the barons of their privileges granted by Magna Carta acted on the fiscal system by checking the king's arbitrary use of tallages and, as a consequence, encouraged regular assessments of a tax on movables, which became more prevalent over time. The developing concept of necessity to obtain consent of tax-payers before imposition operated to encourage the establishment of bodies representing the various social classes. Indeed, the action of constitutional on fiscal development led to the transition from feudal to parliamentary taxation in its earliest forms. Direct taxation Almost at the beginning of the age of parliamentary taxation, one of the older sources of revenue ceased, popular opinion having forced King Edward I to issue in 1290 the Edict of Expulsion which required the Jews to leave the kingdom. It is probable however that owing to the exactions practised on them, Jewish usurers had become progressively less profitable to the Exchequer. Certainly, the kingdom's general resources had so increased that their contribution became less important. The first effects of parliamentary influence on the fiscal system were the abandonment of tallages on towns and the decline of scutage. Taxes on movables were assessed more systematically so that instead of using varying charges, ranging from one-fourth to one-fortieth, on different classes of goods, the tax was imposed at fixed rates of one-fifteenth on counties and one-tenth on towns (the "fifteenth and tenth" tax). Commissioners were appointed for each county to ensure stricter assessment and were supplied with special instructions as to taxable and exempt goods. This tax remained in force from 1290 to 1334, albeit the proportions imposed varied over time (e.g. an eighth and a fifth were granted to the king by parliament in 1297, and a tenth and a sixth in 1322). A more general influence was the growing national economy which led to greater activity on the part of the king as administrator which, in turn, increased the state's need for revenue. Although constitutionally the king was expected to live off his revenues, the force of events made this increasingly impracticable. Therefore, from being uncertain and indirect, taxation, especially that on movables, became certain and direct, absorbing older forms over time. Under medieval conditions, the collection of a general property tax presented serious difficulties in that, unsurprisingly, each local and borough authority tried to keep assessments as low as possible. England in the 14th century was not ripe for a