Scottish Militia Bill: Difference between revisions

The '''Scottish Militia Bill''' (known formerly as the '''Scotch Militia Bill''') is the usual name given to a [[Bill (proposed law)|bill]] that was passed by the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] and [[House of Lords]] of the Parliament of [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] in early 1708. However, on 11 March 1708,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1690-1715/parliament/1705 |title=Parliaments: 1705 |author= |website=The History of Parliament |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |access-date=6 November 2016 |quote="On 11 Mar. 1708, when the Queen attended the Lords to give assent to several bills, she used her prerogative of veto against one, the bill for settling the Scottish militia."}} <!-- Note that per WP:OSNS we record this as 11 March 1708, but contemporary records would put it in 1707 as the legal year did not start until 25 March. --></ref> [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Anne]] withheld [[royal assent]] on the advice of her ministers for fear that the proposed [[militia created]] would be disloyal.<ref>Queen Anne's veto is recorded as "La Reine se avisera" ("The Queen will consider it") in 18 H.L. Jour. 506 (1707).</ref>

The Billbill's long title was ''"An Act for settling the [[Militia]] of that Part of Great Britain called Scotland''". Its object was to arm the Scottish militia, which had not been recreated at the [[Restoration (Scotland)|Restoration]]. This happened as the unification between Scotland and England under the [[Acts of Union 1707]] had been passed.

On the day the Billbill was meant to be signed, news came that the [[Planned Invasion of 1708|French were sailing toward Scotland for the [[planned invasion of 1708]], and there was suspicion that the Scottish might be disloyal. Therefore, support for a veto was strong.

The Scottish Militia Bill is the last bill to have been refused royal assent. Before this, [[William III of England|King William III]] had vetoed Billsbills passed by Parliament six times. Royal assent to Billsbills and governments generally came to be viewed as a mere formality once both Houses of Parliament had successfully read a Billbill three times, or a general election had taken place.

In the British colonies, the denial of Royalroyal assent had continued past 1708, and was one of the primary complaints of the [[United States Declaration of Independence]] in 1776: that the King "has refused his Assent to Laws, most wholesome and necessary for the public Good" and "He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing Importance".