The revolt of the common man

Although they were not yet called Houses by the reign of Edward III the English Parliament had evolved into two separate entities. In reality it consisted of three distinct classes within English society. The two most powerful groups in the Kingdom, the church represented by the priests who were subject to the dictates of the Pope and thus met separately from the Kings council of Barons who advised the King, this became the House of Lords.

What was to become the other house of parliament was made up of knights of the shires and burghers and representatives of the boroughs throughout the country. These knights and borough representatives met separately from the Lords, being of lesser social status, waiting to be called to Court in order that they might petition the King about any grievances they might have as representatives of their respective districts. This group were patronizingly known as the Commons thus the eventual name in the House of Parliament.

Near the end of his once glorious reign, Edward III had fallen upon hard times having lost nearly all the gains England had made during what would later be known as the Hundred Years War with France. This made him royally hard up for cash. To add to his financial woes he had taken on a young mistress. As goldbricking young mistresses are wont to do throughout the ages she was spending the Royal income lavishly upon herself.

As they met in session in their far less fashionable digs in London Town the Common men decided that this year would be different. They were tired of raising and paying taxes which were being wasted by not only the King's mistress, which was bad enough, but also the King's ministers who were having a fine time over at the palace. So they vowed that they would collect no new taxes for the King until changes were made.

Finally summoned to the court to submit their petitions for redress of grievances of which they had plenty, this time instead of sending a spokesman and a small committee as was the custom, the entire contingent of Common men trooped on over to the Painted Chamber to confront the Barons and the King.

Their Speaker informed the shocked Barons, Clergy and the sick King represented by his son, that they were displeased at how their tax monies was being spent. They further informed the elites of the Kingdom that no further monies would be forthcoming until certain ministers were brought to account for their inadequacies and waste.

For the next few weeks the Common men held court (so to speak) finding certain ministers as well as the King's mistress guilty of wanton waste they dismissed them from the court. Since the time of William the Conqueror of Normandy, Norman French had been spoken in the English court. These accusations and dismissals by the Common men towards the ministers and the young floozy, were to become known by the Norman French word ampeschement which meant embarrassment, but spoken in English became impeachment.

Thus it was that exactly 400 years prior to our Declaration of Independence, in the year 1376, what became know in English history as "The Good Parliament" staged the first tax revolt by the Common Man against Big Government.

History has a habit of repeating itself.



Via-Jer
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