tenues en les dites ordenaunces, desoremes pur le temps avenir cessent, et perdent noun, force, vertu, et effect a touz jours; les estatutz et establissementz faitz duement par nostre seigneur le roi, et ces auncestres, avaunt les dites ordenaunces, demorauntz en lour force et qe desore james en nul temps, nule manere des ordenaunces, ne purveaunces faites par les suggetz nostre seigneur le roi, ou de ses heirs, ou countre lestat nostre dit seigneur le roi, ou de ses heirs, ou countre lestat de la Coronne, soient nulles, et de nule manere de value ne de force; mes les choses qe serount a establir, pur lestat de nostre seigneur le roi, et de ses heirs, et pur lestat du roialme et du poeple, soient tretes, accordees, establies, en parlementz, par nostre seigneur le roi, et par lassent des prelatz, countes et barouns, et la communalte du roialme; auxint come ad este acustume cea enarere.

Attempt of the Commons to secure the Control of Legislation (1401)

Item, mesme le Samady, les ditz Communes prierent a nostre seigneur le Roy, qe les bosoignes faitz et a faires en cest Parlement soient enactez et engrossez devaunt le departir les Justices, tant come ils les aient en leur memoire. A quoi

this Parliament assembled, that all the matters by the said ordainers ordained and contained in the said ordinances, shall from henceforth for the time to come cease and lose name, force, virtue and effect for ever; the statutes and establishments duly made by our lord the King and his ancestors, before the said ordinances, remaining in their force and that henceforth always at any time, every kind of ordinance or provision made by the subjects of our lord the King or of his heirs or against the estate of our said lord the King or of his heirs, or against the estate of the crown, shall be null and of no kind of value or force; but the matters which are to be established for the estate of our lord the King and of his heirs, and for the estate of the realm and of the people, shall be treated, accorded, established in Parliaments, by our lord the King and by the assent of the prelates, earls and barons, and the Commonalty of the realm; according as it hath been heretofore accustomed.

Translation

The same Saturday the said Commons. prayed our lord the King that the business done and to be done in this Parliament, might be enacted and engrossed before the departure of the Justices whilst they had it in their recollection. To which the answer

leur feust responduz, Qe le Clerk du Parlement ferroit son devoir pur enacter et engrosser la substance du Parlement par advis des Justices, et puis le monstrer au Roy et as seigneurs en Parlement, pur savoir leur advis. (Rolls of Parliament, II. P. 457, § 21.)

Control of Legislation (1414)

Item fait a remembrer, Qe les Communes baillerent a Roi nostre seigneur tres soverain en cest present Parlement une petition, dont le tenure enfuyt de mote a mote.

Oure soverain Lord, youre humble and trewe lieges that ben come for the Commune of youre lond bysechyn on to youre rizt riztwesnesse, That so as hit hath ever be thair liberte and fredom, that thar sholde no statut no lawe be made oflasse than they yaf therto their assent: Consideringe that the Commune of youre lond, the whiche that is, and ever hath be, a membre of youre Parlement, ben as well assentirs as peticioners, that fro this tyme foreward, by compleynte of the Commune of eny myschief axkynge remedie by mouthe of their Speker for the Commune, other ellys by petition written, that ther never be no lawe made theruppon, and engrosed as statut and lawe, nother by additions, nother by diminucions, by no maner of terme ne termes, the whiche that sholde chaunge the sentence, and the

was made, that the Clerk of the Parliament should do his duty in enacting and engrossing the work of the Parliament with the advice of the Justices, and then shew it to the King and to the lords in Parlia ment in order to know their opinion.

Control of Legislation (continued)

entente axked by the Speker mouthe, or the petitions biforesaid yeven up yn writyng by the manere forsaid, withoute assent of the forsaid Commune. Consideringe oure soverain Lord, that it is not in no wyse the entente of youre Communes, zit hit be so that they axke you by spekyng, or by writyng, too thynges or three, or as manye as theym lust: But that ever it stande in the fredom of your hie regalie, to graunte whiche of thoo that you luste, and to werune the remanent.

The Kyng of his grace especial graunteth that fro hens forth no thyng be enacted to the peticions of his Comune, that be contrarie of hir askyng, wharby they shuld be bounde withoute their assent. Savyng alwey to our liege Lord his real prerogatif, to graunte and denye what him luste of their petitions and askynges aforesaide. (Rolls of Parliament, IV. p. 22, § 22.)

IX

THE REGULATION OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

Act 7 Henry IV. c. 15 (1406)

[OSTRE seigneur le Roy al grevouse

compleint de sa Comune del non dewe eleccion des Chivalers des Countees pur le parlement, queux aucune foitz sont faitz de affeccion des Viscountz, et autrement encountre la forme des briefs as ditz Viscountz directe, a grand esclaundre des Countees et retardacion des busoignes del Communalte du dit Countee; nostre soverein seigneur le Roy vuillant a ceo purveier de remedie, de lassent des seigneurs espirituelx et temporelx et de tout la Comune en cest present parlement, ad ordeignez et establiz qe desore enavrant les eleccions des tielx Chivalers soient faitz en la forme qenseute: Cestassaver qe la proschein Countee a tenir apres la livree du brief du parlement, proclamacion soit