struggle to deepen the democratic content of the revolution (1646-1649);

4. Independent Republic (1649-1653).

Elections to the Long Parliament did not produce a composition of Parliament favorable to the King. In order to protect itself from unexpected dissolution, the Long Parliament passed two important acts: a three-year act providing for the convocation of a parliament every three years, regardless of the will of the king, and an act according to which this parliament could not be dissolved except by his own decision.

A special act eliminated such important instruments of royal absolutism as the Star Chamber and the High Commission.

On December 1, 1641, the Parliament adopted the Great Remonstrance, which outlined the program of the allied classes in the revolution, as they saw it at that stage. The Remonstrance began by pointing out the danger that hung over the kingdom, the source of which was a "malicious party" in its desire to change the religion and political system of England. The actions of this "party" explained the wars with Scotland, and the uprising in Ireland, and the constitutional conflict between the king and parliament. In the Remonstrance, demands were made to remove bishops from the House of Lords and reduce their power over subjects. To this end, it was proposed to carry out a complete reformation of the church. Many articles of the Remonstrance are devoted to the issues of the inviolability of property, both movable and immovable. The illegality of the fencing of communal lands and the ruin of the cloth industry were also noted. A number of articles pointed to the destruction and impossibility of arbitrariness in the collection of taxes on the part of royal power and non-parliamentary government.

The House of Commons passed the Great Remonstrance by a majority of just 11 votes. The discussion of this document in Parliament showed how deep the differences were in the House of Commons itself on issues not related to the immediate existence of Parliament itself.

Charles I approved all constitutional acts, which was explained by his fear of a crowd of armed Londoners. The threatening behavior of the crowd was the decisive argument of the House of Commons in the implementation of the most important acts of the constitutional period of the revolution. The constitutional conflict was not resolved, but by the autumn of 1642, it escalated into an armed conflict.

Constitution of the USSR in 1924. Development and structure of the Constitution
In December 1922, the First Congress of Soviets of the USSR approved the Declaration and Treaty on the Formation of the USSR, signed by representatives of four republics: the RSFSR, Ukraine, Belarus and the ZSFSR. Each of the republics already had its own constitution. The Congress of Soviets of the USSR decided to develop an all-Union constitution (the draft was developed during 1922).

Reason for war
The reason for the war was the murder by Serbian nationalists in June 1914 of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand. Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with an ultimatum with demands that humiliated its national dignity. Despite the fact that almost all the points of this ultimatum were accepted, the government of Austria-Hungary, subst.

Interregnum. Coup Plan
Meanwhile, events overtook the Decembrists and forced them to act earlier than the dates that were determined by them. Everything changed dramatically in the fall of 1825. In November 1825, Alexander I died. He had no son and his brother Konstantin was the heir to the throne. But Constantine abdicated because of the impossibility of passing the throne to his later.

Main stages of the English Revolution.

The beginning of the revolution. "Long Parliament". With the activities of the "Long Parliament" begins the first stage of the revolution - constitutional.

In general, the history of the English bourgeois revolution is usually divided into four stages:

2) the first civil war (1642 - 1646);

3) the second civil war or the struggle to establish a republic (1646-1649);

4) independent republic (1649 - 1653).

However, in order to protect itself from an unexpected dissolution, the Long Parliament adopted a number of important acts.

All the documents adopted by the Long Parliament limited the royal power and contributed to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy.

The constitutional conflict was not resolved, and by the autumn of 1642 it escalated into an armed conflict.

In the course of the civil war, two stages can be distinguished: 1) when the military leadership was in the hands of the Presbyterians and 2) when this leadership passed to the Independents.

Read also: Sample certificate of absence of wage arrears

In 1645, the royal troops were defeated, and the king fled to Scotland, where he was handed over to Parliament.

Owing its establishment to the masses of the people, the republic, nevertheless, did nothing for them. This is the main reason for her weakness, and this predetermined her death.

Cromwell protectorate. Cromwell's power increasingly acquired the character of a personal dictatorship. Having not received support in Parliament, Cromwell dispersed it in 1653.

Between sessions of Parliament, the Lord Protector commanded the armed forces, carried out diplomatic relations with other states, and appointed senior officials.

The constitution directly declared Cromwell Lord Protector for life, thus securing his personal dictatorship.

