Page:A short English constitutional history for law students (IA shortenglishcons00hamm).pdf/27

Dissolution of Parliament. This may take place in two ways :— i. By efiluxion of time. a. The Triennial Act, 1641, limited the fife of a Parliament to three years; but this statute was repealed at the time of the Restoration. b, Charles Il. kept the Cavalier Parlia- ment in power for seventeen years. c. The Triennial Act, 1694, said the interval between one Parliament and another was not to exceed three years, but this, it must be noted, had no effect whatever on the duration of the life of Parliament. d. The Septennial Act, 1766, limited the life of Parliament to seven vears, e. The Parliament Act, 1911, reduced it to five years, which is naw its present duration, Of course Parliament can pass a measure prolonging its own life, as it did during the Great War, but this is only likely to be done in times of great national cri Ss: ii, By the exercise of the royal prerogative. a. If Parliament is sitting it is the usual practice to prorogue it first and then to dissolve it by the issue of a “ Pro- clamation” by the “King in Council.” b, N.B.—In former times the death of the Sovereign ipso jacto dissolved Parlia- meut, but i, By statute of 1696 Parliament was to continue six months after the demise of the Crown unless dissolved sooner by the new King. ii, By the Representation of the People Act, 1867, the death of the Sovereign is no longer to affect the duration of Parliament.