d, no king openly
denied its binding force. Furthermore, in Edward's reign the House of
Commons gained (1322), for the first time, a direct share in
legislation. This step had results of supreme constitutional
importance.

13. Division of Parliament into Two Houses; Growth of the Power of the
Commons; Legislation by Statute; Impeachment; Power over the Purse.

In Edward III's reign a great change occurred in Parliament. The
knights of the shire (about 1343) joined the representatives from the
towns, and began to sit apart from the Lords as a distince House of
Commons. This union gave that House a new charactyer, and invested it
with a power in Parliament which the representation from the towns
alone could not have exerted. But though thus strengthened, the
Commons did not venture to claim an equal part with the Lords in
framing laws. Their attitude was that of humble petitioners. When
they had voted the supplies of money which the King asked for, the
Commons might then meekly beg for legislation. Even when the King and
the Lords assented to their petitions, the Commons often found to
their disappointment that the laws which had been promised did not
correspond to those for which they had asked. Henry V pledged his
word (1414) that the petitions, when accepted, should be made into
laws without any alteration. But, as a matter of fact, this was not
effectually done until the close of the reign of Henry VI (about
1461). Then the Commons succeeded in obtaining the right to present
proposed laws in the form of regular bills instead of petitions.
These bills when enacted became statues or acts of Parliament, as we
know them to-day. This change was a most important one, since it made
it impossible for the King with the Lords to fraudulently defeat the
expressed will of the Commons after they had once assented to the
legislation which the Commons desired.

Meanwhile the Commons gained, for the first time (1376), the right of
impeaching such ministers of the Crown as they had reason to believe
were unfaithful to the interests of the people. This, of course, put
an immense restraining power in their hands, since they could now make
the ministers responsible, in great measure, for the King.[1]

[1] But after 1450 the Commons ceased to exercise the right of
impeachment until 1621, when they impeached Lord Bacon and others.

Next (1406), the Commons insisted on having an account rendered of the
money spent by