An Analysis On The Power Of The House Of Commons Of The English Parliament In The Fourteenth And Fifteenth Century

The House of Commons of Medieval England formed in the press of EnglishParliament. The development of commodity economy, the disintegration of serfsystem and the recession of knights’ military function made more knights take upbusiness; the development of English domestic and overseas trade, the enlargement ofcities’ scope made the class of burgesses expand in number, so the economic power ofknights and burgesses became much stronger. In order to settle the Kingdom’staxation problems, knights and burgesses took part in parliament. As commodityeconomy developed, knights and burgesses grasped the most wealth of the Kingdomgradually. The compactness of politics and economy made them unite gradually. Thelower clergy quitted from parliament, the Lords spiritual and temporal discussedofficial affairs without knights and burgesses, so the House of Commons formed.The main works of the Commons were taxation and legislation. Taxation was theimportant factor because of which the local representatives joined in parliament. TheCommons used petitions to express the requirements about the local common benefitsto the Kings and the Lords. While, in the early of formation, the Commons had noactual powers in two aspects. From the end of the fourteenth century to the fifteenthcentury, because of the further development of commodity economy, frequent warsand the specific situations of each King, the Commons got the powers to approvetaxation bills and legislation, which made significant influence on English politics,economy and society. Its organization and regulations also made a good example forthe future.