PAWL[AMENT, the grand assembly of the three estates in Great Britain, or the great council of the notion, consisting of the King, Lords, and Commons, which form the legislative branch of the govern ment. The word was intro duced into England under the Norman kings. The supreme council of the na tio] was called by our Saxon ancestors, the willenagemole, the meeting vf wise men or sages. A parliament is called by the king's queen's] writ, or letter, direct ed to each lord, summoning him to ap pear; and by writs sent by the lord chancellor under the great seal, com manding the sheriffs of each county to take the necessary steps for the election of members for the county, and the bor oughs contained in it. On the day ap pointed for the meeting of parliament, the king [queen] sits in the hence of lords under a canopy, dressed in his [her] robes, ac are all the lords in theirs; and, the commons being summoned to the bar of that house, the sovereign addresses both houses on the state of public affairs. The commons are then required to choose a speaker, which officer being presented to and approved by the sovereign, the latter withdraws, the commons retire to their own house, and the business of par liament begins. In the house of lords, the seat of each member is prescribed according to rank ; though, except in the presence of the king [queen] this formali ty is almost wholly dispensed with. The princes of the blood sit ou each side of the throne ; the two archbishops against the wall on the king's right hand; the bishops of London, Durham. and Win
chester below the former, and the other bishops according to priority of Conse cration. On the king's [queen's] left band, above all the dukes except those of the blood royal, sit the lord treasurer, lord president, and lord privy-seal ; then the dukes, marquises, and earls, the in dividuals of each class taking precedence to the date of their creation. Across the room are woolsneks, continued from ancient custom ; and on the first of these, immediately before the throne, sits the lord chancellor, as speaker of the On the other woolsack' are seated judges, masters in chancery, and the king's coubsel, who only give their advice on points of law. In the house of commons there are no peculiar seats for any mem bers. The speaker only bus a chair ap propriated to hint at the upper en.] of the house, and at a table before him it the clerk and his assistant. When the parliament is thus assembled, nc member is to depart without leave. l'pon extraordinary occasions, all the members are summoned ; otherwise three hundred of the commons is reckoned a full house, and forty may compose a house for the dispatch of business. The method of making laws is much the same in both houses. Tn each house the act of the . majority binds the whole ; and this ma jority is declared by votes openly given; not privately, or by ballot.
PAELIAMENTAItl.A.N, an epithet for those who sided with the English re publican parliament in opposition to kiug, Charles I.