The early Protectorate 1654-5
Instrument of Government:
The main features of the Instrument of Gov established were:
A Lord Protector would have gov powers and be aided by a Council of State (not that different to
King+Privy Council).
A single-chamber P w/400 members from England and Wales. Would meet at least once every 3
years.
Ireland/Scotland were to be represented in the House by 30 MPs each, thus making it the first ever
truly British P.
As a direct rejection of Leveller ideas, the Instrument specified that the right to vote was to be
restricted to men of substance, those who had property or income of at least £200 in value.
(Franchise restricted to wealthy property owners).
Known royalists were debarred from voting or standing in election.
A national church was to be set up. People were given liberty of worship except papists and extreme
sectarians. (Ill-defined national Church).
There was to be a permanent army of 30,000.
Nov 1653, Cromwell held discussions w/John Lambert and army officers who keenly supported the drafting of
a new constitution – providing that Cromwell wasn’t made king. Cromwell insisted on wearing a simple black
coat rather than military uniform as his way of showing that he regarded himself primarily as a civilian ruler.
4 days after ending the Nominated Assembly, Cromwell was made Lord Protector. During the following 9
months before the meeting of the 1st P of the Protectorate in September 1654, Cromwell had worked
w/Council of State in drafting many ordinances which he was going to present to P for approval.
Financial reform and the regularising of the 2 main types of taxation: assessment and the excise, a
centrally imposed tax on goods and commodities.
Religious reorganisation.
The legal and administrative reforms first proposed by the Rump.
Despite the Protectorate becoming the effective constitution, its legitimacy was in question as the Instrument
of Gov from which the Protectorate derived its authority was solely the product of the Council of Officers. This
meant that it never got full civilian backing and none of the P’s formally ratified it. It was a gov system imposed
by the military and Cromwell was v conscious of this. The MPs who challenged the Instrument and Cromwell’s
authority had just as much right to do so as the Army Council had in imposing it originally. P could argue that
they were an elected body whereas the Army Council represented only themselves.
First Protectorate P 1654-5:
Under the terms of the Instrument, P was supposed to meet September 1654. The elections (which had taken
place the summer before) created a House that wasn’t submissive to Cromwell or his army. Its 460 members
contained Presbyterians and republicans. Commonwealthsmen (republican MPs who disliked the Rump’s
dissolution and argued for religious freedom and a gov that didn’t intervene a lot w/daily life) attacked the
Instrument rather than spending their time creating reforms. They challenged Cromwell’s right to exercise the
civil and military authority that the Instrument granted him. They also objected to the high cost of maintaining
the standing army and demanded that it be reduced from 50,000 to 30,000 as laid down in the new
constitution.
Cromwell wanted his P to help begin ‘healing and settling’ religious differences that kept the nation divided.
Instead, P voiced its concerns about how overly tolerant Cromwell was. He tried to lessen the growing
opposition by obliging the MPs to swear an oath of loyalty to the Protectorate. 100 members refused to do
this so they were excluded, and criticism didn’t decrease. P passed none of the 84 ordinances that Cromwell
had previously prepared. P wanted to restrict his power as Protector by introducing a new bill that would’ve
effectively undermined the authority that the Instrument gave him. Due to this, Cromwell dissolved P in
January 1655 (lasted 5 months).
Instrument of Government:
The main features of the Instrument of Gov established were:
A Lord Protector would have gov powers and be aided by a Council of State (not that different to
King+Privy Council).
A single-chamber P w/400 members from England and Wales. Would meet at least once every 3
years.
Ireland/Scotland were to be represented in the House by 30 MPs each, thus making it the first ever
truly British P.
As a direct rejection of Leveller ideas, the Instrument specified that the right to vote was to be
restricted to men of substance, those who had property or income of at least £200 in value.
(Franchise restricted to wealthy property owners).
Known royalists were debarred from voting or standing in election.
A national church was to be set up. People were given liberty of worship except papists and extreme
sectarians. (Ill-defined national Church).
There was to be a permanent army of 30,000.
Nov 1653, Cromwell held discussions w/John Lambert and army officers who keenly supported the drafting of
a new constitution – providing that Cromwell wasn’t made king. Cromwell insisted on wearing a simple black
coat rather than military uniform as his way of showing that he regarded himself primarily as a civilian ruler.
4 days after ending the Nominated Assembly, Cromwell was made Lord Protector. During the following 9
months before the meeting of the 1st P of the Protectorate in September 1654, Cromwell had worked
w/Council of State in drafting many ordinances which he was going to present to P for approval.
Financial reform and the regularising of the 2 main types of taxation: assessment and the excise, a
centrally imposed tax on goods and commodities.
Religious reorganisation.
The legal and administrative reforms first proposed by the Rump.
Despite the Protectorate becoming the effective constitution, its legitimacy was in question as the Instrument
of Gov from which the Protectorate derived its authority was solely the product of the Council of Officers. This
meant that it never got full civilian backing and none of the P’s formally ratified it. It was a gov system imposed
by the military and Cromwell was v conscious of this. The MPs who challenged the Instrument and Cromwell’s
authority had just as much right to do so as the Army Council had in imposing it originally. P could argue that
they were an elected body whereas the Army Council represented only themselves.
First Protectorate P 1654-5:
Under the terms of the Instrument, P was supposed to meet September 1654. The elections (which had taken
place the summer before) created a House that wasn’t submissive to Cromwell or his army. Its 460 members
contained Presbyterians and republicans. Commonwealthsmen (republican MPs who disliked the Rump’s
dissolution and argued for religious freedom and a gov that didn’t intervene a lot w/daily life) attacked the
Instrument rather than spending their time creating reforms. They challenged Cromwell’s right to exercise the
civil and military authority that the Instrument granted him. They also objected to the high cost of maintaining
the standing army and demanded that it be reduced from 50,000 to 30,000 as laid down in the new
constitution.
Cromwell wanted his P to help begin ‘healing and settling’ religious differences that kept the nation divided.
Instead, P voiced its concerns about how overly tolerant Cromwell was. He tried to lessen the growing
opposition by obliging the MPs to swear an oath of loyalty to the Protectorate. 100 members refused to do
this so they were excluded, and criticism didn’t decrease. P passed none of the 84 ordinances that Cromwell
had previously prepared. P wanted to restrict his power as Protector by introducing a new bill that would’ve
effectively undermined the authority that the Instrument gave him. Due to this, Cromwell dissolved P in
January 1655 (lasted 5 months).
