daily, and the boroughs paid their burgess-
representatives 2s. daily. When it convened, the Chancellor sat on
the left and the Archbishop of Canterbury on the right of the
king. Just below and in front of the king his council sits on wool
sacks brought in for their comfort from wool stored nearby. It
answers questions. Behind them on the wool sacks sit the justices,
who may be called upon to give legal advice, e.g. in framing
statutes. Then come the spiritual and lay barons, then the
knights, and lastly the elected burgesses and citizens. Lawmaking
is now a function of Parliament, of which the King's council is a
part, instead of a function of the king with his council and
justices. The common people now had a voice in lawmaking, though
legislation could be passed without their consent. The first
legislation proposed by the commons was alteration of the forest
laws governing the royal pleasure parks. Such a statute was passed
in a bargain for taxes of a percentage of all movables, which were
mostly foodstuffs and animals. The king offered to give up the
royal right to tax merchandise for a new tax: customs on exports.
The barons and knights of the county agreed to pay an 11th, the
burgesses, a 7th, and the clergy a 10th on their other movables.
In time, several boroughs sought to be included in the county
representation so they could pay the lower rate. This new system
of taxation began the decline of the imposition of feudal aids,
knights' fees, scutages, carucage, and tallage, which had been
negotiated by the Exchequer with the reeves of each town, the
sheriff and county courts of each county, and the bishops of each
diocese.

The staple [depot or mart, from the French "estaple"] system began
when the export of wool had increased and Parliament initiated
customs duties of 6s.8d. on every sack of wool, woolfells
[sheepskin with wool still on it], or skins exported in 1275.
These goods had to be assessed and collected at certain designated
ports. Certain large wool merchants, the merchants of the staple,
were allowed to have a monopoly on the purchase and export of
wool. Imports of wine were taxed as tunnage as before, that is
there was a royal right to take from each wine ship one cask for
every ten at the price of 20s. per cask.

In 1297, Edward I confirmed the Magna Carta and other items.
Judgments contrary to Magna Carta were nullified. The documents
were to be read in cathedral churches as grants of Edward an