<P> The Long Parliament then passed the Triennial Act, also known as the Dissolution Act in May 1641, to which the Royal Assent was readily granted . The Triennial Act required that Parliament be summoned at least once every three years, and that when the King failed to issue proper summons, the members could assemble on their own . This act also forbade ship money without Parliament's consent, fines in destraint of knighthood and forced loans . Monopolies were cut back severely, and the Courts of Star Chamber and High Commission were abolished by the Habeas Corpus Act 1640 and the Triennial Act respectively . All remaining forms of taxation were legalised and regulated by the Tonnage and Poundage Act . On 3 May, Parliament decreed The Protestation, attacking the' wicked counsels' of Charles's government, whereby those who signed the petition undertook to defend' the true reformed religion', parliament, and the king's person, honour and estate . Throughout May, the House of Commons launched several bills attacking bishops and episcopalianism in general, each time defeated in the Lords . </P> <P> It was hoped by both Charles and Parliament that the execution of Strafford and the Protestation would end the drift towards war; in fact, they encouraged it . Charles and his supporters continued to resent Parliament's demands, while Parliamentarians continued to suspect Charles of wanting to impose episcopalianism and unfettered royal rule by military force . Within months, the Irish Catholics, fearing a resurgence of Protestant power, struck first, and all Ireland soon descended into chaos . Rumours circulated that the King supported the Irish, and Puritan members of the Commons soon started murmuring that this exemplified the fate that Charles had in store for them all . </P> <P> In early January 1642, accompanied by 400 soldiers, Charles attempted to arrest five members of the House of Commons on a charge of treason . This attempt failed . When the troops marched into Parliament, Charles enquired of William Lenthall, the Speaker, as to the whereabouts of the five . Lenthall replied, "May it please your Majesty, I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as the House is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here ." In other words, the Speaker proclaimed himself a servant of Parliament, rather than of the King . </P> <P> In the summer of 1642 these national troubles helped to polarise opinion, ending indecision about which side to support or what action to take . Opposition to Charles also arose owing to many local grievances . For example, the imposition of drainage schemes in The Fens negatively affected the livelihood of thousands of people after the King awarded a number of drainage contracts . Many regarded the King as indifferent to public welfare, and this played a role in bringing a large part of eastern England into the Parliamentarian camp . This sentiment brought with it people such as the Earl of Manchester and Oliver Cromwell, each a notable wartime adversary of the King . Conversely, one of the leading drainage contractors, the Earl of Lindsey, was to die fighting for the King at the Battle of Edgehill . </P>

What were the consequences of the english civil war