Tonnage and poundage continued to he levied by the royal authority alone. The former additional impositions were still exacted ; even new impositions were laid on several kinds of merchandise. The custom-house offi cers received orders from the council, to break into any house, warehouse, or cellar; to search any trunk or chest ; and to break any hulk in default of payment. Compositions were made with Popish recusants, which became a regular part of the revenue. Compositions were also levied from those, who, by an ancient statute of Edward IL were obliged, from possessing a certain income, to receive the expensive honour of knighthood.* A stamp-duty was imposed on cards ; a new tax, which, of itself, was liable to no exception, except the manner of its imposition.
The council of York had been first erected, after a rebellion, by Henry \rill. without authority of parlia ment, and had long acted chiefly as a criminal court. Innovations had been introduced into it by James. Some times Charles gave it a large, and, in some respects, discretionary jurisdiction, which, though possibly meant to save these northern counties the trouble of sending every cause to Westminster hall, in the end, put them out of the ordinal course of justice, and produced se veral irregular acts, which were, at this time, com plained of. But the Star Chamber was the most intole rable of all tribunals, and encroached on the jurisdiction of other courts. Its punishments were enormous. Sir David Foulis was fined 50001. for dissuading a friend to compound for knighthood. Prynne, a barrister of Lin coln's Inn, for reviling plays, hunting, public festivals, Zste. and for blaming the hierarchy, and the new supersti tions of Laud, in a book which he published, was con demned to be put from the bar, to be pilloried in two places, to lose both his ears, pay 50001. to the king, and be imprisoned for life. One Allison, for reporting that the archbishop of York had incurred the king's displea sure, by asking toleration for the Catholics, was sen-. tenced, by this tribunal, to pay 10001. to the king, to be whipped, and to stand in the pillory four times.
The obnoxious tax of ship-money was revived in 1634. The first writs of this kind had been directed only to sea-port towns, but it was now levied over the whole kingdom. The money was entirely laid out upon the navy ; and the effects of it were felt at the distance of a few years, when 60 sail were equipped by the earl of Northumberland, who compelled the Dutch to pay 30,000/. for a year's licence in fishing in the British seas :
and when a squadron, that was sent against Sallee, con tributed to destroy that receptacle of pirates. But great er triumphs of the English flag than those would have been an inadequate compensation to the people, for the arbitrary manner in which the money that procured them had been levied.
In 1633, Charles visited his Scottish kingdom, where his reception was affectionate and joyful. His corona tion was succeeded by a parliament, which sat as usual only two days. Their supplies were liberal and unpre cedented. A land tax of 400,000/. Scotch, and the six teenth penny of legal interest, were granted for six years. An indefinite prerogative had been granted by the Scottish parliament to James, together with the power of prescribing robes for judges, and apparel for churchmen. When Charles sought them to confirm this latter power, a power which was to sanction the in troduction of the cope and the white surplice, things abhorred by the Scottish nation, lord Melville, an aged nobleman, exclaimed aloud, " I have sworn with your father, and the whole kingdom, to a confession of faith, in which the innovations intended by these articles were solemnly abjured." Charles retired disconcerted for a moment at this answer, but returning, commanded the parliament not to deliberate, but to vote, and sheaving a list of their names, " Your names are here, (said he,) and 1 shall know to-day who will do me a service." The votes were collected, but there is little reason to doubt, falsely reported at the king's instance. The earl of Rothes, who questioned the truth of the report, was told by the king, that if he arraigned the lord Register of a false report of the votes, it should be at his peril. The peril, if his accusation could not be clearly esta blished, was death. The late atlection of the Scots was, by such conduct, changed into general mistrust. After the king's departure, an episcopal sec was erect ed at Edinburgh, with a diocese extending from Forth to Berwick. The influence of Laud was scarcely less powerful in the Scottish than in the English church ; and by his influence, the preachers of Arminian princi ples became numerous in northern pulpits. The breath of this new controversy fanned the rising flame of dis content.