A short history of England . made it possible to collectlarger amounts from these sources than had been possible before. While the income of the government was in these ways in-creased, the king watched expenditures carefully. Exact accountsfrom all officials were insisted upon, foreign wars were carefullyavoided, and many other expenses reduced. In addition to theselegitimate financial reforms, Henry adopted various irregular expe-dients for raising money, such as benevolences and the inflictionof heavy money fines upon men who had unwittingly violated obso-lete statutes. Mortons fork became
A short history of England . made it possible to collectlarger amounts from these sources than had been possible before. While the income of the government was in these ways in-creased, the king watched expenditures carefully. Exact accountsfrom all officials were insisted upon, foreign wars were carefullyavoided, and many other expenses reduced. In addition to theselegitimate financial reforms, Henry adopted various irregular expe-dients for raising money, such as benevolences and the inflictionof heavy money fines upon men who had unwittingly violated obso-lete statutes. Mortons fork became a famous form of minister of that name frequently intimated to personswho lived extravagantly that it was evident that those who spentso much could readily afford to make a gift to the king ; while heinformed those who lived frugally that it was evident that theywho spent so little must have something from which they couldmake a gift to the king. By these various means the financial THE EARLY TUDOR PERIOD 283. Map of Towns and Counties 284 A SHORT HISTORY OF ENGLAND condition of the government became so strong that the king wasable to pay regular expenses out of regular income, and yet spendlarge sums at certain times when they were needed without exhaust-ing the treasury, which was full at the time of his death. 246. Decrease of the Power of Parliament By his financial independence the king was freed from the necessity of callingparliament for the purpose of obtaining grants of money, as hispredecessors had done. It was therefore summoned much lessfrequently than before, meeting only five times during his wholereign, and only once during its last twelve years. Even when itdid meet it was much under the kings influence. In the Houseof Commons a member who was also an official of the kingwas usually chosen speaker and through him the kings wisheswere carried out. The laws which were favored by the king werein most cases those which were favorable to the interests
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