Constitutional History of England, Henry VII to George II. Volume 2 of 3Hallam, Henry
History
Constitutional History of England, Henry VII to George II. Volume 2 of 3
Hallam, Henry
Constitutional history -- Great Britain
prepare a remonstrance of the state of the kingdom, to be presented to
his majesty, in which the several grievances might be recited; which
committee had never brought any report to the house; most men
conceiving, and very reasonably, that the quick and effectual progress
his majesty made for the reparation of those grievances, and
prevention of the like for the future, had rendered that work
needless. But as soon as the intelligence came of his majesty being on
his way from Scotland towards London, that committee was, with great
earnestness and importunity, called upon to bring in the draft of such
remonstrance," etc. I find a slight notice of this origin of the
remonstrance in the Journals, Nov. 17, 1640.
In another place, also suppressed in the common editions, Clarendon
says: "This debate held many hours, in which the framers and
contrivers of the declaration said very little, or answered any
reasons that were alleged to the contrary; the only end of passing it,
which was to incline the people to sedition, being a reason not to be
given; but called still for the question, presuming their number, if
not their reason, would serve to carry it; and after two in the
morning (for so long the debate continued, if that can be called a
debate, when those only of one opinion argued), etc., it was put to
the question." What a strange memory this author had! I have now
before me Sir Ralph Verney's MS. note of the debate, whence it appears
that Pym, Hampden, Hollis, Glyn, and Maynard, spoke in favour of the
remonstrance; nay, as far as these brief memoranda go, Hyde himself
seems not to have warmly opposed it.
[204] The letters of Sir Edward Nicholas, published as a supplement to
Evelyn's _Diary_, show how generally the apprehensions of popish
influence were entertained. It is well for superficial pretenders to
lay these on calumny and misrepresentation; but such as have read our
historical documents, know that the royalists were almost as jealous
of the king in this respect as the puritans. See what Nicholas says to
the king himself, pp. 22, 25, 29. Indeed he gives several hints to a
discerning reader, that he was not satisfied with the soundness of the
king's intentions, especially as to O'Neale's tampering with the army,
p. 77. Nicholas, however, became afterwards a very decided supporter
of the royal cause; and in the council at Oxford, just before the
treaty of Uxbridge, was the only one who voted according to the king's
wish, not to give the members at Westminster the appellation of a
parliament. P. 90.
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