was next summoned for the 17th of January, 1569, the
first assembly of that nature which had been convened
since Lord Sussex's rupture with _his_ Parliament nine
years before.

The acts of this Parliament, of the 11th of Elizabeth,
are much more voluminous than those of the 2nd of the
same reign. The constitution of the houses is also of
interest, as the earlier records of every form of government
must always be. Three sessions were held in the first
year, one in 1570, and one in 1571. After its dissolution,
no Parliament sat in Ireland for fourteen years--so
unstable was the system at that time, and so dependent
upon accidental causes for its exercise. The first
sittings of Sidney's Parliament were as stormy as those
of Sussex. It was found that many members presented
themselves pretending to represent towns not incorporated,
and others, officers of election, had returned themselves.
Others, again, were non-resident Englishmen, dependent
on the Deputy who had never seen the places for which
they claimed to sit. The disputed elections of all
classes being referred to the judges, they decided that
non-residence did not disqualify the latter class; but
that those who had returned themselves, and those chosen
for non-corporate towns, were inadmissible. This double
decision did not give the new House of Commons quite the
desired complexion, though Stanihurst, Recorder of Dublin,
the Court candidate, was chosen Speaker. The opposition
was led by Sir Christopher Barnewall, an able and intrepid
man, to whose firmness it was mainly due that a more