Septennial Act 1715
Encyclopedia
The Septennial Act 1715 (1 Geo 1 St 2 c 38) was an Act
of the Parliament of Great Britain
. It was passed in May 1716. It increased the maximum length of a parliament (and hence the maximum period between general election
s) from three years to seven. This seven-year ceiling remained law from 1716 until 1911.
The previous limit of three years had been set by the Triennial Act 1694 enacted by the Parliament of England
. The ostensible aim of the Septennial Act was to reduce election expenses, but it also had the effect of keeping the Whig party, which had won the 1715 general election
, in power for a longer time the Whigs won the eventual 1722 general election
.
The Act did not require parliament to last for a full term, but merely set a maximum length on its life. Most parliaments in the remainder of the eighteenth century did indeed last for six or seven years, with only two lasting for less time. In the nineteenth century the average length of a term of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
was four years. One of the demands of the mid-nineteenth-century Chartists (the only one which had not been achieved by the twentieth century) was for annually-elected parliaments.
The Septennial Act was amended on 18 August 1911 by section 7 of the Parliament Act 1911
to reduce the maximum term of parliament to five years. During the First World War
a series of Acts was passed to prolong the life of the parliament elected in December 1910 until the end of the European war in 1918; a series of annual Acts was also passed during the Second World War
to prolong the parliament elected at the 1935 general election
until the European war had ended in early 1945.
The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 repealed the Septennial Act in its entirety.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
. It was passed in May 1716. It increased the maximum length of a parliament (and hence the maximum period between general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
s) from three years to seven. This seven-year ceiling remained law from 1716 until 1911.
The previous limit of three years had been set by the Triennial Act 1694 enacted by the Parliament of England
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...
. The ostensible aim of the Septennial Act was to reduce election expenses, but it also had the effect of keeping the Whig party, which had won the 1715 general election
British general election, 1715
The British general election of 1715 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 5th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707...
, in power for a longer time the Whigs won the eventual 1722 general election
British general election, 1722
The British general election of 1722 elected members to serve in the House of Commons of the 6th Parliament of Great Britain. This event took place following the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election was fiercely fought, with contests taking place...
.
The Act did not require parliament to last for a full term, but merely set a maximum length on its life. Most parliaments in the remainder of the eighteenth century did indeed last for six or seven years, with only two lasting for less time. In the nineteenth century the average length of a term of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
was four years. One of the demands of the mid-nineteenth-century Chartists (the only one which had not been achieved by the twentieth century) was for annually-elected parliaments.
The Septennial Act was amended on 18 August 1911 by section 7 of the Parliament Act 1911
Parliament Act 1911
The Parliament Act 1911 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is constitutionally important and partly governs the relationship between the House of Commons and the House of Lords which make up the Houses of Parliament. This Act must be construed as one with the Parliament Act 1949...
to reduce the maximum term of parliament to five years. During the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
a series of Acts was passed to prolong the life of the parliament elected in December 1910 until the end of the European war in 1918; a series of annual Acts was also passed during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to prolong the parliament elected at the 1935 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
until the European war had ended in early 1945.
The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 repealed the Septennial Act in its entirety.
Provisions
The text of the Act is very short. As in force prior to its repeal it stated:Prolongation of Parliament during World War I
The Parliament elected at the December 1910 general election, and which first met in late January 1911, was due to expire in early 1916 in accordance with the five-year limit set by the Parliament Act 1911. Because of the ongoing war in Europe, a series of Acts was passed to prolong its life until the fighting had ended.| Short title | Citation | Date of assent | Maximum duration of the existing Parliament as extended by the Act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parliament and Registration Act 1916 | 5 & 6 Geo. 5 c. 100 | 27 January 1916 | 5 years and 8 months |
| Parliament and Local Elections Act 1916 | 6 & 7 Geo. 5 c. 44 | 23 August 1916 | 6 years and 3 months |
| Parliament and Local Elections Act 1917 | 7 & 8 Geo. 5 c. 13 | 26 April 1917 | 6 years and 10 months |
| Parliament and Local Elections (No. 2) Act 1917 | 7 & 8 Geo. 5 c. 50 | 29 November 1917 | 7 years and 6 months |
| Parliament and Local Elections Act 1918 | 8 & 9 Geo. 5 c. 22 | 30 July 1918 | 8 years |
Prolongation of Parliament during World War II
The duration of the Parliament elected at the 1935 general election, and which first met in late November 1935, was also extended by a series of Acts passed to prolong its life until the fighting in Europe had ended. In contrast with the previous war's legislation, this was achieved more simply by a series of annual prolongations.| Short title | Citation | Date of assent | Maximum duration of the existing Parliament as extended by the Act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prolongation of Parliament Act 1940 | 3 & 4 Geo. 6 c. 53 | 6 November 1940 | 6 years |
| Prolongation of Parliament Act 1941 | 4 & 5 Geo. 6 c. 48 | 11 November 1941 | 7 years |
| Prolongation of Parliament Act 1942 | 5 & 6 Geo. 6 c. 37 | 22 October 1942 | 8 years |
| Prolongation of Parliament Act 1943 | 6 & 7 Geo. 6 c. 46 | 11 November 1943 | 9 years |
| Prolongation of Parliament Act 1944 | 7 & 8 Geo. 6 c. 45 | 17 November 1944 | 10 years |