Heads of Proposals

The Heads Of Proposals was a set of propositions intended to be a basis for a constitutional settlement after King Charles I was defeated in the first English Civil War [ [http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/glossary/heads-of-proposals.htm Heads of the Proposals, 1647 ] ] . It was drafted in the summer of 1647 by Commisionary-General Henry Ireton and Major-General John Lambert.

Main propositions

The main propositions were
* Royalists had to wait five years before running for or holding an office.
* The Book of Common Prayer was allowed to be read but not mandatory, and no penalties should be made for not going to church, or attending other acts of worship.
* The sitting Parliament was to set a date for its own termination. Thereafter, biennial Parliaments were to be called (i.e. every two years), which would sit for a minimum of 120 days and maximum of 240 days. Constituencies were to be reorganized.
* Episcopacy would be retained in church government, but the power of the bishops would be substantially reduced.
* Parliament was to control the appointment of state officials and officers in the army and navy for 10 years.

King Charles' reaction

The King rejected the proposals outright. He regarded them as too restrictive, even though they were more lenient than the terms offered in Parliament's Newcastle Propositions. Because Oliver Cromwell and Henry Ireton negotiated with the King, they lost the army radicals' support. The radicals criticized their "servility" to the king. Without a solution between the army, King, and Parliament, the second English Civil War started.

Historical importance

Although the "Heads of Proposals" was never adopted, Ireton promoted it in the Putney Debates. He presented it as a moderate alternative to the Agreement of the People. Elements of "Heads of Proposals" were incorporated in the Instrument of Government. The Instrument of Government was the written constitution that defined Oliver Cromwell's powers as Lord Protector. The religious settlement proposed by Ireton in 1647 was virtually identical to that finally adopted in the Toleration Act of 1689.

References

* [http://books.google.com/books?id=-SoLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA316 The Heads of the Proposals offered by the Army] August 1, 1647. Cites as a source Rushworth, vii. 731. See Great Civil War, iii. 329-333, 340-343.]

Footnotes