444 The Period of Constitution Making
how on certain matters moved among them, it might happen
in the future that certain of their companions, out of com-
plaisance to the king, and for their own advancement, should
recount to our said lord the king such matters before they
had been determined and discussed or agreed upon among the
commons, by reason of which the said lord our king might
be grievously moved against the said commons or some of
them.
The reply of the king was
that it was his will that the said commons should have delib-
eration and advice, to discuss and treat of all matters among
themselves, in order to bring them to a better end and con-
clusion, in so far as they know how, for the welfare and hon-
our of himself an,d of all his realm. And that he would not
hear any such person or give him credence, before such mat-
ters had been shown to the king, by the advice and with
the assent of all the commons, according to the purport of
their said prayer.1
Thus was the right of free and ample deliberation guaran-
teed to the Commons at the beginning of the Lancastrian
period. In 1407, substantially the same promise was
repeated.2 Then little is heard of the right until the
arrest of Speaker Thorpe in 1453.3 Two privileges were
invaded in this case: Thorpe was arrested while he was a
member of Parliament and manifestly because of things
he had done and said in Parliament. It has already been
seen how unsatisfactorily the case resulted for the Com-
mons, who practically acknowledged their defeat by al-
lowing him to remain in prison and choosing another
Speaker. Thomas Young, a burgess for Bristol, was im-
prisoned and suffered considerable loss of property for
something which he said in the Parliament of 1451. Four
years later, he presented a petition to the Commons, in
which he told them that they
*A. and S., document 108. * Ibid., pp. 176, 177.
»See above, pp. 439, 440, note i.