SHORT PARLIAMENTS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 52, 11 February 1911, Page 3 (Supplement)

SHORT PARLIAMENTS.

!Tho erecent English Election which took place ’.ast December almost, if not quite, ereibs a “record," since there i will thus have been three Parliaments I in c-nc ye-.r. Tn any case we have to i go back more than two centuries to corm- to a year which includes two General Elections within .its ’.limits. This occurred in 1701. when there was I a P.arl-airent of George lll.’s that lasted but half of the time this one has in 1910. That Parliament was one of the shortest in our history, extending, as it did. but rix months. Yet even that short period has been toaten more than on-e in tto curious life of the House of Commons. 'PRAISE GOD BAREBONES. ’ The famous “Prai-e God Barchanes” Parliament, during the Cmmwvllian regime, lasted just over five months, from July Ith io Dccenii.or loth. Again, in li>l I. King Janes 1. had a Parboment which endured but six months or so. and was dissolved to-ran’-e it refused ♦<» grant the monarch money- unless he did away with .Severnl grievances .and onorcssions from wh:ch the land was suffering at that time. Tri this year (1(>1I> th-re were, therefore. t**..> separate and distinct elections of a House of Commons, the noiclty of which may thus be gathered when .-’n« remember’', that it ha.s only happened three times in about 300 scars.

But th-- 1 sharteat Parliament on recon! is nndoid t dly that which King Chajlcs I. found so recalcitrant in the gathering termed by histotian.s ■'Th' l Short Parliament.” This Hous'' of Commons sat but three months, fnr from its very fir-t day the King and Parliament were at daggers drawn, and diaries quickly cleared out nn assembly which was more likely to t*o’ib>e him constantly than to do exactly as i-.e wished in every detail. LASTED TWO DAYS. Many yet living wilk remember, of course, tho short Parliament under G aebtoue. which l -st'd from December. 1885 to the \ugnst of 1886, when a fresh election was ma-’c. But even that Parliament reailv came to grief much sooner, for in June the Government was defeat'd and resigned, and the Conservatives took office, only to rule until arrangements could be made foi a new election. Equally interesting is it to learn that the shortest Administration on record in our annals was that of a coalition under th;* Earl of Bath and Lord Granville in 1746. This extraordinarv Government lasted just two da vs viz., from February 10th to tho 12th.