Parliament 425
, Two more general ways in which Parliament touched
administration remain to be mentioned. Throughout
the fourteenth century, the Commons were diligent in
pointing out abuses, especially in judicial administration,
the burden of the complaint being that the king's judges
and other officials, notably the sheriffs, did not vigorously
and impartially enforce the laws.1 To get such informa-
tion was one of the original objects with the king in sum-
moning representatives, and he made much use of it.
He took the Commons into his confidence and quite
regularly asked their advice upon judicial matters and
upon the best methods of holding his officials in check.
The second matter had to do with Parliament's participa-
tion in foreign affairs. In the reign of Edward III., the
war with Prance was the greatest subject of popular
interest, while the troubles with Scotland were of no
small importance. Voting money to maintain these
undertakings almost necessarily made Parliament a coun-
sellor at the crisis, when it came to questions of concluding
peace or continuing the war. In 1319,
straightway after Easter a parliament was held at York
where it was unanimously agreed that our Lord the King
and all his barons should journey towards Scotland in the
next month after the feast of St. John the Baptist.
In 1333,
the King by the Chancellor asketh whether it were best to
treat with the French by way of amity or marriage accord-
ing to the offer of the French. The Commons think the
way of marriage the best.
In 1369,
the king held a parliament at Westminster, where was con-
sidered what is best to do about the rebellion of France, not-
1 Taswell-Langmead, English Constitutional History, pp. 248-250; A. and
S., pp. 94, 95, and documents 56 and 57.