Chapter 24: Government under William III and Mary

• William had an autocratic style of government
• What was William III’s chief priority?


  the European conflict against Louis XIV
• How did William’s priorities shape his government?


  accepted the introduction of a cabinet government - seen as most efficient body during war
• What actions of William due to the conflict with France caused tension (seen as threatening liberties of Parliament and the people)?

  • suspension of habeas corpus
  • use of royal veto
  • attempt to retain a standing army during peacetime after 1697 Treaty of Ryswick ended the war
• What did William’s cabinet government provide?

  • closer coordination of military, diplomatic, and financial policies
  • Mary with advice while William was absent on numerous war campaigns abroad
• What was the consequence of the rise of the cabinet?


  saw the fall of the importance of court as a political form
• How often did Parliament meet under William and Mary’s reign?

  every year from 1689
• Why was Parliament’s newly annual meetings significant?


  before 1689, Parliament was called and dissolved whenever a monarch chose to do so.
• What caused Parliament’s increased importance?


  its ability to finance the Crown (reflected William’s need for funds for European war). 
• What was the principal of ‘appropriation’ (1690s)?


  Parliament specified a purpose for their grants of money
• Example of Parliament using finance to influence constitutional issues


  William accepted 1694 Triennial Act; Parliament would meet annually and hold elections every 3 years
• Effect of William accepting 1694 Triennial Act


  prevented monarch from ruling without Parliament
• How long did William’s First Parliament last for?

  1690-95
• What was the Act of Grace (May 1690)?

  pardoned the majority for their activities before the Glorious Revolution of 1688
• What was the Commission of Public Accounts (Dec 1690)?


  chosen by Parliament, reviewed state finances; became a powerful political instrument
• November 1691: Commission of Public Accounts’ first report attacked the government for wasting money and recommended cuts in the army and the navy for the following year
• Significance of the Commission of Public Accounts

  Parliament started scrutinising how government spent money; limited power of the Crown
• What was the other notable feature of William’s First Parliament’s first 2 parliamentary sessions?


  granted £4,600,000
• Why was the £4,600,000 parliamentary grant approved?

  • Nottingham and Danby’s successful management of MPs
  • also due to fears of a more apparent European threat from Louis XIV and James II that needed to be defeated
• What did the third and fourth parliamentary sessions (Oct 1691-March 1693) do?


  Whigs and Tories worked together to propose the Treason Trial Bill and the Judge’s Bill; aimed at limiting monarch’s prerogative in legal matters
• The House of Lords defeated the Treason Trial Bill while William vetoed the Judge’s Bill
• Other examples of Whig-Tory cooperation

  • Place Bill: aimed to exclude MPs as office holders
  • Triennial Bill: William vetoed this at the end of the fourth session
• What led to the argument for a ‘blue-water’ strategy regarding foreign policy?

  there was criticism of the cost and conduct of the war
• What was the ‘blue water’ strategy?

  • cheaper
  • naval-based
  • example of a ‘country’ position
• What did William do to counter the ‘country’ position’s influence?


  appointed the Junto Whigs on Sunderland’s advice
• What was the significance of the Junto Whigs?


  all had City of London links and to ‘monied interests’ - able to fund William’s war effort
• What did the Junto Whigs introduce?

  • Million Loan Act (Jan 1693): loaned William £1 million on the promise that those who had the Crown credit would be repaid from new parliamentary taxes.
  • Led to the National Debt
  • Bank of England (1694): originated from National Debt system; lent the Crown money at interest in return for the company being established as a bank
• Why did William let the Triennial Act of 1694 pass?

  his desperate need for parliamentary funds for war
• When did Mary die?


  December 1694
• Significance of Mary’s death


  provoked some Tories who had reconciled themselves with William’s rule as he was married to Mary and she ruled as well. 
• Why did William dissolve his First Parliament?

  increased calls for Danby, his key adviser, to be impeached
• How long did William’s Second Parliament last for?

  1695-98
• What did the ‘country’ opposition focus on between 1696 and 1697?

  • apparent escalation of England’s involvement in European conflict
  • the influence of William’s Dutch advisers
  • the increasing land taxes
  • the Bank of England
  • the influence of the ‘monied men’
• Why did the Junto Whigs have a short-term advantage over the Tory ‘country’ stance?


  there was an assassination attempt on William in Feb 1696
• What was the result of the assassination attempt on William?


  an oath was imposed on office holders to swear to William as ‘the right and lawful king’; many Tories didn’t swear it as they saw William as the de facto king. 
• What was the effect of the oath to swear to William as ‘right and lawful king’?


  allowed Whigs to replace those who would not take the oath with their own supporters
• How long did the Junto Whigs hold onto their influence for?


  until April 1697
• What caused the collapse of the Junto Whigs?


  the signing of the Treaty of Ryswick (1697); removed their key hold over William - ability to finance and organise his war
• How long did William’s Third Parliament last for?

  1698-1700
• What was the attitude to war by 1698?


  most MPs rallied around ‘country’ position to attack the management of the war and the reduction of any standing army during peace