2nd Parliament of William III and Mary II facts for kids

Sir John Trevor, Speaker

The 2nd Parliament of King William III and Queen Mary II was a special meeting of leaders in England. King William III and Queen Mary II called this Parliament together on February 6, 1690. It officially started on March 20, 1690.

This new Parliament was almost evenly split between two main political groups: the Whigs and the Tories. There were 243 Whig members and 241 Tory members. Another 28 members did not belong to either group. Sir John Trevor was chosen to be the Speaker of the House of Commons. The government's leaders were chosen from both parties. However, the Tories had more power. The main leader was Marquess of Carmarthen, who was the Lord Treasurer.

How Parliament Helped Fund Wars

During its second meeting, Parliament approved new ways to raise money. This money was needed quickly to pay for two big wars. One was the Williamite war in Ireland. The other was the Nine Years War in Europe and North America. These new ideas led to something called deficit financing. This means the government spent more money than it had, borrowing the rest. It also created a formal National Debt, which is money the government owes.

By 1694, near the end of this Parliament, the Whig party became very powerful. A group called the First Whig Junto led them. They started to control the government. In the 1693–94 meeting, Parliament focused on getting huge amounts of money for the war. A financial problem was avoided thanks to the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Charles Montagu. He started a very successful game called the Million Lottery. He also helped create the Bank of England.

Challenges and Changes in Parliament

The sixth and final meeting of this Parliament began in November 1694. Queen Mary passed away in December. After her death, the Tories gained power again. They strongly criticized how much the war with France cost and how it was being fought.

However, some important Tories faced accusations of corruption. This led to a new Speaker, Paul Foley, being chosen. Lord Carmarthen, who was now the Duke of Leeds, was also accused of wrongdoing. These problems and scandals forced the King to end Parliament on October 11, 1695.

Important Laws Passed by Parliament

This Parliament passed several important laws. These laws helped shape England's future.

• Crown and Parliament Recognition Act 1689: This law confirmed William and Mary as the rightful rulers. It also recognized Parliament's power.
• Admiralty Act 1690: This law dealt with naval matters and the navy's control.
• Correspondence with Enemies Act 1691: This law made it illegal to communicate with England's enemies.
• Poor Relief Act 1691: This law aimed to help people who were poor and needed support.
• Royal Mines Act 1693: This law clarified who owned valuable minerals found in mines.
• House of Commons (Disqualification) Act 1693: This law set rules for who could be a member of Parliament.
• Bank of England Act 1694: This very important law created the Bank of England.
• Meeting of Parliament Act 1694 (also known as the Triennial Act 1694): This law said that Parliament had to meet at least once every three years.
• Profane Swearing Act 1694: This law tried to stop people from using bad language.

See Also

• 1690 English general election
• Carmarthen ministry 1690–1694
• Acts of the Parliament of England/William III & Mary II
• List of parliaments of England