The second symptom of the growth of parliamentary life is the attempt of the nobility to develop the sejmiks themselves and to expand their competences. Previous sejmiks were only elective, candidates for judges, deputy judges, scribes, etc., or deputies to the Sejm were chosen, the latter were given instructions and deliberated on. The establishment of the Crown Tribunal was accompanied by a parliamentary assembly, where a deputy to the Crown Tribunal was elected. But these sejmiks were no longer sufficient for the nobility. This is evident from the movement of the nobility in both land and town years. Already in the 15th century, a certain movement of the landed gentry towards the development of parliamentary life was noticeable at these court meetings. This results from the resolutions adopted at these meetings regarding the process, the competences of certain court officials, etc. At the end of the 16th century, the election of a collector or the approval of a certain levy were already referred to these meetings as more general meetings of the nobility, and in this way the years became, in a sense, assemblies, or legally replaced the sejmiks. During enemy invasions, the castellan or the oldest dignitary
0 Ob. No. 14, 16, 21, 22, 29. *) Ob. No. 17, 18, 19, 30, 31.
The landowner summoned the nobility for landowners' years in order to discuss measures to avert the danger 1). This is where elected officials take an oath, this is where collective protests against the illegality of the office of court officials were organized 2) and here they continued to gather in circles, elect a marshal and issue resolutions, although only explaining the decisions already made at the sejmik, but no less important and binding 3). Courts and authorities refer disputes to the assemblies for resolution, such as the jurisdictional competences of certain court officials 4). Even in the face of internal danger, resolutions are passed every year with significant consequences, which the land elders made known to the landowners in a universal manner, an example of which can be seen in the universal of March 7, 16075), or protests of no less important consequences against tax resolutions already adopted by the general6), or a direct decision on the dates of collection for the entire land in one land, e.g. Sanok, as well as the election of tax collectors, with this is because there was no other opportunity for resolution and election except in the querels 7), as there was no date specified in the universal conscription period.
For various reasons, both land and town assemblies legally or illegally replace sejmiks; The nobility gathered here expresses their will by making a choice or adopting a resolution binding on the district or even the entire voivodeship. It is true that these were resolutions supplementing the resolutions already passed at the local council or parliament, as already mentioned above, or resolutions aimed at defense. It happened, however, that during such annual meetings, collective protests against the Sejm's resolutions were organized, for example, the inhabitants of Sanok protested against the resolution on presenting 8). Then the land elders took a strong stand against such abuse of the annuals by the landowners' brothers, because the annuals are not assemblies, and it would be a pessimum exemplum if the district annuals were to be amended by the Sejm 9). The conclusion of these elders, formulated to the effect that all sejmik actions and resolutions in the years are illegal and invalid, was completely correct, however, this reprimand also testified to the attempts of the landed gentry to develop the sejmik life beyond the framework indicated by the sejm or the king.
We also see signs of attempts to expand parliamentary life at armed meetings of the nobility. "The voivode, castellan or generally the oldest land dignitary had the authority to call the landowners to arms in case of danger, and these armed meetings consider themselves competent to adopt resolutions strictly related to defense, such as remaining under arms, camp order, etc. We have 10 resolutions in this regard adopted in the camp near Lviv at the end of 1575 in our collection).
') No. 85, 87. *) Ob. protestations from 1617 brought to the Lviv castle by C. Leop. 362 p. 254... non praestolatis e conventu particuiari Yisnensi incolarum territorii leopoliensis communicationibus, ut ipsi ultro promiserant, consiliorum et responsis, i.e., regarding... de competentia iurisdictionis surrogatorialis. ■*) No. 79 cf. No. 117. ") No. 24, 25, 26 cf.'No. 144.