The Long Parliament is:

Long Parliament- the name of the Parliament of Great Britain in 1640-1652 and 1659-1660. Gathered at Westminster. Dispersed by Oliver Cromwell. Of the 511 members of the House of Commons, 91 deputies were sent by the counties, 4 by the universities, and the remaining deputies represented the cities. Its members included Lucious Carey and John Pym.

The Long Parliament is the name given to the parliament convened by Charles I on November 3, 1640, after the Bishops' Wars. It got its name because of the events that followed the Act of Parliament - it could only be dissolved with the consent of the MPs themselves, and they did not agree to its dissolution until the end of the English Civil War and until the end of the interregnum in 1660 (when the restoration took place Stuarts). He sat from 1640 to 1649. when he was politically purged by the New Model Army because he did not care about the interests of the army. All Presbyterian deputies who were opposed to the army were expelled from Parliament. This parliament was called Rogue.

During the Protectorate period the Rump replaced other legislatures, the Rump was dissolved by the army only after the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658 in the hope of restoring confidence in army rule. When this fails, General George Monck allows the Members of Parliament to reconvene in 1659. They make the important legislative decision to terminate the Long Parliament and dissolve it. This decision cleared the way for a new parliament known as the Conciliation.

Charles I summoned Parliament in 1640 to ask him to pass a financial bill because the Bishops' Wars had ravaged the royal treasury.

Edward Hyde recalled the imperious tone of his opening speech to Parliament: “His first appearance had a sad and melancholy air, which foreshadowed unusual and unnatural events. The King did not come personally in his traditional carriage in all his majesty to Westminster, but sailed in person in his barge directly to the steps of Parliament, and so to the church, as if it were a return to the adjournment of the session of Parliament or adjournment of Parliament.

Parliament was initially influenced by John Pym and his supporters. In August 1641, Parliament decides to deprive Charles I of the power he received upon accession to the throne. The reforms were aimed at preventing Charles I from ruling the country alone.

Parliament also released those convicted by the Star Chamber.

The Triennial Act of February 16, 1641, also known as the "Inconvenience Prevention Act", was passed requiring that the interval between two sessions of Parliament should not exceed three years. Parliament was also responsible for indicting two of the king's advisers for treason: Archbishop William Laud and Thomas Wentworth (Earl of Strafford). bringing them to trial and imposing a death sentence. The Irish Rebellion, which began in October 1641, reopens the debate between Parliament and the King over control of the army.

Led by John Pym, on November 22, 1641, Parliament presented the Great Remonstrance to the King, which was passed by Parliament by a margin of 11 votes (159-148).

It contains a list of more than 150 "atrocities" during Charles's reign, including the Church, which is under the influence of foreign papists and royal advisers representing the interests of foreign powers. The second half of the Remonstrance offers a solution to the "abuses" of the Crown, including ecclesiastical reform and the appointment of royal ministers by Parliament.

In December 1641 Parliament, in the "Ordinance of the Police", states that it wishes to control the appointment of commanders in the army and navy.

The king rejects the Great Remonstrance and refuses to authorize the militia bill. The king believed that the Puritans (or Dissenters, i.e. "deviant") were supported by five influential members of the House of Commons: John Pym. John Hampden, Denzil Hollis. Sir Arthur Haselry and William Strode and Lord Mandeville, who sat in the House of Lords, who had been on the side of the Scots in the recent Bishops' Wars, and that they were plotting to turn the crowd of London against him. When word reached the court that they were also planning to accuse the Queen of being part of a Catholic conspiracy, Karl decides to arrest them for treason.

Read also: Sample application for issuance of a court order for the recovery of a debt

William Lanthal was the Speaker of the House of Commons for a long time. On Tuesday, January 4, 1642, the King entered the House of Commons in order to seize five members of Parliament. Those were warned and therefore fled to the City. Taking the speaker's chair and looking around in a vain attempt to locate the wanted MPs, Karl commented, "I see the birds have flown." Carl turned to Lenthal, who was standing below, asking him if any of these persons were in the room, if Lenthal had seen any of them in the room, and where they were then. Lenthal fell to his knees and answered: "May it please your Majesty, I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as the House is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here"(It translates into Russian like this: “Perhaps such an answer will suit Your Majesty, now I will be blind and silent, because the Chamber appointed me, and I am its servant”). The meaning of this phrase boils down to the fact that: "I will answer you only if the parliament orders me to do so", that is, the speaker is subordinate to the parliament, and not to the king. After failing to capture the five Commoners, fearing for the life of his family, Carl leaves London and moves to Oxford. The Royalists followed, and at Oxford they formed an alternative parliament. In the absence of the Royalists, the Long Parliament continued to sit throughout the Civil War and lasted until the act of self-dissolution.

