Unit 6. The Petition of Right and the Bill of Rights

Task 1.

1. Resistance

2. Stuart succession

3. Financial control

4. Royal requests

5. Forced

6. Restricted

7. Prevent

8. Raising taxes.

Task 2.

The Petition of Rights

The constitutional opposition in the XVII century was expressed in emergence in 1628 of the document known as the Petition of Rights. Needing money, the king Charles I tried to receive money from the citizens, passing parliament. In 1628 the parliament forced the king to accept the Petition of Rights, which allowed to raise taxes only with the consent of parliament. This document guaranteed to English citizens basic rights, which any government couldn't violate.

Text “The Bill of Rights”

Task 3. Read the text and write down Russian equivalents for the words and expressions in bold type.

· provided the foundation - предоставить основу

· conditional – условный

· arbitrary government - свободная форма правления

· notably proud - особенно гордый

· to declare illegal - объявить незаконным

· royal prerogative of dispensing with the law - королевская прерогатива обхождения закона

· complete suspension of laws - полная приостановка законов

· consent of Parliament - согласие Парламента

· levying of taxes - наложение налогов

· maintenance of a standing army - обслуживание постоянной армии

· clauses – пункты

· freedom of speech - свобода слова

· the course of justice - совершение правосудия

· proximate succession to the throne - кратчайший путь к трону

· heirs were Protestants - наследники были протестантами

· constitutional paper – конституционная бумага

· prevented the sovereign from abusing his authority – повелитель препятствовал подрыванию его авторитета

Task 4.

1. Competent authority – авторитетный специалист

2. Law – enforcement authority/agencies - правоохранительные органы

3. Lawful authority - законная власть

4. On good authority - из надежного источника

5. The authority of Parliament - власть/полномочия парламента

6. To abuse one’s authority - превышать свои полномочия

7. To endue with authority - Наделять полномочиями

8. To gain in authority - приобретать большую власть

9. To hand over one’s authority to smb. – передавать свои полномочия

10. To have / to exercise authority - иметь / осуществлять власть

11. To undermine smb’s authority - подрывать чей -либо авторитет

12. To vest smb. with authority - облечь властью

13. Unrestricted authority - неограниченные полномочия

Task 5.

1. Борьба монарха и парламента - struggle between the monarch and Parliament

2. В соответствии с - in compliance with

3. Взошли на трон - to ascend to a throne

4. Принятие - adoption

5. Билль о правах - The Bill of Rights

6. Ограничивать власть монарха – to restrict authority of the monarch

7. Решающая власть - decisive authority

8. Обеспечивать защиту - to provide protection

9. Преемник - heir

10. Заключать в себе - to comprise

11. Право и государство - right and state

12. Декларировать - to declare

13. Традиционные права англичан - traditional rights of British

14. Право на суд присяжных, запрещение жестоких наказаний, право обращения с петициями к властям - the right for a jury, prohibition of cruel punishments, the right of the appeal with petitions to the authorities

15. Протестант - protestant

Task 6.

1. The Bill of Rights preceded the Revolution of 1688.

2. King James II had to leave the country to declare illegal various practices.

3. The Bill of Rights regulated succession to the throne since 1688.

4. The Revolution settlement made monarchy clearly conditional on the will of Parliament and provided a freedom from arbitrary government.

5. This document protected the right for a jury, prohibition of cruel punishments, the right of the appeal with petitions to the authorities.

6. A number of clauses eliminated royal interference in parliamentary mattes, stressing that lections must be free and that members of parliament must have complete freedom of speech.