Extract from the Heads of the Proposals, 1647

Transcript

1. That Parliaments may Biennially (called every two years) be called, and meet a certain day, with such provision for the certainty thereof, as in the late Act was made for the Trienniall- Parliaments, (called every three years) and what further or other provision shall be found needfull by the Parliament , to reduce it to more certainty; and upon the passing of this, the said Act for Trienniall-Parliaments to be repealed.
2. Each Bienniall parliament to sit 120 dayes certain (unless adjourned or dissolved sooner by their own consent) afterwards to be adjournable or dissolveable by the King; and no Parliament to sit past 240 dayes, from their first meeting or some other limited number of dayes now to be agreed on: upon the expiration whereof, each Parliament to dissolve of course, if not otherwise dissolved sooner.
3. The King upon the advice of the Councell of State in the intervals betwixt Bienniall-Parliaments, to call a Parliament extraordinary, provided it meet above seventie days before the next Biennial day, and be dissolved at least sixtie days before the same, so as the course of Bienniall-elections may never bee interrupted.
4. That this Parliament and each succeeding Bienniall Parliament, at, or before adjournment, or dissolution thereof, may appoint Committees to continue during the interval, for such purposes as are in any of these Proposals referred to such Committees.
5. That the Elections of the Commons for succeeding Parliaments, may be distributed to all Counties, or other parts or divisions of the Kingdomes, according to some rule of equality or proportion, so as all Counties, may have a number of Parliament members allowed of their choice, proportionable to the respective Rates they beare in the common charges, and burthen of the Kingdome, according to some other rule of equality.