In March 1642, in the absence of Charles in the capital, when the threat of war hung over the country, Parliament decided that its parliamentary ordinances were legal even without royal consent. The "Police Ordinance" was passed on March 5, which gave Parliament control over the local police (trained bands). The control of the militia was strategically important because it gave the radical parliament protection from the armed intervention of the soldiers that were at the disposal of Charles near the capital. In response to the "Ordinance of the Militia", Charles revives the "Patents of Recruitment" as a means to raise an army in opposition to the military forces of Parliament.

Disagreements arose between various factions and their result was the Pride Purge of Parliament on December 7, 1648, when, on the orders of Henry Ayrton (son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell), Colonel Pride expelled about half of the members of Parliament. Most of the expelled were Presbyterians. After the expulsion of the Presbyterians from Parliament, the remaining - Rump, arranges a trial of Charles I and sentences him to death. It is also responsible for the establishment of the English Republic in 1649.

Oliver Cromwell forcibly dispersed the Rump in 1653 when it seemed to him that the deputies could disband his budget-costly army of 50,000 men.

In 1648, opponents of the king, led by Cromwell, captured London and purged the legislature of the monarch's supporters. The following year, the remaining parliamentarians deposed and executed the king, after which the House of Lords was abolished, and the country proclaimed a republic.

The State Council and its chairman Cromwell received executive power, the legislative power was preserved behind the miserable remnant of the former parliament, called the Rump. But even with the Rump, Cromwell could not get along, and somehow, having heard the objections of the deputies, he told them: “You have been sitting for too long. It's time to end you. In the name of God, go away!" Thus, in 1653 the Rump was dissolved.

New Convocation 1659 and Restoration 1660

Richard Cromwell in 1658 succeeded his father Oliver as Lord Protector. He was overthrown as a result of an officer conspiracy in April 1659. The officers again convened the Long Parliament. It was convened on May 7, 1659, but after 5 months of government, it again had a conflict with the army (led by John Lambert) and was again dispersed on October 13, 1659. The Board passed to the so-called "Committee of Public Safety", which was headed by Lambert. General George Monk, who was the Viceroy of Scotland, began to move south. Lambert, who did not meet him, lost support in London. The fleet announced the convocation of Parliament, so on December 26, 1659, the Long Parliament again came into force. Lambert could not oppose anything Monk and he continued to move south. February 3, 1660 Monck reaches London. Initially, Monk gives the appearance of respect for Parliament, but he quickly finds the parliamentarians reluctant to further his plan to freely elect a new Parliament. Thus, on February 21, 1660, he returns to parliament those parliamentarians who were expelled from it by Pride. They were able to start convening a "Free Parliament". On March 16, 1660, the Long Parliament declared itself dissolved.

This article lacks links to sources of information.

Information must be verifiable, otherwise it may be questioned and removed.
You can edit this article to include links to authoritative sources.
This mark is set May 13, 2011 .

See what the "Long Parliament" is in other dictionaries:

Long Parliament- Long parliament in England, convened by King Charles I Stuart on November 3, 1640; effectively became the legislative body of the English Revolution of the 17th century. Having existed for over 12 years (hence the name), the Long Parliament was dispersed by Oliver Cromwell on 20 ... Political science. Dictionary.

Long Parliament- (Long Parliament) (1640-60), English, a parliament convened by King Charles I after the Bishops' Wars. By Aug. 1641 under John Pym D.p. adopted a series of laws that deprived the king of many rights, causing mass discontent since his ... ... World History

LONG PARLIAMENT- in England, convened by King Charles I in 1640; actually became the legislative body of the beginning of the English revolution of the 17th century. Dispersed by Cromwell in 1653 ... Modern Encyclopedia

Long Parliament- in England, convened by King Charles I in 1640; actually became the legislative body of the beginning of the English revolution of the 17th century. Dispersed by Cromwell in 1653. ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

LONG PARLIAMENT- the name of the fifth and last parliament under King Charles I of England. It was convened on November 3, 1640, and dissolved on March 16, 1660. In 1640 and 1641, the parliament came into sharp conflict with Charles, forcing him to make concessions, and when in January 1642 ... ... Collier Encyclopedia

