The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-15

selves In conVocatlon untll tne reign VI SnaTle'
H., the right OF tho towns as we'll rs OF thC
shlres to send representatives TO Parliamen
became established. MIR. Taylor is careful tc
remind us that the third estate or commons
| the word third estate is misnomer. since the
clergy refused to act as a separate estate IN
Parliament or TO allow Parliament TO tax them
did not in the thirteenth and fourteenth cen
tures bear the same meaning In England which
It has for historians who discuss the French
States General 1t did not imply union into
ono corporate body conscious OF its own iden-
tty OF all orders OF mon below the nobility and
clergy, but must simply be understood to in
clude all freemen organized and incorporated
for local self-government in the two leading
classes of local communtics-shires and towns.
Most OF the knights OF the shires. who in Eng
land were sent to the House OF Commons with
the delegates from borouGhs would In the
! French States General have been represented
in the estate or order OF the noblesse.
1t was in the reign OF Edward III. that the
| English Parliament was definitely constituted
| in two houses. the so-cnlled knights OF the
! shire who wero not always kniRhtsl and the
delegates OF cities and borouGhs sitting to-
gether in one chamber and the lords. tenn
! poral and spiritual in the other The interval
between this reign and that OF Edward ". in
| the latter half OF the fifteenth century is Of
| capital importance In parliamentary history.
| Then IL was that the method OF returning
the members OF the lower House was settled,
that the rights and privileges OF the Commons
were defined. and that the arsenal OF prece-
dents was founded whence Eliot and Pym
and Hampden were to draw effective weapons
in the days of Charles I. Indeed some OF the
reforms now advocated by English Radicals
n L.. H. f~,r
teenth and fifteenth centuries. For instance.
not long after the permanent Incorporation Of
representatives the custom became esta blished
that parlaments should be held annually. Such
was the rule laid down In an ordinance adopt
ed in the fifth year Of Edward II. and In
statutes passed in the fourth and thirty-sixth
OF Edward III. After the final division OF Par
lament into two houses each found. as a rule.
u meeting place within the precincts OF the
palace at Westminster, though there are many
subsequent instances OF the national assem-
bly, being convoked at other places In 1852
the Commons were ordered to assemble in the
chapter house OF Westminster Abbey, and it
was not until tho reign OF Edward VI. that they
met in the chapel erected by King Stephen in
honor of the saint. his namesake. To this day
1t will be remembered. ST. Stephens Is n
synonyme for the meeting place Of the House
Of Commons.
1t may also be plausibly contended that |
something like universal suffrage existed in
the early years OF the fifteenth century. This |
su beet is discussed by Mr. Taylor on page 574. |
He shows that the weight OF authority sup |
ports the conclusion that the elected knights |
were not only representatives OF the whole |
shire community, but that they were chosen |
by the whole body of fieeholders IN full county
court. Indeed. the statute passed In the eev-
ont ~ .ha
right OF suffrage to be the privilege OF all free
men present in the county court. whether free
holders or not. This was followed. however In
the eighth year OF Henry VI. tabout a quarter
OF a century later by the first DISTINGUISHING
statute OF which there Is any record. BY the
terms OF this law the suffrage was not only lin
lied to freehoders but to such only Of them as
= have free land or tenement to the value OF
forty shillings by the year at least above all
charges" This property qualification was
never lowered from the time OF its imposition
until the enactment OF the Reform bill OF 1882.
AS regards the suffrage In CITIES and Dor
ouRhs the practice at first was that all
the citizens and burGesses were electors But
the same tendency. which brought about the
OF landless freemen and the
esser freeholders In counties. led to the with
travail OF the borough franchise from the main
'ooy OF townsmen and to the restriction OF it
o selt-elected governing Board. or q still
smaller circle OF selectmen. In the charters Of
Incorporation which began to be issued after
ne accession OF the house OF Tudor the right
u returning members to Parliament WAS con-
med to the Mayor and Common Council who
we're nominated by the Crown In the first in
tance and perpetuated by self-election. The
motive for creating boroughs OF this sort Is OBJ
ious enough. Nowhere was the abuse car
led 80 lar as In the duchy OF Cornwall. where
ne crown possessed special means OF nfu-
nee. Up to the passage OF the Reform bill OF
s32 Cornwall returned far more members to
he House OF Commons than the whole king
ON OF Scotland.
Among other facts worth noting we may men.
ION that the first Speaker. Sir Thomas Hun
eriord' was chosen IN 1877. and that the honor
as not conferred on any other than a knight
the shire. until the election OF Robert
rookie member for the City of London in
Dol. we should also point out that residence
AS made qualification OF both electors and
ected by statute OF Henry v. which was not ,