1625-1629

• The 1625 parliament


  When Charles became king in March 1625, he found the monarchy had very little cash. Usually this could be solved by borrowing, but Charles could not convince enough people to lend the government money. He raised £60,000 from City of London merchants - but the only institution that could provide him with the funds he needed was parliament. So, In June 1625, Charles called the first parliament of his reign. This parliament sat for only three months and achieved very little. It was nicknamed the "Useless Parliament" by the King
• The king and parliament disagreed on several matters that let to him dissolving parliament :


  • Tonnage and Poundage - the Commons refused to grant him the right to collect custom duties and taxes for life like his father .
  • The war with Spain goes badly due to the Duke of Buckingham
  • Religion - MP' were alarmed by Charles' catholic advisors because of the Catholic Queen. Buckingham negotiated the marriage contract and MPs were furious
• The 1626 parliament


  The war continued to go badly. In November 1625, an English naval expedition to Cadiz ended in humiliating failure. Buckingham had chosen the commander of the expedition. MPs had a point with their criticism of the Duke Buckingham's lack of planning. Unwillingness to attend to detail and unrealistic expectations of what could be achieved ensured that his foreign policies were disastrous.
• The 1626 parliament


  Charles called his second parliament in February 1626, still in dire need of money. But parliament had other ideas- and targeted the Duke of Buckingham, who seen as being responsible for the problems faced by the country. Many of Buckingham's enemies joined an attempt to impeach (put on trial) him. MPs openly criticised Buckingham and would not provide the King with money until their complaints about him had been addressed. In order to save his friend, Charles dissolved parliament - without receiving any financial support.
• The 1628 parliament

  After the dissolution of the 1626 parliament, Buckingham's increasingly inept diplomacy led to war with France. England was now at war with the two most powerful countries in Europe-Spain and France. Although Buckingham sent a force of English ships to help French Protestants at La Rochelle in 1627, this too failed because of poor planning. As complaints about Buckingham grew and grew, Charles realised he would get no money from Parliament unless he sacrificed his closest adviser. As a strong believer in the divine right of the monarch, Charles was also extremely angry at what he saw as an attempt by parliament to hold his chosen adviser to account.
• The 1628 parliament


  Charles thus decided to govern according to his own views, and attempted to obtain money by alternative measures. He did this in two ways: 1. By continuing to collect Tonnage and Poundage without parliamentary approval: 2. By demanding a Forced Loan be collected. A forced loan was a request from the King for a loan-that would probably never be repaid-that could not be refused. Charles threatened anyone who refused to pay with imprisonment or conscription into the army.
• The forced loan created huge resentment, especially when Charles carried out his threat to imprison refusers. MPs began to worry that the king was ignoring the law. In 1627, a group of five gentlemen, who came to be known as the Five Knights, challenged the king's right to imprison them. After lots of pressure from the king, judges in the case found in his favour. This seemed to suggest the king was denying the rule of law, and laying a foundation for tyranny
• Petition of Right


  A carefully worded document that made it seem as though Parliament were asking the king to help them define the law
• Petition of Right


  • Reversed the decision in the Five Knights Case
  • Said there should be no more forced loans
  • Said there would be no more imprisonment without trial
  • Said that using civilian houses for soldiers to live in (called billeting) would no longer be allowed
• Parliament accepted the Petition of Right


  The Commons would vote five subsidies of taxation to the king
• The Petition of Right was very clever as by asking for the king's help to correct and clarify the law, parliament were not accusing Charles of making any mistakes, and showed outward respect for the monarch
• Charles had little choice but to accept the Petition of Right, and it became law
• With both sides at least partially satisfied


  There was a chance for Charles and parliament to establish a more harmonious relationship
• Charles had raised some much-needed money, and parliament had been able to get the king accept some limitations on his power and authority
• Buckingham was assassinated


  August 1628
• Buckingham was described as 'the cause of all our miseries' by an MP in 1628
• Charles was devastated and grief-stricken by Buckingham's death


  He was met with scenes of open rejoicing and celebrations in parliament at news of Buckingham's death
• In revenge

  Charles asserted his right to continue collecting Tonnage and Poundage without parliament's approval and imprisoned some merchants who refused to pay it
• Charles appointed William Laud as Bishop of London
• Arminian


  Laud's views on the Church of England were closer to Catholic thinking (though he was NOT a Catholic)
• This was deeply suspicious to many MPs, who themselves had Puritan ideas
• Parliament re-assembled


  January 1629
• The atmosphere was one of suspicion and mistrust
• MPs began to look into


  1. Breaches of the Petition of Right

  2. The treatment of merchants who had been imprisoned
• The frustrated king

  Decided to prorogue (suspend) parliament
• On the day parliament was to be suspended, a group of MPs ignored the call to disperse, and physically held the Speaker in his chair to keep the House of Commons in session until Three Resolutions had been passed
• These were against the growth of Arminianism in the Church of England, the collection of Tonnage and Poundage, and the punishments against those who did not pay it
• Angered by the open defiance of MPs


  Charles dissolved the parliament and declared that he would not call another until his subjects should have 'a better understanding of us and themselves'
• This marked a dramatic breach between king and parliament, and a significant breakdown in the system of government
• In conclusion, the events of 1629 were significant in the path towards the Civil War that began in 1642. MP's feared an absolute monarchy and wanted to limit the power of the king. After this, Charles did not call parliament for 11 years : the Personal Rule began.