Humble Petition and Advice

The Humble Petition and Advice was the second, and last, codified constitution of England after the Instrument of Government. It came about largely as a result of the rise of the New Cromwellians. They in themselves were an expression of strong latent support for monarchy and the English traditional constitutional limits on its power, a desire to lose the military overtones of the earlier Protectorate and the increasingly small level of control Cromwell was able to exert due to ill health and frustration with a lack of revolutionary ideology amongst his subjects. The Humble Petition and Advice wanted to offer hereditary monarchy to Oliver Cromwell, assert Parliament's control over issuing new taxation, provide an independent council to advise the king, safeguard 'Triennial' meetings (every three years) of Parliament and reduce the size of the army in order to save money, amongst other things. These had the effect of limiting, not increasing, Cromwell’s power. Cromwell refused the Crown, however, on the 8 May 1657. This may have been because he feared disaffection in the Army, especially considering the proposed reduction in the size of the army, was distressed by allegations of dynastic/personal ambition, did not genuinely accept that a monarchy was necessary in England, or because he feared re-instating the monarchy on the basis that he believed it had been judged by God in the period following the English Civil War. Cromwell instead accepted a modified Humble Petition and Advice saying he would nominate his successor, as Lord Protector.

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Humble Petition and Advice

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Additional Petition and Advice

• 'May 1657: To His Highness the Lord Protector of the commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland; and the Dominions thereto belonging; The humble Petition and Advice of the Knights Citizens and Burgesses now assembled in the Parliament, of this Commonwealth.', Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum, 1642-1660 (1911), pp. 1048-056. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=56599&strquery=1048. Date accessed: 30 April 2007.
• 'June 1657: To His Highness the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging; The Humble Additional and Explanatory Petition and Advice, of thø Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses now Assembled in the Parliament of this Commonwealth.', Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum, 1642-1660 (1911), pp. 1182-186. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=56616&strquery=humble%20petition. Date accessed: 30 April 2007.