The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-26 00:00:00

THE PEERAGE.

(From the Spectagor.)
" Honours the cheap defence of nation,."
EDMUND BURK E.
The following tables spew the offices that
have accumulated in the hands of the various
members of the Upper House and their relations.
They are not framed to support a theory, but to
exhibit a fact. The Peers fill, almost to the
exclusion of the rest of the community, all those
places which require of their occupants
exertion of body or mind—sinecures, and places
approaching to sinecure, under Government--
the Army plentifully—the Navy rather more
sparingly—the Church universally. The grand
interest of the Peers is to multiply appointments
at home and abroad, and to pay them high ; to
keep up a large military force ; to foster an ex-
pensive Church. By these things they live.
Wherever attention and labour are requisite
wherever influence is shut out—there Lords arc
not found. 'the Courts fill the House, but

there is little reciprocity of kindness : Law Lords
make the most of law sinecures, but the Bar,
among its sons, has few Honourable or Right
Honourable. The Artillery, where seniority is
the mule of promotion, has hardly any ; the Ma-
rines, where a similar rule obtains, not one
Noble member. The Exchange knows nothing
of the Peerage—not because Lords despise
small gains, but because merchants' gains must
be worked for.
The good thins of the Constituticm • are
mostly in the hands of Tories', but the- Whigs
are not wholly without their share. Their merit
in supporting Reform is the greater, that they
are called on to make substantial sacrifices for

its sake. In the distribution of offices, tli' Irish
seem to affect the Church ; the Scotch the Nally
and Army ; the English take indifferently to any
department of the State that promises good en-
tertainment. The Roman Catholic Peers are
the only body that stand clear from all conta-
minating influences ; and, as a proof of the value
of such political abstinence, they arc, with a soli-
tary exception, friendly to Reform.
It cannot be too strongly borne in mind, that
thin part of the anatomy must be received as an
illustrative specimen only. The various family
ramifications—the collateral branches, especially •
on the female side—and the numerous con-
nexions by marriage—would require the work of
years to develope, and would occupy a volume.
This holds especially in regard to the in-
fluenceP, whether direct or indirect, whether pe-
cuniary or honorary. The only authorities with
any pretensions to accuracy are the Parliamen-
tary, Returns. These, however, merely relate to
offices held immediately from Government.
They are sometimes (of necessity) incorrect and
defective ; they arc, in a national point of view,
shamefully incomplete. The vast patronage of
the East India Company, the enormous re-
venues of the Church,. the innumerable snug-
geries in Corporations, the valuable appoint-
ments in the gift of the Magistrates (who are
nominated by the Lords Lieutenant of Coun-
ties), and the very many jobs the Magistracy
can create, or the lucrative businesses it can ap-
point to, are all unknown, or known only by
conjecture or report. To this enumeration
should be added the patronage connected with
Colonial appointments, and the various jobs ia
a small way which enable every Government
official of any standing to provide for or to serve
a friend or dependant.
It may be said that these offices must be held
encc of many, and the rate of remuneration in
all, are open questions, as is the aptitude of those
who fill them under the present system. Waiving
this, however, the justice of an impartial distri-
bution is undeniable. Why should four hundred
individuals, with their connexions and depen-
dants, enjoy a monopoly of the good things for
which the twenty millions are called upon to pay?
The following summary, drawn from our list,
imperfect as it must be from omission, gives us
an idea of the number of military, naval, and
clerical appointments held by Peers or their con-
nexions. The individual instances will be found
in the tables. It should be added, that the
numbers must be received cum grano, as in
•
leetCits Church,
that the ap-
parent individuals
may hold several appointments, nplaarle);itcatosetas; isespeciallypossiblyin the
much under the real,
The reader will not fail to observe how the
of
numbers 4
67 o
ffidei me ‘rs, we 111 t the e
vl
only
snol
51
subalterns. u me nts Out

44 General Officers of various 29 Majors.
ranks. 51 Captains.
l 5 Colonels. '2B Lieutenants.
45 Lieutenant-Colonels. 11 Ensigns and Cornets.

32 Admirals of various rankNsA.:llls.;
Lieutenants.
111 Captains.

CHURCH,

3 Archbishops.
10 Bishops.

I k 9 Connexions of Peers hold-
ing Church Prefennent.

CONDEMNATION OF CIILOPIEKI.--Tile
St. Petersburgli Papers state that his Imperial MaJrsry
confirmed on the 14th (26th) September the sentence of
the Court•martial, by which General CHLonEKI is con-
demned, as a traitor, to the loss of his rank and nobility,
and to banishment to Siberia, and to be employed there in
the public works.

