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Octennial Act

Octennial Act

The Oxford Companion to British History | 2002 | | Copyright

Octennial Act, 1768. Until 1768 the Irish Parliament existed for the lifetime of the king and general elections were therefore infrequent. A radical campaign in the 1760s demanded a Septennial Act and the institution of habeas corpus. In 1768 the English government gave way and accepted an Octennial Act, though refusing habeas corpus. Though the Act contributed to the vigour of Irish parliamentary life in the later 18th cent., its effect was mitigated by the unreformed electoral system and, with the Act of Union of 1801, it ceased to apply.

J. A. Cannon
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JOHN CANNON. "Octennial Act." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "Octennial Act." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-OctennialAct.html

JOHN CANNON. "Octennial Act." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-OctennialAct.html

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Octennial Act

The Oxford Companion to Irish History | 2007 | Copyright

Octennial Act (1768), requiring a dissolution of parliament, previously mandatory only on the death of a monarch, at least every eight years. Agitation for a seven‐year limit, as in Britain, had grown during the 1760s. However, the act eventually passed, part of Townshend's attempt to build up Irish support, chose eight years as more appropriate for a parliament that met only in alternate years.
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"Octennial Act." The Oxford Companion to Irish History. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Octennial Act." The Oxford Companion to Irish History. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-OctennialAct.html

"Octennial Act." The Oxford Companion to Irish History. 2007. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-OctennialAct.html

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Octennial Act

A Dictionary of British History | 2004 | | Copyright

Octennial Act, 1768. Until 1768 the Irish Parliament existed for the lifetime of the king and general elections were therefore infrequent. A radical campaign in the 1760s demanded a Septennial Act and the institution of habeas corpus. In 1768 the English government gave way and accepted an Octennial Act, though refusing habeas corpus.
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Cite this article
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JOHN CANNON. "Octennial Act." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "Octennial Act." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-OctennialAct.html

JOHN CANNON. "Octennial Act." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-OctennialAct.html

Learn more about citation styles

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