Shortly after assembling, the House of Commons, led by Sir Thomas
Wentworth and John Pym, drew up the Petition of Right, which passed
the Lords and was presented to the King for his signature. The
Petition was a law reaffirming some of the chief provisions of the
Great Charter, which the nation, more than four centuries earlier, had
extorted from King John (S199). It stipulated in particular, that no
taxes whatever should be levied without the consent of Parliament, and
that no one should be unlawfully imprisoned for refusing to pay such
taxes. In the petition there was not an angry word, but as a member
of the Commons declared, "We say no more than what a worm trodden upon
would say if he could speak: I pray thee tread on me no more."
433. Charles signs the Petition of Right, 1628; but he revives
Monopolies.
Charles refused to sign the Petition; but finding that money could be
got on no other terms, he at length gave his signature, 1628.[1] But
for Charles to pledge his royal word to the nation meant its direct
and open violation. The King now revived the "monopolies," which had
been abolished under Elizabeth (S388).
[1] Petition of Right: See Summary of Constitutional History in the
Appendix, p. xvi, S17, and p. xxix.
By these grants certain persons bought the sole right of dealing in
nearly every article of food, drink, fuel, and clothing. The Commons
denounced this outrage. One member said: "The `monopolists' have
seized everything. They sip in our cup, they sup in our dish, they
sit by our fire."