by order of act of Parliament. (2) That neither soldiers nor sailors should be quartered in private houses.[3] (3) That no one should be imprisoned or punished contrary to law.  Charles was forced by his need of money to assent to this Petition, which thus became a most important part of the English constitution.  But the King did not keep his word.  When Parliament next met (1629), it refused to grant money unless Charles would renew his pledge not to violate the law.  The King made some concessions, but finally resolved to adjourn Parliament.  Several members of the Commons held the Speaker in the chair by force,—­thus preventing the adjournment of the House,—­until resolutions offered by Sir John Eliot were passed (S434).  These resolutions were aimed directly at the King.  They declared:  (1) that he is a traitor who attempts any change in the established religion of the kingdom;[4] (2) who levies any tax not voted by Parliament; (3) or who voluntarily pays such a tax.  Parliament then adjourned.

[2] Petition of Right:  see S432, and Constitutional Documents, p.xxx. [3] The King was also deprived of the power to press citizens into the army and navy. [4] The Puritans had come to believe that the King wished to restore the Catholic religion as the Established Church of England, but in this idea they were mistaken.

18.  “Thorough”; Ship Money; the “Short Parliament.”

The King swore that “the vipers” who opposed him should have their reward.  Eliot was thrown into prison and kept there till he died.  Charles made up his mind that, with the help of Archbishop Laud in Church matters, and of Lord Strafford in affairs of state, he would rule without Parliaments.  Strafford urged the King to adopt the policy of “Thorough"[1] (S435); in other words, to follow the bent of his own will without consulting the will of the nation.  This, of course, practically meant the overthrow of parliamentary and constitutional government.  Charles heartily approved of this plan for setting up what he called a “beneficent despotism” based on “Divine Right.”

[1] “Thorough”:  Strafford wrote to Laud, “You may govern as you please....I am confident that the King is able to carry any just and honorable action thorough [i.e. through or against] all imaginable opposition.”  Both Strafford and Laud used the word “thorough,” in this sense to designate their tyrannical policy.

The King now resorted to various unconstitutional means to obtain supplies.  The last device he hit upon was that of raising ship money.  To do this, he levied a tax on all the counties of England,—­ inland as well as seaboard,—­on the pretext that he purposed building a neavy for the defense of the kingdom.  John Hampden refused to pay the tax, but Charles’s servile judges decided against him, when the case was brought into court (S436).