In June 1642, the English Lords

House of Lords

The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....

 and Commons

House of Commons of England

The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...

 sent a list of proposals known as the Nineteen Propositions to King Charles I of England

Charles I of England

Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...

, in York at the time. In what resembled a list of demands, the Long Parliament

Long Parliament

The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...

 effectively sought a larger share of power in governance of the kingdom. Among the MPs’ proposals was Parliamentary supervision of foreign policy and responsibility for the defense of the country, as well as making the King’s ministers accountable to Parliament. Before the end of the month the King rejected the Propositions and in August the country descended into civil war.

Contents

The opening paragraph of the Nineteen Propositions introduces the document as a petition which Charles, in his “princely wisdom,” will be “pleased to grant.” The propositions follow in nineteen numbered points:

1. Ministers serving on the King’s Privy Council must be approved by the House of Commons House of Commons of England The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...  and the House of Lords House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster.... .

2. Matters that concern the public must be debated in Parliament Parliament of England The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws... , not decided based upon the advice of private advisors.

3. A number of high offices, including the Lord Treasurer and the Chancellor of the Exchequer Chancellor of the Exchequer The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the... , must be chosen with the consent of both houses of Parliament.

4. Parliament shall approve those responsible for the education of the King’s children.

5. Parliament shall approve of the marriage of the King’s children to any person, from home or abroad.

6. Laws against Jesuits, Catholic priests, and Catholic recusants must be strictly enforced.

7. The vote of Catholic Lords shall be taken away, and the children of Catholics must receive a Protestant education.

8. A reformation of the Church government must be made.

9. The King will accept the ordering of the militia by the Lords and Commons.

10. Members of Parliament who have been put out of office during the present session must be allowed to return.

11. Councilors and judges must take an oath to maintain certain Parliamentary statutes.

12. All judges and officers approved of by Parliament shall hold their posts on condition of good behavior.

13. The justice of Parliament shall apply to all law-breakers, whether they are inside the country or have fled.

14. The King’s pardon must be granted, unless both houses of Parliament object.

15. Parliament must approve the King’s appointees for commanders of the forts and castles of the kingdom.

16. The unnecessary military attachment guarding the King must be discharged.

17. The Kingdom will formalize its alliance with the Protestant States of the United Provinces Dutch Republic The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...  (the Dutch) in order to defend them against the Pope and his followers.

18. The King must clear the five members of the House of Commons, along with Lord Kimbolton Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester KG, KB, FRS was an important commander of Parliamentary forces in the First English Civil War, and for a time Oliver Cromwell's superior.-Life:... , of any wrongdoing.

19. New peers of the House of Lords must be voted in by both Houses of Parliament.

It concluded "And these our humble desires being granted by your majest, we shall forthwith apply ourselves to regulate your present revenue in such sort as may be for your best advantage; and likewise to settle such an ordinary and constant increase of it, as shall be sufficient to support your royal dignity in honour and plenty, beyond the proportion of any former grants of the subjects of this kingdom to your majesty's royal predecessors."

King’s response

Charles rejected the document in his Answer to the Nineteen Propositions.

1. He said that Parliament already held enough power, and to cede it any more would breach the historical balance of power between the commons, lords, and king.
2. These represent democracy
   Democracy
   Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
   
   , aristocracy
   Aristocracy
   Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
   
   , and monarchy
   Monarchy
   A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
   
    respectively.
3. Charles held that this mixed government
   Mixed government
   Mixed government, also known as a mixed constitution, is a form of government that integrates elements of democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy. In a mixed government, some issues are decided by the majority of the people, some other issues by few, and some other issues by a single person...
   
    was perfect: “The experience and wisdom of your Ancestors hath so moulded this [government] out of a mixture of these [monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy], as to give to this Kingdom… the conveniences of all three, without the inconveniences of any one…”
4. Each of these ‘three Estates’ kept the other in check.

Charles’ Answer to the Nineteen Propositions was delivered to the Long Parliament on June 21 1642, and it was ordered that it be displayed in the churches of England and Wales. At least six editions were also published.

Aftermath

When examined in the context of longstanding tense relations between British monarchy and Parliament, The Nineteen Propositions can be seen as the turning point between attempted conciliation between the King and Parliament and war.

In August 1642 the government split into two factions: the Cavaliers (Royalists) and the Roundheads (Parliamentarians), the latter of which would emerge victorious with Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....

 as its leader. The idea of mixed government

Mixed government

Mixed government, also known as a mixed constitution, is a form of government that integrates elements of democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy. In a mixed government, some issues are decided by the majority of the people, some other issues by few, and some other issues by a single person...

and the three Estates, popularized by Charles’s Answer to the Nineteen Propositions, remained dominant until the 19th Century.