Page:A short English constitutional history for law students (IA shortenglishcons00hamm).pdf/29

We must now consider the mode in which the Crown com- aunicates with Parliament. A. The Personal Presence of the King in Parliament. a, Originally the King presided in person, but later on he only sat in the House of Lords, Charles 1. was the only King to violate this rule and enter the House of Commons. b. Now, constitutionally, the King may not even listen to a debate in the House of Commons. i, Charles Il. used to attend debates in the House of Lords, but had unfavourable comments made on him for so doing. il. Now tle Sovereign never attends a debate even in the Lords; though in theory he might listen to a debate [rom the throne. c. It is usual for the King to open larliament in the House of Lords, but at the end of a session the royal speech is generally delivered by the Lord Chancellor under a “royal commission.” B. Royal Messages to Parliament. During a sessiou a communication may be made to Parliament cither formally or informally. a. Poymaily; in writing under the Royal Sign Manual delivered to the Lord Chancellor in the Jords, or the Speaker in the Commions. b. Informally: being delivered verbally by a Minister, or officer of the royal household, or mentioned casually during a debate, Royal Assent to Bills. a. In early times a “petition” was presented to the Crown with a request to the King to frame a statute redressing some grievance or other. If the King agreed he would endorse the petition with the words “Le Roi le veut,” but on the other hand, if le did not agree, he would endorse thereon the words “Le Roi s'avisera.” b. After the 14th century, to prevent the Crown from defeating the object of a petition which he professed to accept but did not in fact do, as would afterwards appear by his drafting a statute contrary to the text of the petition, the practice arose of presenting the petition in the