Triennial Acts

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The Triennial Act 1641 (16 Cha. I c. 1) ^[1](also known as the Dissolution Act) was an Act passed by the English Long Parliament, during the reign of King Charles I. The act requires that the Parliament meet for at least a fifty-day session once every three years. It was intended to prevent Kings from ruling without Parliament, as had been done between 1629 and 1640.

In 1664, it was repealed by the Triennial Parliaments Act 1664 (16 Cha. II c. 1) ^[2], though the requirement that a Parliament be called least once in three years was kept.

Under the Triennial Act 1694 (6 & 7 Will. & Mar. c. 2) ^[3]Parliament met annually and held general elections once every three years. The country now remained in a grip of constant election fever (10 elections in 20 years) and loyalties among MPs were difficult to establish. This increased faction and rivalry. In 1716 the Septennial Act was created, under which a parliament could remain in being for seven years.

This, the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement eventually led to Parliament having control over the country.

[edit] References

1. ^ 'Charles I, 1640: An Act for the preventing of inconveniencies happening by the long intermission.of Parliaments.', Statutes of the Realm: volume 5: 1628-80 (1819), pp. 54-7. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47212. Date accessed: 27 February 2007.
2. ^ 'Charles II, 1664: An Act for the assembling and holding of Parliaments once in Three yeares at the least, And for the repeale of an Act entituled An Act for the preventing of Inconveniencies happening by the long Intermission of Parliaments.', Statutes of the Realm: volume 5: 1628-80 (1819), p. 513. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47354. Date accessed: 05 March 2007.
3. ^ 'William and Mary, 1694: An Act for the frequent Meeting and calling of Parliaments [Chapter II Rot. Parl. pt. 1. nu. 2.]', Statutes of the Realm: volume 6: 1685-94 (1819), p. 510. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=46421. Date accessed: 16 February 2007.