Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-06-10
From tho North British Review.
THE ANGLO-NORMANS.
CONCLUSION.

ly to raise the people, and to give them an
influential part in public affairs, from which
no efforts of the Tudors or Stuarts we're a.
bic permanently to exclude them. While
the Norman regime lasted, the king was the
captain of the conquering tribe of soldiers.
The subordinate commanders had the title
of barOnS the remainder were called. in
Latin, milteS, and in English, knights or
Sguires These and their families were the
people, who alone had rights. The Anglo
Saxons we're their subjects. 4 e. subjugated
"a term which was not applied to the House
of Lords (then representing the Conquest,
as it does partially still, even so late as the
time of Elizabeth. The formula then was
My right loving lords, and you, my right
faithful and obedicnt Subjects" The jealou-
sizes and collisions of interest and power be-
tween the barons and their royal chief led
to the first mitigation of Saxon serfdom, and
laid the foundation of property among the
conquered
The king had exercised the power Of re-
cruiting men for repairing fortresses, bridg-
es, and roads,-of levying contributions of
corn and cattle, in his journeys, and of seiz-
ing beasts of burden, CARTS and agricultural
implements. This touched the interests of
the proprietors of the soil and the serf who
helped to " clothe" it. The barons combin-
ed-resisted, and extorted Magma Charta.
Strange to say, this great instrument of ma
tional freedom had no nobler origin than
this Indeed, one article of the great char
ter forbids the destruction of houses, woods
or men, without the special license of the
proprietor, who had full power over the life
of Englishmen. 1t is great mistake to
suppose that the war of the barons against
John Lakeland was waged for the benefit of
the sub ects, or that the treaty of Runymede
secured their liberties They were never
thought of by either party, except as liable
to be slaughtered like cattle in the barba-
rous reprisals which the belligerents made
on one another's properties. In the course
of the struggle between royalty and feudal-
ism, the king retalated on the barons, and
compelled them to confne themselves to
regular taxes-required them to give mer-
chants and others safe conduct through
their erritories-encouraged the formation
of commercial associations, guilds, &c, and
took cities under his protection. In these,
vast number of SaXons took refuge hav-
ing escaped from their serfdom There
dustrial arts. Manufactures were imported
from the Continent-particularl from Flan-
ders. Cities and towns were enlarged, and
became influential in proportion to their
trade, wealth, and population.
From this growth of Populesion and re-
sources arose difficulty in applotting the
taxes that were required of these commune
ties in order to sustain the common cause
of their masters, and to meet the expenses
of their foreign wars. In consequence OF
this difficulty, the cities were compelled to
send some of their number to meet the gen.
era, his captains, chaplains, and soldiers,
assembled in what they called in their own
language, parliament, that it might be as.
certained how much taxation they were a.
BILE to bear, and that they might answer for
its due and peaceable collection. For this
purpose they were obliged to sign tax-deeds
In process of time the inferior class OF
knights and soldiers fell into the same cate
CORY with the commonaty, and were repre-
scented by the same deputies. Such is the
origin of the House of Commons. The
towns sent deputies with great reluctance
None coveted the honour-we were going
to say, of seat in Parliament-but then
they were not allowed to sit. They were
required humbly to stand before their mas.
tiers to receive orders on financial matters
and to pledge their constituents that the sup.
plies should be forthcoming The first call
of the deputies of boroughs was made by
Edward l., in 1895. These were to be pro.
vided with Sufficient powers from theil
community TO consent in their name to what
he and his council should require of them"
This CONSENT" however, imperceptibl,
grew into an important privilege, to which
we owe all our liberties, as did also the form
of petition" first used to obtain mitiga
ton of burdens, but in course of time be-
coming an imperative demand for redress o
grievances Favoured by the continental
war; which gave an external direction to the
activity and force of the arstocracy, the
/ power of the Commons steadily advanced
While the feudal nobility was wearing ou
its energies at distance, the citizens, work
ing and paying more and more, were more
frequently called on to take part in public
affairs, it being the interest of their ruler
to encourage their rising industry Thu
naifs or serfs, too, began to obtain SOM
1 sympathy, and to become instinct with
consciousness of their rights as men and a
Christians. Priests and merchants felt 70
their hard lot. Their cause was forcibl
pleaded in numerous pamphlets. Associa
tons were formed in all directions, and 100,
900 serfs left the fields and covered the road
towards London, to demand their freedom
from the king. Richard III. went out il
person to hear their complaints, and gra
ciously granted them charters of enfranchise
ment But the barons, alarmed for " tn
rights of property" under pretence that tn
young kings life was in danger, collecte'
body of troops, and falling on the multi
tude, dispersed them with great slaughter
The proclamation of freedom was revoke
the charters were recalled. "God pre-
serve us"-exclaimed the barons--" fror
subscribing such charters, though we wer
all to perish in one day for we would ratl
err lose our lives than our inheritances !"-
Things at once returned to the order estat
lished at the Conquest The serfs were O
gain treated according to the spirit of tn
proclamation which resulted from Richard
second thoughts, which said -
Villains your were and still are, and i
bondage you shall remain"
But freedoms battle had begun, an
though bafiled often, it was destined to b
lo.t h. -.