Long Parliament- in England, convened by King Charles I in 1640; actually became the legislative body of the beginning of the English Revolution of the XVII century. Dispersed by Cromwell in 1653. * * * LONG PARLIAMENT LONG PARLIAMENT (Long parliament) in England, convened by King Charles I ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary

Long Parliament- (Long parliament) is the name of the parliament, convened by Charles I Stuart in the autumn of 1640, entered into an armed struggle with this king, established a republic after his execution (1649), dissolved in 1653 by Cromwell and convened again in 1660, ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

Long Parliament- (Long parliament) a parliament convened by the English king Charles I Stuart on November 3, 1640 and which actually became the legislative body of the beginning English bourgeois revolution of the 17th century (See English bourgeois revolution of the 17th century). ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

LONG PARLIAMENT- (Long parliament) (1640 53) a parliament convened by the English. King Charles I Stuart and turned into a legislator. organ of the beginning of the English bourgeois revolution of the 17th century ... Soviet Historical Encyclopedia

Long Parliament- in England, the parliament, with the convocation of which is associated with the beginning of the English revolution. Active from 1640 to 1653. and was dissolved by Cromwell with the establishment of his military dictatorship ... Dictionary of terms (glossary) on the history of the state and the law of foreign countries

Long Parliament. Jesse Russell. This book will be produced in accordance with your order using Print-on-Demand technology. High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Long Parliament is the name of the UK Parliament in… Details Buy for 950 RUB
Works. Volume 2. Thomas Hobbes. This book will be produced in accordance with your order using Print-on-Demand technology. The second volume of the Works of T. Hobbes includes the famous work of the philosopher "Leviathan", Appendix to "... Details Buy for 505 rubles
500 famous historical events. Karnatsevich VL To understand the present and foresee the future, one must know the past. That is why we bring to your attention a book thanks to which you will get acquainted (or refresh your memory) with 500 key ... More Buy for 55 rubles

Charles 1. Long Parliament and its activities

2. Charles 1. Long Parliament and its activities

The decisive role in the defense of the old system was played by the Stuart dynasty, which began to rule in 1603. Its first representative on the English throne, James I, not wanting to reckon with the rights of the English Parliament, entered into a long conflict with him. His domestic and foreign policy revolted the bourgeoisie and the new nobility.

After the death of James I (1625), his son Charles I (1600-1649) took the throne. Frivolous and self-confident, he further strained relations with parliament. He soon dispersed parliament and established the regime of his "personal rule" (1629-1640). However, this left Charles I without money, since taxes in England were approved by Parliament. Finding means, co-Carl 1 role and his assistants began to flagrantly violate the customs and traditions of the country. This contributed to the growth and strengthening of opposition (resistance) to royal power.

Having started a war with Scotland with his "advisors" and suffered a defeat in it, Charles I was forced to convene parliament. It was called "Long" because. meeting in the autumn of 1640, he sat for 12 years. The opening day of its meetings (November 3, 1640) is considered the day the English Revolution began.

At the beginning of the XVII century. England was more of a bourgeois country than a feudal one. Capitalist relations become dominant in all economic spheres - industry, trade, agriculture.

The main classes of bourgeois society are being formed in the country:

bourgeoisie (industrial, commercial, financial),

Proletariat (urban and rural)

farming,

· the nobility (the feudal class) is subdivided into the old nobility - the landlords, leading their households in the old fashioned way, and the "new nobility" - the gentry, actively engaged in commercial and industrial activities Savin AN Lectures on the history of the English Revolution. M., 1937

Politically, England was also different (in better side) from most European states, where absolutism dominated at that time, characterized by the unlimited power of monarchs, the absence of representative institutions, the suppression of the bourgeoisie and the dominance of the nobility. English absolutism, established in the country during the Tudor dynasty in the 16th and early 17th centuries, is defined as "incomplete":

a) the parliament continued to exist, with the acts of which the monarchs were forced to reckon;

b) in fact, there was no standing army (the main pillar of absolutism), due to its isolated, insular position, England made do with the navy (and, as you know, democratic sentiments are traditionally strong in the navy);

c) the bureaucratization of the state was insignificant. The system of local government continued to exist (virtually independent of the monarch, since all positions in the bodies local government were unpaid).

