The Child's Pictorial History of England / From the Earliest Period to the Present Time

by Miss Corner

61. How were the useful arts improved in England, about this time?

CHAPTER XVI.
THE REVOLUTION.—1689 TO 1714.

DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH.

1. The changes made in the government by taking the crown from James the Second, and giving it to William the Third, was called the Revolution, and was a good thing for England, as it was then settled that no sovereign, in the future, should follow his own will, or act contrary to the laws of the country; that all new laws should be proposed by the parliament, and not by the king; who was only to have the power of giving or refusing his consent to them; which is very different from being able to make laws without asking any one, as the kings and queens of England had hitherto often done.

2. The way, now, is this:—when a gentleman of the House of Commons, or a nobleman of the House of Lords, thinks of any thing that will be good for the nation, he mentions it to the rest and they all consult about it, every one giving his opinion whether he thinks it good or not; and if the greater number think it will be good, it is settled that it shall be done, if both Houses of Parliament and the sovereign agree to it; for whichever House of Parliament begins and agrees to a measure, it is sent to the other House for approval:—this is called passing the bill.

3. When both Houses have done what they consider good and necessary, it is submitted to the queen or king, who generally approves of it also; and then it becomes a law.

4. Another rule made at the Revolution was, that the parliament should meet every year, and that there should be a new election at least once in three years, to give the people an opportunity of choosing other members, if they had not approved the votes of the old ones; but, in the reign of George the First, this arrangement was altered to seven years, and so it has continued ever since.

5. It was also agreed that none but a Protestant should ever be king or queen of England; and all these, with many other regulations, were written down, and signed by king William, and this is called the Bill of Rights.