The reforms which marked his reign were issued in the Great Council, and even financial matters were suffered to be debated there.

But it was not till the grant of the Great Charter that the powers of this assembly over taxation were formally recognized, and the principle established that no burthen beyond the customary feudal aids might be imposed "save by the Common Council of the Realm." [Sidenote: Greater and Lesser Barons] The same document first expressly regulated its form.

In theory, as we have seen, the Great Council consisted of all who held land directly of the Crown.

But the same causes which restricted attendance at the Witenagemot to the greater nobles told on the actual composition of the Council of Barons.

While the attendance of the ordinary tenants in chief, the Knights or "Lesser Barons" as they were called, was burthensome from its expense to themselves, their numbers and their dependence on the higher nobles made the assembly of these knights dangerous to the Crown.