Editing Petition of Right (section)

==Passage==
[[File:Edward coke.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.8|[[Edward Coke]], former Chief Justice who led the Committee that drafted the Petition, and the strategy that passed it]]

Despite being unanimously accepted by the Commons on 3 April, the Resolutions had no legal power and were rejected by Charles.{{Sfn|Guy|1982|p=299}} He presented an alternative; a bill confirming ''Magna Carta'' and six other liberty-related statutes, on condition it contained "no enlargement of former bills". The Commons refused, since Charles was only confirming established rights, which he had already shown willing to ignore, while it would still allow him to decide what was legal.{{Sfn|Guy|1982|p=307}}

After conferring with his supporters, Charles announced Parliament would be [[prorogued]] on 13 May, but was now out-manoeuvred by his opponents. Since he refused a public bill, Coke suggested the Commons and Lords pass the resolutions as a Petition of Right, and then have it "exemplified under the great seal".{{Sfn|White|1979|p=265}} An established element of Parliamentary procedure, this had not been expressly prohibited by Charles, allowing them to evade his restrictions, but avoid direct opposition.{{Sfn|Hulme|1935|pp=304–305}}

The Committee redrafted the content as a 'Petition', which was accepted by the Commons on 8 May, and presented the same day to the Lords by Coke, with a bill approving subsidies to encourage acceptance.{{Sfn|Christianson|1994|p=561}} After several days of debate, they approved it, but attempted to "sweeten" the wording; they then received a message from Charles, claiming he must retain the right to decide whether to detain someone.{{Sfn|White|1979|p=265}}

Despite protestations on both sides, in an age when legal training was considered part of a gentleman's education, significant elements within both Commons and Lords did not trust Charles to interpret the law. The Commons ignored both the request, and alterations proposed by the Lords to appease him; by now, there was a clear majority in both houses for the Petition as originally submitted. On 26 May, the Lords unanimously voted to join with the Commons on the Petition of Right, with the minor addition of an assurance of their loyalty, approved by the Commons on 27 May.{{Sfn|White|1979|p=268, 270}}

Charles now ordered [[John Finch, 1st Baron Finch|John Finch]], the [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the Commons]], to prevent "insult", or criticism of any Minister of State. He specifically named Buckingham, and in response, [[John Selden]] moved the Commons demand his removal from office.{{Sfn|Hostettler|1997|pp=136–137}} Needing money for his war effort, Charles finally accepted the Petition, but first increased the level of mistrust on 2 June by trying to qualify it.{{Efn|"The King willeth that right be done according to the laws and customs of the realm; and that the statutes be put in due execution, that the subject may have no just cause of complaint for any wrong or oppression, contrary to their just rights and liberties, to the preservation whereof he holds himself in conscience as well obliged of his just prerogative.{{Sfn|White|1979|p=270}}}} Both houses now demanded "a clear and satisfactory answer by His Majesty in full Parliament", and on 7 June, Charles capitulated.{{Sfn|Young|1990|p=232}}