The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-03-27 00:00:00

(lc Stottrinibge Oberver.

SATURDAY, MARCH 27th, 1880.

THE DURATION 01 PARLIAMENTS.

To the Overxetrs of the Poor of the Township of the Lye.
in tie county of Worcesier, and to the Supe-intendent
of Pcliec (jute .1 in.sion rf Hrtfrbridge, in the said
Cou.ty.

The dissolution of the ninth Parliament of
Queen Victoria, and the summoning of the
tenth of the present reign, si:ggest some
reflections which carry the mind back to a
period far distant in history. It is strange
how important a meaning, as attached to
the word Parliament, should have been de-
rived from a very simple word. The French
parlement means discourse; and certainly the
present term Parliament is a very great im-
provement upon the old Saxon expression
Wittanagemot. which signified the Great
Council for the Nation. About the middle
of the twelfth century the phrase Parliament
was applied to the general councils of the
State under Louis VII. of France; but it is
said not to have appeared in our law until
1272, although some claim it to have been
used in the time of Edward the Confessor.
However, there can be no doubt that what-
ever the character of the earlier assemblies
might have been, it was not until 1265 that
' the D present distinction between counties
and boroughs was made, and that knights of
the shire and citizens and burgesses for the
towns, were summoned to Westminster. in
all the varying changes which have been
wrought by time in the number and com-
position of the House of Commons, this
distinction has been maintained. Genera-
tions and centuries have not altered the view
originally taken by our forefathers, that the
interests of the agricultural districts are
totally different from those of the populated
towns; and the diverse character of the re-
presentatives of each is apparent at a glance
fr.om the nature of the election intelligence
in the papers just now.
Sir Edward Coke lays it down that the
power and jurisdiction of Parliament are so
transcendent and absolute that it cannot be
confined, either for t. auses or persons, within
any bounds. It has sovereign and uncon-
trollable authority in making and repealing
laws. It can regulate or remodel the suc-
cession to the Throne, as was done in the
reigns of Henry VIII. and William 111. It
can alter and establish the religion of the
country, as in the times of Edward VI.,
gary, and Elizabeth. Practically, therefore
the succession to the Throne and thenational
religion are in the power of the people to
decide upon. Alterations in procedure have
taken place with the advance of time, so as
to meet the changes consequent upon the
march of succeeding ages; but amid them
all it is singular to note how the original
manner of giving the Royal assent to Bills
passed by Parliament is retained to this day.
La nine le vent ("tile Queen is willing ") is
still the form used, and it is thus curious
that the Sovereign of England should even
now make use of the French language to
declare her intentions to her Parliament.
The duration of the sittings of the Legis-
lature has materially varied with succeeding
reigns. Edward I. had eight Parliaments
in 8 years; Edward li. fifteen Parliaments
in 20 years; Edward 111. thirty-seven
Parliaments in 50 years ; Richard 11. twenty-
six Parliaments in 22 years; Henry IV. ten
Parliaments in 14 years ; Henry V. eleven
Parliaments in 9 years; Henry VI. twenty-
two Parliaments in 39 years; Edward IV
live Parliaments in 22 years; Richard 111.
one Parliament in 2 years ; Henry VII.
eight Parliaments in 24 years. During the
sixty years' reign of George 111. there were,
however, but twelve Parliaments, which
made an average of five years for each.
Queen Victoria will have summoned ten
Parliaments in 43 years, which makes the
average duration of each year near those of
her grandfather. Very few Parliaments
have reached to the age of that which is now
dissolved. There was one which extended
from the 18th May, 1784, to the 12th June,
1790—an age corresponding almost within a
few days to that of the ninth of the Queen.
Another met on the 27th April, 1820, and
was dissolved on the 2nd June, 1826. A
third met on the 31st May, 1859, and was
dissolved on the 6th July, 1865. Thus only
four times within a century has a Parlia-
ment run beyond term of six years—once in
the reign of George 111., once in that of
George flif., and twice in the reign of Queen
Victoria. None of these have attained the
age of six years and two months. The Par-
liaments of 1820 and 1859 ran to almost
precisely the same age—six years, one month,
and a few days. Next in point of age was
the Parliament of 1784—six years and 26 days;
and the shortest of the four is that which
is now dissolved—six years and twenty days.
The Septennial Act, was, however, made
more use of in the times of George I. and
Ge.,rge 11. For instance, the Parliament
summoned on the 21st of March, 1715, was
not dissolved- until the 10th March, 1722.
only a few days short of the entire seven
years. The first Parliament of George 11.
ran from the 28th January 1728. to the 18th
April, 1734; the second fron the 14th Jan-
uary, 1735, to the 28t1 April, 1741; the
fourth from the 10th November, 1747, to the
Bth April, 1754; and the fifth from the 14th
November, 1754, to the 21st March, 1761.
That monarch summoned only five Parlia-
ments in th.rty-three years, an average of
nearly seven years for each. In modern
times, however, as already shown, the
tendency is not to unduly extend the length
of Parliaments. A dissolution brings the
members int 3 the closest contact with the
feelings of the body politic, and enables the
Government of the day to speak with no
uncertain sound as the exponents of the
national will in the Councils of Europe and
of the world.