HUMBLE PETITION AND ADVICE, a memorial pre sented to Oliver Cromwell by the English parliament called in 1656. In its original version the parliament petitioned the Protec tor to assume the title of king. This Cromwell was unwilling to do : the petition was therefore amended, and after being passed on May 25, 1657, received the Protector's assent. On June 26 an Additional Petition modified the previous document.
The most important clause was that in which the parliament vindicated its right to control its own elections—a privilege fla grantly violated by Cromwell's exclusion of some 10o members from this very parliament : That the ancient and undoubted liberties and privileges of Parlia ment (which are the birthright and inheritance of the people, and wherein every man is interested) be preserved and maintained; and that you will not break nor interrupt the same, nor suffer them to be broken or interrupted ; and particularly that those persons who are legally chosen by a free election of the people to serve in Parliament, may. not be excluded from sitting in Parliament to do their duties, but by judgement and consent of that House whereof they are members.
By Article 5 the Protector was accorded the right to name the members of the other House ; but all future members were to be nominated in accordance with the consent of the House itself—a clause which in effect entrenched the Puritan Party in the other House against all attack. In the disputes which arose over this fundamental difficulty Cromwell dissolved parliament in 1658.