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| 'A Declaration from Sir Thomas Fairfax and the Army' - 1647 | ||
| Jun 14 | Fairfax and the Army Council approved the publication of 'A
Declaration from Sir Thomas Fairfax and the Army'.
Initially it cleared the New Model Army from any blame or
scandal...but it also proclaimed that it was not just a mercenary army
but had been formed by Parliament to defend the people's rights and
liberties and therefore was a voice for all the people in the Kingdom....
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... this is the first attempt of the army to have a political voice. |
| It also proposed some reforms of Parliament...
Parliament should rid itself of certain members who had proved
themselves unworthy to sit by abusing their powers. |
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Parliament should set a maximum length for its own life. |
At the moment Parliament cannot be dissolved except by its own consent. | |
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Parliament should re-apportion its seats to better reflect the different sizes of the constituencies and what they contributed to the taxes. The powers of deputy lieutenants and county committees should be lessened. It also sought a tolerance for those who chose to dissent from Presbyterianism or other religions on conscientious grounds...
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