Parliament 443
A reversal of the former judgment appears upon the roll
of Parliament. While we cannot be sure that the Haxey
case was a vindication of a member's right to free speech
in the Commons, yet the language used proves that the
Commons felt that their customs and liberties had been
invaded, and the offence lay in the introduction of a bill
obnoxious to the sovereign, as so often in the reign of
Elizabeth.
The second Parliament of Henry IV., assembling in
January, 1401, was well placed to follow up this beginning.
The needs of the king were great, as shown by the open-
ing speech of the Chief Justice. This gave the Commons
a hold upon Henry which they were quick to see; they
were a little nettled at the tone of the speech, which bade
them give more than usual attention to the affairs of
the nation and cautioned no one to go home until the busi-
ness was over; and they were fortunate in the temper of
their Speaker, Sir Arnold Savage. His first address to the
king suggests those regular requests for privilege with
which the Parliaments of Elizabeth were opened. He
asked "that the said commons should have their liberty
in parliament as they had had before this time and that
this protestation should be recorded in the roll of parlia-
ment." This "seemed honest and reasonable to the king
and he agreed to it." The Speaker further prayed that
the Commons might have * 'good advice aij^deliberation"
on the matters brought Before them"~T7wi:Siout being
suddenly called upon to reply to the most important
matters at the end of parliament, as had been done before
this time." The king replied that it was his intention
"to follow this order of action and that he did not imagine
any such subtlety, also that they should have good advice
and deliberation from time to time as the need de-
manded. '' x Three days later, a further point was pressed.
The Speaker, in another address to the king, stated on be-
half of the Commons
1 A. and S., document 107.