However, in the first half of the XVII century. in English society, contradictions begin to grow between the royal power (semi-feudal, semi-absolute) and parliament, which expresses the interests of the bourgeoisie and the "new nobility". The reasons for discontent (which later led to the revolution) were as follows:

a) the collection by the royal government of taxes that are not agreed with Parliament, forced state loans, circumvention by the royal government of the constitutional principle (enshrined in the Magna Carta of 1215) "taxation through representation";

b) constant dissolutions of parliament, persecution of leaders of the parliamentary opposition, long non-parliamentary rule (in 1628, Charles I Stuart dissolved parliament and did not convene it until 1640)

c) arbitrariness of royal officials and judges, abuse of royal favorites (Duke of Buckingham);

d) the extension of wartime laws to peacetime, the standing of the army in the homes of private individuals;

e) restriction in trade and industry (state monopolies);

f) the desire to restore Anglican Catholicism, hated by the majority;

g) the orientation of the Stuart dynasty (Jacob I, Charles I) towards the Catholic states of continental Europe (France, Italy) - England's traditional trading rivals.

In its development, the English bourgeois revolution went through several stages:

1. 1640-1642 - a peaceful, constitutional stage, when the main battles took place in parliament, while insisting on the minimum restriction of royal power;

2. 1642-1649 - civil war between supporters of the king and supporters of parliament;

3. 1649-1653 - the period of the republic;

4. 1653-1658 - Cromwell protectorate (military dictatorship);

5. 1660 - restoration of the monarchy, invitation to the throne of Charles II Stuart (son executed in 1649 by the decision of the parliament of Charles I) - return to the old on a higher basis (establishment of initially dualistic, and then - to the beginning of the 18th century - constitutional, parliamentary monarchy) Lavrovsky V. M., Barg M. A., English bourgeois revolution, M., 1958; .

The English bourgeois revolution had a number of features that distinguish it from subsequent bourgeois revolutions (for example, the Great French Revolution of the 18th century).

These features include:

a) the "religious" nature of the revolution - one of the main tasks was the cleansing of the Anglican Church from the remnants of Catholicism; political "parties" of the revolutionary period (Independents, Levellers, etc.) often had different attitudes towards certain religious issues;

b) relative bloodlines, explained by the lack of a powerful support for the king in the form of bureaucracy and a standing army (even during the civil war that accompanied virtually any revolution, the main losses were not among the civilian population, but among soldiers and officers);

c) the actual non-interference of the European powers in the course of the English revolution (most of the states were drawn into the 30-year war, by 1640 the European monarchs had practically no strength left; the isolated island position of England, a strong fleet made foreign military intervention impossible).

The main tasks of the revolution were:

a) the establishment of a new, more advanced form of government (not necessarily republics), taking into account the interests of the bourgeoisie, and not the feudal class;

b) the elimination of the remnants of feudalism in industry, trade, and agriculture;

c) the cleansing of the Anglican Church from the remnants of Catholicism.

In order to protect itself against an unexpected order of dissolution, the Long Parliament passed two important acts: the so-called Triennial Act, providing for the regular convocation of Parliament every three years, regardless of the will of the King, and also an act according to which this Parliament cannot be dissolved except by its own decision.

In the summer of 1641, Parliament disperses the political tribunals of absolutism - the Star Chamber and the High Commission. The jurisdiction of the Privy Council is canceled and its competence is limited in general.

It is legalized that no tax and no duties can be collected without the consent of Parliament. The independence of judges from the crown and their irremovability are proclaimed. In a desperate attempt to stop the revolution, Charles 1 personally appears in the lower house demanding the extradition of the leaders of the opposition, but fails. from the middle of 1641. in view of the ever-increasing confrontation of forces, the Long Parliament takes over the execution of government functions. Parliament arbitrarily disposes of the treasury and military affairs.

The Long Parliament declares the royal army dissolved and creates a parliamentary one. A galaxy of talented generals emerged in the parliamentary army. One of the most prominent was Oliver Cromwell (1599 - 1658). In 1646 Charles 1 was forced to surrender to the Scots, and they handed him over to Parliament.

The victory of parliament in the civil war did not open access to the land for the masses of the dispossessed. Resolutely nothing changed in the public-legal position of the lower classes. As before, only freeholders with an annual income of 40s., in the city - a narrow circle of full-fledged city corporations, and in other cases - taxpayers, used the right to vote in parliamentary elections.

