Elizabeth Enq 3

• importance of parliament- WAS IMPORTANT

  -could pass laws

  -privy councillors

  -could raise taxes

  -needed parliament to pass subsidy bills

  -invited to talk about MQS

  -sessions usually lasted for two or three months
• importance of parliament- NOT IMPORTANT

  -only summoned 13 times in 45 year reign

  -only in session for 39 months altogether

  -attendance was extremely poor between 31% and 64% attendance in 1563

  -the queen could summon and dismiss it when she wanted
• topic of religion- ORTHODOX VIEW (NEALE): CONFLICT

  -formed an organised opposition which devised parliamentary strategy

  -43 members of 1563-67 parliament described as 'Our Choir'

  -E had to stop Puritan bills from infringing on Royal Prerogative (1566, 1571, 1586, 1593)

  -1571 furious with Walter Strickland for making radical proposals for prayer book reform and E suspended him

  -E sent Anthony Cope and his Presbyterian supporters to TOL in 1586
• topic of religion- REVISIONIST VIEW (ELTON, GRAVES, JONES): COOPERATION

  -Jones challenges the Puritan Choir's numerical and organisational strength- only 20-25 radicals in a parliament of 500 members

  -Elton shown that they did not work as an organisational group- shifting alliances
• topic of marriage and succession

  ORTHODOX VIEW

  -1593 bill to settle succession upset E, MP responsible imprisoned

  -E refused to accept Parliament's right to initiate discussion on MQS

  -E forces to dissolve Parliament, giving up on her gov legislation programme to be rid of their intolerance

  -PC requested Parliament raise issue and forced Parliament to do so too

  -1566 commons held up subsidy bill until issue of succession solved

  REVISIONIST VIEW

  -E told the HOC that she'd marry when it was convenient
• topic of finance


  ORTHODOX VIEW

  -1563 HOC introduced two bills to limit use of purveyance

  -1589+1593 MPs expressed dissatisfaction with heavy taxation. In 1593 Cecil tried to use loyal Peers to produce additional subsidy

  -1601 monopolies crisis. Commons held up subsidy to pressure E

  
  

  REVISIONIST VIEW

  • E vetoes both 1563 bills to limit purveyance
  • E managed to calm commons in monopoly crisis with golden speech
  • E was never denied funds, only in 1566 she did feel it was appropriate to accept a reduced sum when granting subsidies was very thin
• topic of parliamentary privilege

  ORTHODOX VIEW

  -in 1576 Peter Wentworth famously challenged the way in which E controlled debates through rumours and messages

  -Paul Wentworth raised the issue of freedom of speech in 1566 parliament

  REVISIONIST VIEW

  -loyal HOC stopped Wentworth in full flow and eventually committed him to the tower of london

  -individuals like Wentworth weren't typical- he was 'essentially a maverick, a man whose view on free speech...were too far ahead of their times'
• ways in which Elizabeth managed parliament

  ROLE OF SPEAKER

  -E influenced choice of speaker

  -the speaker controlled debates, directed the order of business as E wanted

  ELIZABETH'S PERSONALITY

  -arguably her most important weapon

  -at times her presence in Parliament was enough to stifle criticism

  -few people would question her right to influence Parliament

  -she could still count on support of the political nation when her opposition grew
• ways in which E managed parliament

  -Burghley's promotion to HOL changed balance between both houses

  -when Burghley became peer, amount of business that started there increased significantly

  USE OF MESSAGES AND RUMOURS

  -E used messages to exercise her authority

  -she could use councillors who had seats in commons to direct debates

  -also used technique of whispered rumours where a rumour indicating her wishes was spread about chamber

  -she summoned the speaker so she could explain what she wanted
• ways in which E managed parliament

  ROLES OF COUNCILLORS

  -times councillors used influence to direct parliament in a way they wished

  -relied on support of W Cecil to manage Parliament

  -commons more important that Lords because of Cecil

  -councillors had a lot of influence over who'd be chosen as MPs- Burghley chose 26 in 1584

  -1590s Parliament largely under influence of E's councillors
• ways in which E managed parliament

  ARREST AND VETO

  -only 5 instances E used veto to block legislation she disliked- 3 instances in relation to making church more protestant, other 2 instances about MQS

  -power of arrest used in 1576-Peter Wentworth sent to Tower for demanding freedom of speech

  -veto used frequently to block poorly drafted legislation
• ways in which E managed parliament

  ATTITUDE OF MPS

  -no reason for E to dislike calling parliament it seems actually MPs disliked being summoned

  -most of E's methods to control parliament were accepted by most MPs

  -attendance declined when length of sessions increased

  -procedures to fine and punish those who were absent were introduced

  -an average of 10 MPs spoke in debates and under half of them bothered to vote

  -most MPs wanted sessions to be over as quickly as possible