AGREEMENT OF THE PEOPLE, THE. A remarkable document set forth by the Council of the Army. January 15. 1619, fifteen days before the execution of King Charles 1. of England. It is based upon "The Heads of the Proposals Offered by the Arm•," August I. 1647, except that no reference is made to royalty; and it is an outline of a written constitution for a repub lic. According to its provisions, the existing parliament is to lie dissolved on or before the last day of April, I eld9; and thereafter an assem bly called the "Representative," eomposed of not. more than four hundred members, is to be elect ed by the people every two years on the first Thursday in May. The members or ''represent ers" are fairly distributed among the counties of England and Wales, thus tel the defects in the existing apportionment. The chise is conferred upon such natives or denizens "as are assessed ordinarily toward the relief of the poor," provided be men twenty-one years of age or housekeepers "dwelling within the division for which the election" Is held. Ser vants "renewing wages from any particular per son" are excluded; and those who have aided the king, are temporarily denied the right of voting or of being chosen members of the assembly. Offi
cials are not and lawyers are incapable of practicing- their profession while serving as representurs. There is to he a "Council of State for the managing of public affairs." The Chris tian religion "is held forth and recommended as the public confession:" but it is to be "re formed to the greatest purity in doetrine, wor ship, and discipline." Popery and prelacy are not tolerated, and the "teachers" or ministers are to be paid from the public treasury. To the assemb13 is given the "supreme trust in order to the pre-el ration and government of the whole:" but six important point, are absolutely "reserved" from lemislative action. hi this re gard the agreement differsfrom the constitutions of the American States. which are subject to unlimited amendment or entire change. With the exception of those of the Connecticut and New Haven colonies, the agreement is the earliest example of a written instrument designed for the government of a commonwealth. For the text of the agreement, consult: Gardiner. Con stitutional Documents, pages 270-2S2 (Oxford. 18891: for a full discussion, his History of the Ciril War, new edition (London and New York, 1:394-97).