Hume's Richard II: House of Commons

Hume continues:

Edward had failed to arrange a form of government to act during Richard's minority, so it was necessary for Parliament to come up with a plan.

The house of commons took the lead and asked the lords to appoint a council to rule until Richard was ready. The lords appointed a council of 11, as requested, to serve for a year.

Hume notes that the commons had started to become more powerful throughout the reign of Edward III and this continued during the minority of Richard II.

This house was becoming so active that it became necessary for the first time for them to choose a speaker. They chose Peter de la Mare, who had been imprisoned during the reign of Edward III for speaking badly of Edward's mistress and ministers.

This choice indicated that they intended to continue speaking out against abuses--it "discovered a spirit of liberty in the commons," as Hume puts it. They realized, however, that they were not yet powerful enough to be involved in selecting a council and this is why they were content to ask the lords to do so.

They also asked the lords to choose some good men to watch over the king and make sure that he grew up in a virtuous way. The lords declined to this.

The commons made two requests of the king.

First, they asked that the king would stop the lords from "forming illegal confederacies, and supporting each other, as well as men of inferior rank, in the violations of law and justice." This request received a "general and obliging answer."

Then, they proposed that they, along with the lords, would have the power to appoint the ministers of the king during his minority. This request was denied, but Hume says that it served their purpose simply to "advance their pretensions...of interposing in these more important matters of state."