Historically, the English may be given the credit for the foundation of Parliament, which, in its earlier form, was related to the Anglo-Saxon practice of regular gatherings of notables. The Revolution of 1688 commenced the rule of law, parliamentary control of taxation and of the army, freedom of speech, and religious tolerance. The development of party and parliamentary government in its modern forms took place after the Act of Union of 1707, when, in politics, the history of England became the history of Britain.

The old legislative assemblies of England, Scotland, or Ireland and successively of Great Britain and the United Kingdom were named as parliaments. The British Parliament, often referred to as the "Mother of Parliaments," consists of the sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons. Originally meaning a talk, the word was used in the 13th century to describe after-dinner discussions between monks in their cloisters. In 1239 the English Benedictine monk Matthew Paris of the Abbey of St. Albans applied the term to a council meeting between prelates, earls, and barons. It was also used in 1245 to refer to the meeting called by Pope Innocent IV in Lyon, France, which resulted in the excommunication and deposition of the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II. (Delury, George E, 1987)

The concept of the community of the realm developed in thirteenth century, used both by the crown and its opponents. The period was also notable in constitutional terms, seeing the beginning of Parliament. The phrase "community of the land" used initially meant little more than the totality of the baronage. But the need to obtain a wider degree of consent to taxation, and perhaps also the impact of new ideas derived from Roman law, led to change. In addition the county communities exerted some pressure. Knights were being asked to play an increasingly important part in local government, and soon they made their voice heard at a national level. In the conflict that broke out between Henry III and the barons in the latter part of that king's reign, political terms acquired some sophistication, and under Edward I the concept of representation was further developed.

Parliaments in England were convened originally because monarchs needed help for raising money. The tradition quickly developed that before any taxation was agreed, grievances would be presented. As a routine the monarchs would try to manage without parliaments when they could. By the early 17th century the English Parliament had embarked on a struggle for supremacy with the Crown. The English Civil War was the result. A further struggle between Crown and Parliament took place later in the century to resolve the dispute fully. After the Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689 it became clear that monarchs would rule with the assent of Parliament and power gradually would be passed from the monarch to ministers responsible to Parliament. Though in an age of limited franchise and with no secret ballot the monarch was able to have a substantial influence on the outcome of elections. In the course of the 18th and 19th centuries the power of the monarch waned and Parliament became accepted as the sovereign body. (Griffith, J.A. G., and Ryle, Michael, 1989)
Parliament was the king's council and its role in government was no better defined than the Privy Council's and its summoning was intermittent. In the early 17th century Parliament was less an institution than an event. It was called for session only when the king sought the aid of his subjects in the process of creating new laws or to provide extraordinary revenue. Parliament was constituted in a hierarchy, composed of king, lords, and commons. Every peer of the realm was personally summoned to sit in the House of Lords, which was dominated by the greatest of the king's officers. It had 464 members in 1604 and 507 forty years later. They used to come to Parliament to do the king's business, the business of their communities, and their own personal business in London. The conflicting obligations were not always easily resolved, but Parliament was not perceived yet as an institution till late 17th century when the parliament was accepted as an independent institution. The parliament is so independent today that it can take punitive actions against the contempt offenders. The power to punish for contempt has involved the sanction of direct imprisonment of the offender by the offended house. The House of Commons, however, can detain an offender only during its session, whereas the House of Lords can detain an offender for any fixed period of time, even beyond adjournment.

Many monarchs, as in Great Britain, Japan, the Scandinavian countries, and the Low Countries, are best described as constitutional monarchs. They are mainly just heads of state and do not in fact possess important powers of government. Most of the executive powers are now in the hands of parliament, ministers, headed by a prime minister, who are politically responsible to the parliament and not to the monarch. The executive powers of government in Great Britain are exercised by ministers who hold their offices by virtue of the fact that they command the support of a majority in the popularly elected House of Commons. The monarch can act only on the advice of the parliament, ministers and cannot exercise an independent will. The position of the monarchs in Scandinavia and the Low Countries is similar to that of the British; they reign but do not rule.

In England, both houses of Parliament today have asserted their power to punish for contumacious acts.

" Delury, George E. 1987. World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties New York, Oxford:

" Griffith, J.A. G., and Ryle, Michael. 1989. Parliament. London Sweet & Maxwell,