The Commonwealth 1649-53: An experiment in Republicanism

The Commonwealth 1649-53: An experiment in Republicanism

1. Achievements of the Rump

   • Religious Policy
     • Civil Wars left Anglican Church in uncertain position
     • 1645: Parliament recomemended adoption of Presbyterianism, but had made no real effort to implement this.
     • Rump divided on issue - Presbyterians equal to independents who had conflicting views on the matter.
     • Some MPs, labelled as 'Independent Presbyterians' favoured some form of compromise. E.g. Maintaining central church while denying a controlling authority over the local congregations.
     • Majority of members more concerned to impose 'Godliness' over nation than to allow 'liberty of conscience'.
     • Acts introduced that imposed penalties on adultery, fornication and profane language.
       • Aug 1650 - 'An Act against Blasphemy'
     • Absence of more sweeping measures indicated Rump had no real intention of reforming the church along the lines hoped by religious radicals.
     • Rump did nothing on tithes
     • Late 1650: Repealed statutes created under Elizabeth requiring Sunday worship in Anglican Churches.
     • 'Committee for the propagation of of the Gospel' setup by Rump in 1652 with intention of creating system for strict supervision of clerical appointments - disorganised.
   • Legal Reforms
     • Main objections to the current operation of law were that it was:
       • The preserve of the privilaged
       • Highly expensive
       • Scandalously low in operation
       • In the hands of corrupt lawyers
     • Among Rump's responses were the adoption of more lenient methods for punishing debtors and authorisation of the use of English in courts as opposed to Latin or French.
     • Did nothing to ensure lower legal fees or to provide easier access to the courts for ordinary people
     • Parliament reluctant to make changes because:
       • 50 of the 211 who attended House during the Commonwealth period were from a legal profession.
       • Largest single group among average of 60-70 members who attended daily sessions of Parliament were Lawyers.
     • Lawyers used influence to prevent interference with current commercial practices, such as monopolies, and were instrumental in the Rump's passing of the 1651 Navigation Act.
     • Primary aim to gain support from established classes within society
   • Social Policies
     • Did give some attention to Social Reforms
     • Introduced schemes for extension of education and for some form of poor relief
     • Pressures of demands of war and maintenance of National Security meant it had limited opportunity to reform.

2. Financial Problems

   • Judged by revenue collected, Rump was a highly successful body
   • It raised money through:
     • Taxation of Goods
     • Assessment (taxes on land)
     • Excise levies at the ports
     • Sale of crown lands and church propety
     • The proceeds of confiscated royal estates
   • In spite of being successfully financially, Rump remained short of money
   • Revenue couldn't keep up with costs of campaigns in Ireland and Scotland as well as the Dutch War.
   • Spent so much money on wars that it was restricted on what it could do on the domestic front

3. Dissolution of the Rump

   • Rump never expected to be a permanent body
   • September 1651: Made provision for its own dissolution by voting to disband itself by the end of 1654.
   • Produced plans for 'new representative' Parliament
   • Failed to impress Army Council, which considered Rump to be manoeuvring to prevent a genuinely new Parliament from being elected.

4. Cromwell's Motives

   • Cromwell forcibly ended life of the Rump
   • Ending of Rump accompanied by a forcible dispersal of the Council of State
   • Remained loyal to Parliament during Irish and Scottish campaigns
   • After Pride's purge in 1648, the Rump depended on the Goodwill of the Army
   • Army restrained because it was preoccupied in Ireland and Scotland
   • Right up to the point he dissolved it, Cromwell wanted the Rump to succeed
   • Religious views may have been radical, but politically and socially he was a conservative
   • Never lost his belief that Parliament was an essential part of any constitutional settlement, as shown when he was Lord Protector.
   • Cromwell's methods were apparently to prevent 'greater efusion of blood'
   • Held his army in check until he became outraged by the Rump's failure to live up to his expectations.