54 Constitutional History. [chap.
king could only say that he had none and knew not where to
procure any. The year 1405 was a year of action, the next
year was almost entirely occupied with discussions in parlia-
ment, the longest hitherto known and, in a constitutional point
of view, one of the most eventful.
Prooeedings 313. ɪt opened on the ɪst of March1: the chancellor in his
in parlia- r » . , ,
ment, Match speech announced that the king wished to govern himself by
the advice of his wise men, and Sir John Tibetot was chosen
speaker. The cause of the summons was announced to be the
defence of the king’s subjects against their enemies in Wales,
Guienne, Calais, and Ireland; but the deliberations of the
parliament almost immediately took a much wider scope. On
the 23rd of March the speaker, after a protest and apology,
announced that the commons required of the king ‘ good and
abundant governance,’ and on the 3rd of April explained
the line of policy which they recommended for the national
defence ; the prince of Wales should command in person on the
Themer- Welsh Marches ; and the protection of the sea should be en-
chants un-
dertake the trusted to a body of merchants who were ready to undertake
defence at 1 . , ,
sea. the task on condition of receiving the tunnage and poundage
and a quarter of the subsidy on wool. After a supplementary
demand that the Bretons should be removed from court, and
that the king should retain in his hands, at least for a short
time, the estates forfeited by the Welsh rebels, the houses ad-
journed until after Easter2. The estates met again on the 30th
of April ; and it was at once manifest that a brisk discussion
of the administration was impending. On the 8th of May the
wages; Ord, i. 277. In the parliament of 1406, when the associated
merchants applied to the king for £4000, he replied that ‘ il n,v ad de
quoy;’ Rot. Parl. iii. 570. As late as 1414 the duke of Bedford sold his
plate to pay the garrison of Berwick, where wages were £13,000 in arrear ;
ib. ii. 136. The issues of the several years are given by Sir J. H. Ramsay
in his article in the Antiquary, vi. 104, where they can be ascertained.
It is there shown that there was a great want of economy in all de-
partments.
1 Rot. Park iii. 567.
2 ɪb. iii. 569-571 ; Rymer, viii. 437, 438. The merchants nominated
Nicolas Blackburn their admiral April 28; Rymer, viii. 439; cf. p. 449.
The plan failed and the king stayed the supply of money Oct. 20 ; Rymer,
viii, 455 ; Rot. Parl. iii. 6ιo.
Parliament of 1406.
55
XVIII.]
iɑV was fixed for the departure of the aliens1; on the 22nd Expnisionof
θ∙ttJ . . , aliens, May.
fhe king was prevailed on to nominate a council of seventeen
members, two of whom were Sir John Cheyne and Sir Arnold
4∙ιvarre2. Archbishop Arundel having stated that the council- Nomination
k^n o , pπ . 1 . . , . of council.
Iors would not serve unless sumeɪent means were placed in their
hands to carry into effect the ‘ good governance ’ that was re-
quired, the commons addressed to the king a formal remon-
strance on the condition of the coasts and dependencies of Eng-
land. To this Henry could only reply that he would order the
council to do their best3. On the 7th of June the speaker
followed up the attack with still plainer language. The king, Complaints
he said, was defrauded by the collectors of taxes ; the garrison i⅛s вег-
of Calais was composed of sailors and boys who could not ride ; 'rιnts,
the defence of Ireland was extravagantly costly, yet ineffective ;
but above all, the king’s household was less honourable and Complaints
. . . a~alnεt the
more expensive than it had ever been, and was composed, not of household,
valiant and sufficient persons, but for the most part of a rascally
crew ; again, he urged, the state of affairs required good and
abundant governance4. Under this show of remonstrance and
acquiescence—for the king agreed to all that the commons pro-
posed—there was going on, as we learn from the annalist, a
struggle about supplies. The commons had demanded that the StniggWor
accounts of Pelham and Furnival should be audited ; the king a∞ounte.
declared that kings were not wont to render accounts ; the
ministers said that they did not know how to do it; the com-
missioners appointed to collect the taxes imposed in the last
parliament did not venture to execute their office from a doubt
of their authority5. At last, on the 19th of June, when the
commons were about to separate °, the question of account was
conceded, the commons were allowed to choose the auditors,
and the speaker announced that they had granted a supply of
money for current expenses7 ; the king might have an ad-
ditional poundage of a shilling for a year and a certain fraction
of the produce of the subsidy on wool, but the aliens must be
1 Ret. Rail. iff. 571 ; Ann. Henr. p. 419.
2 Rot. ParI. iii. 572. 3 lb. iff. 573. 4 lb. iff. 577.
5 EuIog. iff. 409. 6 Rot, Parl. iff. 577. 7 lb. iii. 578.