Consequently, the broad masses of the urban lower classes remained outside the officially recognized "people of England", i.e. represented in Parliament. In the same way, the system of justice and legal proceedings remained unchanged with its high cost, bribery and red tape, as well as a completely archaic system of law, extremely confusing and, moreover, fixed in a foreign language - in Latin. History of the state and law of foreign countries. Zheludkov A.V., Bulanova A.G. Lecture notes. "Prior", M., 2002..

However, having deceived the expectations of the broad democratic rank and file, the parliament did not take into account one thing - the revolution awakened them from political lethargy.

By the summer of 1646 the basic constitutional requirements of the Levellers were formed. The document, called "The Remonstrance of Many Thousands of Citizens", contained a detailed program of the democratic stage of the revolution: 1. the destruction of the power of the king and the House of Lords; 2. supremacy of power of the communities; 3. the responsibility of this House to its constituents - the people of England; 4. annual parliamentary elections; 5. unlimited freedom to parliament; 6. constitutional guarantees against the abuse of state power by fixing the "innate" rights of citizens, which are inalienable and absolute.

At this stage of the revolution, the Levellers acted as heralds of republicanism based on the principles of democracy, and thus showed the way to deepen the democratic content of the revolution. The victory in the first civil war and the defeat of the monarchy stimulated the isolation of various ideological and political currents in the circles of parliamentary supporters. The Presbyterian majority in Parliament sought to reach an agreement with the king on the basis of a historic constitution and the confirmation of the Great Remonstrance. The Independents, who constituted a minority in Parliament, sought to secure the supremacy of Parliament, including even the possibility of establishing a republic. According to the Indian ideology, freedom of conscience was considered a natural human right, the same as freedom of thought in general; the parliament was only to head a system of independent and free communities that would decide matters in a representative manner. During the years of the upsurge of the revolution in the army and among the urban lower classes, a new trend appeared - the levelers (equalizers), whose leader was D. Lilleburn. The Levellers were guided by the recognition of popular supremacy and free government of the people on the basis of universal suffrage.

In May 1647, a special body was formed at the collection of the army - Army Council, which was engaged not only in military affairs, but also gradually became an institution of public administration. Differences grew between the various currents of the parliamentary opposition when, in 1648, the Second Civil War broke out. With the support of the Levellers, the army resolves its conflict with the Long Parliament. December 1648. she occupies London. A forcible purge of Parliament is carried out. In the end, there are about 100 deputies obedient to the army.

The culmination of the revolution was the trial of King Charles 1 (January 1649), organized by the decision of Parliament, as a result of which Charles 1 was recognized as a "tyrant, traitor, murderer and enemy of the state." The court sentenced him to death. January 30, 1649 with a huge gathering of people on the London marketplace, Charles 1 was beheaded. The execution of the king was the final, formally legal completion of the establishment of a republic in England. The revolution triumphed - the feudal monarchy was overthrown. By Act of Parliament, March 17, 1649. royal power was declared abolished, as "unnecessary, burdensome and dangerous for the good of the people." After 2 days, her fate was shared by the House of Lords. On May 19, in a solemn ceremony, England was declared a republic. All legislative power in the country now belonged to a unicameral parliament represented by the House of Commons. The executive power was formally handed over to the Council of State, elected by parliament for a period of 1 year, but out of 41 of its members, only 11 were not simultaneously members of parliament. In the State Council, all power was officially exercised by the top of the army, headed by Cromwell. Thus, the so solemnly proclaimed republic was in fact a dictatorship of the Independent generals, only covered by a parliamentary façade. The political system of power was unstable. As part of the Long Parliament after 1649. there were about 80 members left (the so-called "rump"). An even smaller number took part in the meetings and decisions of cases. Most of them were simultaneously members of the State Council and the Army Council. The authority and personal military power of O. Cromwell increased enormously.

By the autumn of 1651, 11 years had passed since the election of the Long Parliament. Meanwhile, the "rump" remaining from it is clearly not in a hurry either with self-dissolution or with setting a deadline for its meetings. When it became apparent that the "rogue" was preparing an electoral law that would ensure the return of its members to the new parliament, his hour struck.

