My British Empire
Chapter 177 It's time to collect taxes
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After inspecting these manors, Edward took Little Lolita and his party back to London.
After returning this time, the London City Government started preparations early in the morning, and the entire street was cleaned again. Members of the London City Government and the Privy Council Ministers all came outside London to welcome His Majesty Edward.
This grand ceremony was held by the unanimous decision of the Privy Council. One is to welcome the return of His Majesty the King, and the other is to celebrate Scotland being officially conquered by England. The establishment of the United Kingdom of Scotland and England is coming soon.
This joyous atmosphere also brought the people of London, citizens, nobles and rich people celebrated this rare prosperity for hundreds of years, and sales of various wines and commodities were booming.
And the poor and beggars at the bottom, although they don't understand why or what is a national event, they are also very happy.
Because many nobles and merchants were generous once in a while and began to give bread, so they also rejoiced along with the whole city.
From this point, it can be seen that England is different from most countries in Europe. At the beginning, the English people have initially awakened their national consciousness.
The religious reform not only brought huge financial income to the Tudor royal family, but also allowed the rise of the bourgeoisie.
More importantly, it loosened the shackles on the minds of the English people, allowing businessmen and nobles throughout England, as well as some commoners, to begin to identify with and be proud of this country.
It is still the Tudor royal family that plays a representative role. Unlike the previous royal family, the Tudor royal family fully recognizes themselves as the king of England, instead of thinking of themselves as the king of France as before. The king of England is just a crown that is forced by the situation.
Beginning with Henry VII, the Tudor royal family began to manage England, from setting up sheriffs, hundred-household districts, and encouraging commercial development, and suppressing the enclosure movement.
The efforts of the Tudor royal family have also yielded results. The English nation began to be born, the national consciousness was awakened, and they recognized the king as the representative of the English nation.
Therefore, after Princess Mary came to the throne, the fact that he married the Spanish king was so unacceptable to the English. They could not accept that a man who did not belong to England became the king of England.
And this is also an important reason why Elizabeth I did not get married later. She chose rights and gave up marriage, just the opposite of her sister. This is also the key to her being loved by the English.
The streets are full of energetic boys and girls, jumping children, hawkers, troubadours who play and sing, and jugglers. It's a lively scene.
Edward, however, did not start patrolling London as stipulated after everyone welcomed him. Instead, he lay on the bed and began to fall asleep soundly.
I didn't wake up in a daze until I slept until night, and ate a hot and freshly cooked dinner.
Braving up his spirits, Edward began to meet the Privy Councilors in London.
This time, Faris Alexander, the dean of the Privy Council, came to report the specific situation to Edward.
"Your Majesty, since you set off for Scotland, the central government's reforms have been adjusted. According to your reform content, all departments and personnel have been basically replenished, but..."
Facing Edward, Alexander, the first president of the Privy Council, began to hesitantly speak, and Edward couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"What's wrong? Your Excellency the Dean!"
"Your Majesty, it's just that there is not much money left in the treasury!" Alexander was a little embarrassed, and his head began to hang down.
"Didn't I leave 10,000 pounds when I went to Scotland? Why did I spend it so quickly?" Edward was speechless at this speed of spending money. In less than a month, 10,000 pounds were gone, but you must know It only cost him 10,000 pounds a month to support 3,000 guards, how did the Privy Council spend it all.
For the matter of spending money, Faris Alexander has every reason to support it, and then he took the time to explain one by one:
"Your Majesty, since your reform, due to the expansion of a large number of central manpower, you have taken the initiative to pay the salary!" As he spoke, Alexander began to complain, with an expression on his face that you were taken advantage of.
My heart was churning, how good it was in the past, you served me, I gave you rights, and from time to time, the king rewarded you with some money for a good job, and it was good to sit in the house.
At that time, those who could become members of the royal family were either local nobles or monks. Few of them were short of money, and all they cared about were rights.
Besides, after taking away the rights, are you still afraid of running out of money? Therefore, in the Middle Ages, it is a tradition to be greedy even if you are greedy, and the king will not condemn you for it.
"Now, there are hundreds of people in the court, with a monthly salary of 1,500 pounds, plus more than 400 people from various departments of the Privy Council, whose salary is more than 5,000 pounds, plus three from the navy. Thousands of pounds, plus the annulment and consolidation of some small courts, the ten thousand pounds you gave will be gone in half a month."
As for money, Alexander came here casually. After all, he had worked as the Minister of Finance, so he was familiar with this!
Looking at the helpless President of the Privy Council, Edward couldn't help feeling sorry for him.
I was very happy when I co-authored the reform, but the labor pain afterwards was so uncomfortable. Originally, the entire central government could not spend much money in a year. All the expenditures of the entire country, except for the enjoyment of the king, are wars, and wars are currently the largest expenditure of the government.
However, if you want to centralize power, you must establish a bureaucracy throughout England, so that the rule can be stabilized, the power of the entire country can be quickly concentrated, and in order to have greater war potential.
However, if local reforms continue, the annual salaries paid to bureaucrats will be a large number, and Edward can't afford it now!
Without reform, Edward's ideal of conquering France, defeating Spain, and dominating Europe will be delayed for decades.
Therefore, if Edward wants to get out of the predicament at present, there is only one word - money.
And relying solely on the royal family's income, it is impossible to continue to support the reform. Besides, he is not willing to take his money all the time!
For the current plan, only taxes can be collected, and it is time for the parliament to open for a while.
At this time, the parliament did not meet frequently like it does now, and only the king can convene the parliament. Therefore, the parliamentarians spent most of their time resting at home, and the king would call them when he had something to do.
During Henry VII's period of ruling England for decades, only seven parliaments were held, and Henry VIII only thirteen times.
"Your Excellency Alexander, I think it's time to collect taxes!" Thinking of this, Edward stood up and said solemnly.
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