Important Dates in House of Commons History.

• 1258 Assembly of Knights and Burgesses (the Mad Parliament).
• 1265 First assembly as a confirmed Representation.
• 1294 First regular Parliament; a deliberative Assembly.
• 1308 Becomes a legislative Power, whose assent is essential to the Constitution of Laws.
• 1377 First Speaker (Peter De La Mare) elected.
• 1404 Parliament at Coventry: Lawyers excluded.
• 1430 Suffrage for Knights restricted to 40s. freeholders.
• 1542 Members protected from arrest.
• 1547 Commons Journals begun.
• 1549 First Peer's eldest son elected (Fras. Russell) as M.P.
• 1614 Court and Country Parties first formed in Commons.
• 1629 Charles I. dissolves House : no re-summons for 11 years.
• 1640 The Long Parliament assembles.
• 1649 Votes the trial of Charles Stuart, King of England.
• 1653 Cromwell dissolves the Long Parliament.
• 1680 The Convention Parliament: to restore the Stuarts.
• 1678 Roman Catholics excluded from Legislature.
• 1688 Convention Parliament: to receive William and Mary.
• 1689 Irish Parliament of James II. at Dublin, attaints 3,000 Protestants.
• 1707 First Parliament of Great Britain met.
• 1716 Septennial Act.
• 1801 First Parliament of the United Kingdom.
• Clergymen disqualified from sitting as M.P.'s.
• 1823 O'Connell (first Roman Catholic M.P. for 150 years) returned for Clare.
• 1832 Reformed House of Commons meets.
• 1833 Joseph Pease admitted on affirmation.
• 1840 Privilege of franking relinquished.
• 1852 Commons first met in present building.
• 1858 Baron L. Rothschild, the first Hebrew M.P. admitted.
• 1872 Ballot Act passed.
• 1875 Mr. Plimsoll creates a scene and apologises.
• Irish Party compel sittings of 15½ hours (23 July)
• Irish Party compel sittings of 14¼ hours (31 July—1 Aug.)
• 1879 Obstructiveness becomes very serious.
• 1880 Mr. Bradlaugh objects to take oath, and is refused affirmation.
• 1880 Sitting of 21 hours on Irish affairs (26, 27 August).
• 1881 36 Irish M.P.'s suspended for disorderly conduct.
• Mr. Bradlaugh re-elected. Offer to take oath refused. Twice forcibly removed from House.
• 1885 Last resolution passed refusing the oath to Mr. Bradlaugh, who shortly afterwards is returned to a new Parliament, and Tory obstruction to his rights dropped.