Against this bill the merchants of London appeared by petition before the house of lords.

The lords entered into their reasons, and began to make amendments on the bill sent up by the commons.

This attempt was highly resented by the lower house as an encroachment on the right, which they pretended to possess alone, of granting money to the crown.

Many remonstrances passed between the two houses; and by their altercations the king was obliged to prorogue the parliament; and he thereby lost the money which was intended him.
{1671.} This is the last time that the peers have revived any pretensions of that nature.

Ever since, the privilege of the commons, in all other places except in the house of peers, has passed for uncontroverted.
There was another private affair transacted about this time, by which the king was as much exposed to the imputation of a capricious lenity, as he was here blamed for unnecessary severity.