April 20, 1653 Cromwell, accompanied by a military detachment, appeared in parliament and dissolved it with his power. At the same time, the Council of State was also dissolved. Its functions were taken over by a council of officers, supplemented by civilian members. In July 1653 the so-called parliament of saints (or "small parliament" - about 140 people) gathered, whose members were either named senior officers or delegated by church communities. The mood of Parliament, however, seemed dangerous to Cromwell. As long as the parliament was dealing with the issue of replacing church marriage with a civil one or planning a judicial reform, it was still tolerated, but when it swung at the church tithe, the patience of the officer elite came to an end. Not without her "advice" the moderate majority of the "small parliament" on January 12, 1654. appeared before Cromwell and resigned his powers. With the dissolution of the Small Parliament, the republic was actually liquidated. Within 4 days, a new constitution of the country, the so-called "Instrument of Management", was ready. The new constitution, formally most concerned with the "separation of powers", in fact led to the complete concentration of power in the hands of the protector. Cromwell was commander-in-chief of the army and navy, he controlled finances and the courts, directed foreign policy, and issued ordinances that had the force of law in between sessions of Parliament.

The idea of a written constitution was new to England. Constitution of December 13, 1653 established an outwardly republican, but, in fact, dictatorial system of power. The legislative power of the "free state of England, Scotland and Ireland" was concentrated in a double institution - Parliament and the newly established Lord Protector. Parliament had exclusive powers to change, suspend, introduce new laws, establish taxes or taxes. Parliament was to be convened regularly (every 3 years) and independently. Parliament was to be composed of at least 60 members "known for their honesty, God-fearing and good behaviour".

The choice for the post of Lord Protector was made by the Council of State (whose members, in turn, were elected by Parliament). The Lord Protector had the power to approve or delay the laws of Parliament. He enjoyed almost unlimited power in matters of government. The protector was considered the commander-in-chief of the army, he fully owned the rights in the field of foreign policy. From now on, all appointments of officials were carried out on his behalf. He had the right to pardon. By a special article of the constitution, the powers of the Lord Protector were assigned to O. Cromwell for life. The issuance of the constitution and the reorganization of the upper echelons of the political system have by no means eliminated the contradictions between society and the Independent leadership. The contradictions were all the more significant because the political, administrative and moral terror established by the Independents under the slogans of revolution was much harder for the general public than the regime of the former monarchy, which, for all its sins, was still a secular state. The Independents, in their Protestant zeal, began to strive to build a state-church.

The first protectorate parliament met on September 3, 1654. included a considerable number of Republicans who did not want to put up with the essentially unlimited power of the Protector. January 22, 1655 Parliament was dissolved by Cromwell. This was his obvious political mistake: he was now forced to share power with the generals of the army. The idea of military despotism was gaining more and more strength. Under pressure from the generals, the principles military organization were transferred to the administrative-territorial structure. In the summer of 1655 The country was divided into 17 military regions headed by major generals.

The Second Protectorate Parliament opened on September 17, 1656. The first act of this parliament was the destruction of the regime of major generals. Instead, in July 1657. Cromwell was asked to assume the royal rank. The proposal was strategic: its goal was to restore the historic constitution. However, the Army Council and the generals intervened and regarded the proposal "as scandalous." Changes, however, followed on May 22, 1657, but in the spirit of a compromise between the traditional way of life and the military dictatorship. Cromwell was given the right to appoint his own successor. At the same time, the House of Lords was restored, the exclusive rights of Parliament to vote taxes were confirmed, and freedom of conscience was guaranteed.

Thus, the secret dream of the bourgeoisie and the nobility was manifested to restore the monarchy in England. With all this, the protectorate regime was associated with the personality and authority of Cromwell. Death of Cromwell 3 September 1658 hastened the collapse of the protectorate regime. Richard Cromwell, appointed as his father's successor, failed to retain power and became a political toy in the hands of the generals. In 1659 he was forced to renounce his title and restore a conditional republic. Public dissatisfaction with both the regime of the Independents and the powerless republic simultaneously became so significant that the question of restoring the monarchy and the historical constitution in the country became a matter of practical politics. The revolution has run its course. The political crisis of the end of the protectorate was not caused by a coincidence. The state order established as a result of the revolution was unstable, it did not correspond to the established updated social structure. Political initiatives of the Independent Parliament, not balanced by any other government institutions, caused well-founded fears of a wide layer of large owners - and the old land - lords, and the "new nobility", and the financial and trading bourgeoisie, which received the necessary privileges in colonial trade and legislative support. In search of stability, the return to the throne of the Stuart dynasty began to appear as a way out.