religion, and the whole matter of the tenth Article; all these we do account and declare to be fundamental to our common right, liberty, and safety: and therefore do both agree thereunto, and resolve to maintain the same, as God shall enable us. The rest of the matters in this Agreement we account to be useful and good for the public; and the particular circumstances of numbers, times, and places, expressed in the several Articles, we account This docunot fundamental; but we find them necessary to be ment was completed on here determined, for the making the Agreement Jan. 15, 1649, certain and practicable, and do hold these most and preconvenient that are here set down; and therefore Rump Pardo positively agree thereunto. By the appointment liament five of his Excellency the Lord-General and his General days later. Council of Officers. JOHN RUSHWORTH, Sec. The Instrument of Government (1653) sented to the The government of the Commonwealth of Eng- Translit.: land, Scotland, and Ireland, and the dominions The Parl. Hist. of Eng. thereunto belonging. (Hansard, I. That the supreme legislative authority of the 1808), III. Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, An attempt 1417-1426. on a consti and the dominions thereunto belonging, shall be to establish and reside in one Person, and the people assembled an executive in Parliament; the style of which person shall be the tutional and Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, not a military basis. Scotland, and Ireland. II. That the exercise of the chief Magistracy The council and the administration of the government over the were ap pointed by said countries and dominions, and the people there- the Proof, shall be in the Lord Protector, assisted with a tector, but were irrecouncil, the number whereof shall not exceed 21, movable by nor be less than 13. him save by consent of III. That all writs, processes, commissions, the vote of patents, grants, and other things, which now run in the members. the name and style of the Keepers of the Liberty 6 in-chief of army and navy by consent of Council. of England by Authority of Parliament,' shall run IV. That the Lord Protector, the Parliament sitCommander- ting, shall dispose and order the militia and forces, both by sea and land, for the peace and good of the three nations, by consent of Parliament; and that the Lord Protector, with the advice and consent of the major part of the council, shall dispose and order the militia for the ends aforesaid in the intervals of Parliament. International relationship with advice of Council. Note Common Law and Magna Charta. Triennial V. That the Lord Protector, by the advice aforesaid, shall direct in all things concerning the keeping and holding of a good correspondency with foreign kings, princes, and states; and also, with the consent of the major part of the council, have the power of war and peace. VI. That the laws shall not be altered, suspended, abrogated, or repealed, nor any new law made, nor any tax, charge, or imposition laid upon the people, but by common consent in Parliament, save only as is expressed in the thirtieth article. VII. That there shall be a Parliament summoned to meet at Westminster upon the third day of Sepsummons of tember, 1654, and that successively a Parliament a single chamber of shall be summoned once in every third year, to be Parliament. accounted from the dissolution of the present Parliament. VIII. That neither the Parliament to be next summoned, nor any successive Parliaments, shall, during the time of five months, to be accounted from the day of their first meeting, be adjourned, prorogued, or dissolved, without their own consent. IX. That as well the next as all other successive Parliaments, shall be summoned and elected in manner hereafter expressed; that is to say, the persons to be chosen within England, Wales, the Isles of Jersey, Guernsey, and the town of Berwick-. upon-Tweed, to sit and serve in Parliament, shall be, and not exceed, the number of four hundred. The persons to be chosen within Scotland, to sit and serve in Parliament, shall be, and not exceed, the number of thirty; and the persons to be chosen to sit in Parliament for Ireland shall be, and not exceed, the number of thirty. X. That the persons to be elected to sit in Parliament from time to time, for the several counties of England, Wales, the Isles of Jersey and Guernsey, and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and all places within the same respectively, shall be according to the proportions and numbers hereafter expressed: that is to say, ・・ The list is omitted. this docu XI. That the summons to Parliament shall be by The ordiwrit under the Great Seal of England, directed to nances of the sheriffs of the several and respective counties, ment are the with such alteration as may suit with the present sole attempt, actually put government, to be made by the Lord Protector into operation, we reach the and his council, which the Chancellor, Keeper, or at a general Commissioners of the Great Seal shall seal, issue, reform of the parliamenand send abroad by warrant from the Lord Pro- tary frantector. If the Lord Protector shall not give warrant chise, until for issuing of writs of summons for the next Parlia- Reform Bill ment, before the first of June, 1654, or for the of 1832. Triennial Parliaments, before the first day of August See Sumin every third year, to be accounted as aforesaid; mons to that then the Chancellor, Keeper, or Commissioners of the Great Seal for the time being, shall, without any warrant or direction, within seven days after the said first day of June, 1654, seal, issue, and send abroad writs of summons (changing therein what is to be changed as aforesaid) to the several and respective sheriffs of England, Scotland, and Parliament. Manner of Ireland, for summoning the Parliament to meet at Westminster, the third day of September next; and shall likewise, within seven days after the said first day of August, in every third year, to be accounted from the dissolution of the precedent Parliament, seal, issue, and send forth abroad several writs of summons (changing therein what is to be changed) as aforesaid, for summoning the Parliament to meet at Westminster the sixth of November in that third year. That the said several and summoning. respective sheriffs, shall, within ten days after the receipt of such writ as aforesaid, cause the same to be proclaimed and published in every market-town. within his county upon the market-days thereof, between twelve and three of the clock; and shall then also publish and declare the certain day of the week and month, for choosing members to serve in Parliament for the body of the said county, according to the tenor of the said writ, which shall be upon Wednesday five weeks after the date of the writ; and shall likewise declare the place where the election shall be made: for which purpose he shall appoint the most convenient place for the whole county to meet in; and shall send precepts for elections to be made in all and every city, town, borough, or place within his county, where elections are to be made by virtue of these presents, to the Mayor, Sheriff, or other head officer of such city, town, borough, or place, within three days after the receipt of such writ and writs; which the said Mayors, Sheriffs, and officers respectively are to make publication of, and of the certain day for such elections to be made in the said city, town, or place aforesaid, and to cause elections to be made accordingly. XII. That at the day and place of elections, the Sheriff of each county, and the said Mayors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, and other head officers within their cities, towns, boroughs, and places respectively, shall take view of the said elections, and shall make return into the chancery within twenty days after the said elections, of the persons elected by the greater number of electors, under their hands and seals, between him on the one part, and the electors on the other part; wherein shall be contained, that the persons elected shall not have power to alter the government as it is hereby settled in one single person and a Parliament. XIII. That the Sheriff, who shall wittingly and willingly make any false return, or neglect his duty, Punishment shall incur the penalty of 2000 marks of lawful for illegalEnglish money; the one moiety to the Lord Protector, and the other moiety to such person as will sue for the same. XIV. That all and every person and persons, ities. who have aided, advised, assisted, or abetted in any Disloyalty in war against the Parliament, since the first day of England. January, 1641 (unless they have been since in the service of the Parliament, and given signal testimony of their good affection thereunto) shall be disabled and incapable to be elected, or to give any vote in the election of any members to serve in the next Parliament, or in the three succeeding Triennial Parliaments. Ireland. XV. That all such, who have advised, assisted, or abetted the rebellion of Ireland, shall be disabled Disloyalty in and incapable for ever to be elected, or give any vote in the election of any member to serve in Parliament; as also all such who do or shall profess the Roman CathRoman Catholic religion. olic religion. XVI. That all votes and elections given or made contrary, or not according to these qualifications, shall be null and void; and if any person, who is hereby made incapable, shall give his vote for election of members to serve in Parliament, such person shall lose and forfeit one full year's value of his real estate, and one full third part of his personal estate; one moiety thereof to the Lord Protector, and the |