1 66 TAXES AND CONTRIBUTIONS. 



of loyalty was predominant 1 , the Chancellor, Archbishop 

 Stafford, congratulated the country on the marriage of Henry 

 and Margaret, which he strangely illustrated by the text, 

 Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. The House 

 sat from Feb. 25 to March 15, when it was prorogued to the 

 5th of June, and thence on plea of recreation and harvest to 

 Oct. 20, when promise was made that the attention of the 

 Commons should be invited to extortions, oppressions, riots, 

 maintenance, and other crimes. Then after an interval, during 

 which it is not recorded that it transacted business, it was 

 prorogued to Dec. 15, and again to Jan. 24. On March 15, 

 i.e. on the day of its first prorogation, it granted half a fifteenth 

 and half a tenth, less .2000 which is remitted to the towns 

 named above and in the same proportion. On April 9, 1445. 

 it granted a fifteenth and a tenth, and half a fifteenth and half 

 a tenth, with a deduction on both sums of 9000 and the old 

 taxes for four years. The most remarkable event however of 

 this Parliament was the formal apology put in for the Marquis 

 of Suffolk, and his conduct in the king's marriage. (Rot. Parl. 

 v. 73, 74.) The foundations of Eton and King's College, 

 Cambridge, are also confirmed by this Parliament. It will be 

 noted that the exemption rises now from 4000 to .6000. 



In the Parliament of 1447, William Tresham was elected 

 Speaker for the third time, being as before member for North- 

 ampton county. The Roll is brief, and no grant appears 

 on it. The next Parliament was summoned on Feb. 12, 1449, 

 when John Say was Speaker, and half a fifteenth and half a 

 tenth granted with the exception of .3000. The old taxes 

 were renewed, and a portion of them, as before, appropriated 

 to the defences of Calais and the payment of soldiers' wages 

 there. These arrangements are to continue for four years. In 

 consideration of a pardon for 'felonies and rapes' it was 

 suggested that every priest, secular and religious, should pay 

 6s. &/. to the king. But this, as trenching on the liberties of 



1 Unfortunately, nearly all the returns of this Parliament are lost, and we cannot tell 

 whether Tresham was elected. 



