Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 1899. / Reprinted from the University of Illinois publications. New series, vol. I, no. 7. The university studies, vol. I, no. 4.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 1899. / Reprinted from the University of Illinois publications. New series, vol. I, no. 7. The university studies, vol. I, no. 4.

This thesis on the Grand Remonstrance represents an attempt to deal with the central question of Stuart Historiography, the question which asks "What were the causes of the English Civil War, and why did it occur when it did?" The question of causation is fundamental to an understanding of the early 17th century, and it has created considerable controversy among successive generations of historians. The central issue in question is whether the English Civil War was caused by a long term revolution in English society, generated by substantial changes in socio-economic conditions, or whether, in fact, it was caused by a fundamental breakdown in the working relationship between a particular monarch and a particular representative body. The choice of the Grand Remonstrance as the subject of the thesis was made after considerable study in the period led me to believe that the latter theory was correct, and furthermore, that a careful study of the Grand Remonstrance, and its relationship to the Long Parlament would provide important evidence to support that hypothesis. I realized when I made the decision that I had chosen a piece of parliamentary reform that spanned, in its development, a full year of parliamentary history, and that I had, therefore, committed myself to a study of rather sizable proportions, both chronologically and topically. Nonetheless, I have tried to limit the study to the history of the Remonstrance itself, and to the issues which directly influenced its development, and which clearly reflected the political conditions prevailing in England immediately prior to the Civil War.

This thesis is the first indepth analysis of the jian, or advisory speeches, within a relatively unknown text, the Yanzi Chunqiu. It examines the way the Chunqiu period advisor Yanzi employs rhetorical techniques within the jian to change the conduct of his ruler Duke Jing according to Yanzi's three key political views: that the welfare of the common people is essential for the well-being of the state, that li 礼 (or ritual propriety) is of central importance in administering the state, and that the correct relationship between the minister and the ruler is he 和 (a complementary one). This study situates jian, ministerial responsibilities and Yanzi's own political views within the political and intellectual context of the Chunqiu period. It also disagrees with several scholars who claim that the text is unlikely to be a true record of this period. The rhetorical techniques within the jian (the majority of which are translated for the first time into English in this thesis), categorised according to whether they are typical (analogy, citation and chain reasoning) or atypical (provocation, song, lying and threatening resignation), are then analysed. The thesis finds that Yanzi's use of citations, analogies and chain reasoning confirms much existing research on Chinese rhetoric about the application of such techniques. However, the discoveries of Yanzi's atypical use of jian, as well as his frequent reference to Duke Huan as a historical model and his use of possible negative consequences to instill fear in his ruler, indicate that the present understanding of jian by several Western scholars largely based on the Zuozhuan and the Guoyu presents only a partial understanding of jian. The thesis suggests that more attention should be paid to lesser-known texts such as the Yanzi Chunqiu for a clearer picture of the rhetoric of this period.

On December 27, 1657, the men of Flushing, Long Island, signed a letter of protest addressed to the Governor-Director of New Netherlands. Though the law of the colony demanded otherwise, the men of Vlissengen pledged to accept all persons into their township, regardless of their religious persuasion. Their letter, called the Flushing Remonstrance, not only defied the laws of one of the most powerful, religious governors of the colonial age, it articulated a concept of religious freedom that extended beyond the principles of any other contemporary document. Given its unique place in early American colonial history, why have historians not devoted more research to the Flushing Remonstrance? The answer to that question had roots in suppositions widely accepted in the academic community. This thesis addresses and refutes these assumptions in full historical context.

- Remonstrance Proceedings The thesis is focused on the remonstrance and the following special administrative proceedings. The remosntrance represents an ordinary appeal, which can be used to challenge the first instance decision that has not already become enforceable and has been issued by the central administrative office, by the minister or by the director of other central administrative office eventually by the state secretary. Whereas there is no existence of the superior administrative authoritites in the organizational structure of the state administration, the same body that issued challenged decision decides on it. It is obvious, that appeal procedure contains a lot of variances and peculiarities, which the thesis points out, compared to the appeal procedure. The remostrance is limited to one paragraph and its five sections by the valid and effective legislation of the Administrative Code. The more this relatively brief provision often remains unkonwn to the general public, the more attention it attracts among the experts. The thesis aims to give a comprehensive explanation of the remonstrance and its proceedings and subsequent evaluation of the effectiveness of the applicable legislation and to suggest own creative solution of the examined subject. Further, this thesis aims to answer the...