CHARLES I.

J5i

The pretensions with regard to tonnage and chap.poundage were revived , and with certain nv.

assurance of success, by the commons The -«»<-.

levying of these duties; as formerly, without Tonnageconsent of parliament, and even increasing age-them at pleaspre, was such an incongruity in afree constitution, where the people, by their fun-damental privileges cannot be taxed but by theirown,consent, as could no longer be enduredby these jealous patrons of liberty. In thepreamble, therefore, to the bill, by which thecommons granted these duties to the king, theytook care, in the strongest and most positiveterms, to assert their own right of bestowingthis gift, and to divest the crown of all independ-ent title of assuming it. And that they mightincrease , or rather finally fix, the entire depend-ence and subjection of the king, they votedthese duties only for two months; and afterwards,from time to time, renewed their grant for veryshort periods Charles, in order to stiow that

" It appears not, that the commons, though nowentirely masters, abolished the new impositions of James,against which they had formerly so loudly complained : Acertain proof that the rates of customs, settled by thatprince , were in most instances just, and proportioned to thenew price of commodities. They seem rather to have beenlow. SeeJoum. 10th Aug. 1625.

" It was an instruction given by the house to the com-mittee which framed one of these bilis, to take care thatthe rates upon exportation may be as light as possible; andupon importation as heavy as trade will bear : A proofthat the nature of commerce began now to be understood.

Journ. 1 June , 1641. L 4