10 An Inquiry into the Principles of Taxation. 



Henry VIII. the parliament refigned both their 

 civil and ecclefiaftical liberties to the kingy and, 

 by one a£t, totally fubverted the Englifh conftitu- 

 tion. For they gave to the king's proclamations 

 the full force of a legal ftatute ; and even framed the 

 law, as if it were merely declarative, and intended 

 only to explain the true extent of the regal preroga- 

 tive.* When the fame arbitrary rnona,rch heard 

 that the commons made a difficulty of granting 

 a certain fupply, which he required, he was fo 

 provoked, as to fend for Edward Montague, a 

 member who had confiderable influence in the 

 houfe ; and laying his hand on the head of that 

 gentleman, dien on his knees before him, im- 

 perioufly faid, get my bill pajfed by to-morroiVy or 

 to-morrow this head of yours fhall be off. His def- 

 potifm too well fucceeded ; for, the next day, the 

 bill was pafled. f Under the government of 

 Edward VI. a grievous and partial tax was im- 

 pofed on the whole (lock and moneyed intereft 

 in the kingdom, with an entire exemption of the 

 land. One fhilling in the pound was to be levied 

 yearly on every perfon who pofleffed ten pounds, 

 or upwards ; a fum equal to half the yearly income 

 of all money-holders, according to the rate of 

 legal intereft. J 



• Hume, vol. IV. p. 210. 



t See Collins's Britifli Peerage. Hume, vol. IV. p. 51^ 



X Hume, vol. IV. p. 346. 



In 