Cape of Good Hope and Mauritius Papers,
the former to the I I th of September, and the latter to the
24th of July, hare been received to-day. The Cornwallis
had arrived at Table Bay from Swan River, after leaving
her cargo there. She did not bring any news from that
settlement. The Mauritius Gazette of the 11th contains
a notice of the death of Dr. LYALL, late British Resident
at Madagascar. He fell a victim to the fever peculiar to
that island. Dr. LYALL, already known to his country-
men by the account of his travels in Russia, was about
to complete for the press a nail afire of his observations
while resident at Tananarivo, when death put a atop to
his earthly and literary career.

We understand that the advances of the
British Government, inviting the consideration of the ex-
tension of commercial relations with England, have been
met in the most friendly spirit by the Ministers here. It
must not be forgotten that the British Parliament took
the first step towards a more liberal policy, by adopting a
measure of which Mr. P. THOMSON (who is here for the
purpose of effecting such changes as are compatible with
the great interests of both countries) was the author—
namely, the reducing the duties on French wines from
7s. 6d. to ss. 6d. a gallon. It is earnestly to be de-
sired that an alliance, founded on the basis of mutual pros-
perity, may grow out of these negotiations.--Paris Paper.
SOURCES OF THE THAMES.—After a long
ascent, you come to some solitary grassy hills; on the top
of these, under the shade of two or three alders, is a
little group of plashy spring., which trickle away, form-
ing, as far as the eye can follow them, an insignificant
brook. Such is the infant modesty of the proud Thames;
I felt a tide of poetry come over my mind, as I thought
how but a few hours ago, and a few miles hmee, I had
seen these same waters covered with a thousand vessels;
but this glorious stream, in its short course, bears on its
bosom more 'hips, more treasures, and more human
beings than any of its colossal brethren ; how the capital
of the world lies on its banks, and, by her omnipotent
commerce, may be almost said to rule the four qu trtets of
the globe. With reverential admiration I looked down on
the gushing drops, and compared them one while to NAPO-
LEON, who, obscurely born in Ajaccto, in a few years
made all the thrones of the earth tremble ; then with the
avalanche which, loosened from its bed tinder the foot of a
sparrow, in five minutes buries a village ; then with
RoTnscHlLn, whose father sold ribbons, and without
Iwhose assistance no power in Europe seems now able to
carry oa war..—Tour of a German Prince.

FRENCH PAPERS.

CHAMBER OF PEERS.—StrriNG or 'NOY. 22.
M. C. Perier, after alluding to the late creation of
Peers, as a proof of the wisdom and discretion with which
the Crown would use the unlimited power of nominating
new Peers, with which it was proposed to entrust at, con-
eluded as follows :—" In fact, all enlightened men per-
ceive
that the object was not merely to obtain a
.naajortty
(for in this Chamber a majority is always certain trt favour
of any patriotic determination), but rather to take a res-
pectful precaution against your personal generosity, which
would have impressed on the resolution of the CheffibU•
the character rather of an act of self-clevotinta than of
purely legislative enactment. We felt that tames national
by their high attributes, being assottal with those which
now shed a lustre over this assembly, but not having, like
you, the merit of sacrificing a Vested right, would give to
your decision a sanction which would not have -Merely
the character of a generous disinterestedness. Besides,
was it not expedient to fill up, at }e ,st in part, the
vacancies left in this Chamber, and thus assure to The deli-
beration and character of a question of such importance the
concurrence of a great number of intelligent minds. Your
feelings of honour, which last year led you to refer the "tleci-
sinn of a most delicate question to the Royal wied'am, but
which, this year, when the Charter is in the zenith of its
power and action, are compelled to guide you to decide
yourselves a question which is at lestat half a personal one
—your feelings of honour, I say, will have understood our
motives, and the choice of individuals made by the Xing
will, we venture to assert, have completed their justifica-
tion in your eves. For ourselves, gentlemen, we 'con-
ceive that we have, under existing circumstances, rather
offered a homage worthy of the French Peerage, than in
any manner outraged its independence or glory. Oar
conscience tells us that we have given satisfaction to the
delicacy of yours." He then reminded the Chamber that
powerful institutions perish at titre, ftum too great con-
cessions, at others from too obstinate refusals, and that true
wisdom was to be shnwo in examining and appreciating
the existing state of affairs, in order to decide whether
concessions were expedient, or whether refusal were safe.
For himself he e7...pressecl his decided cpinion that the pre-
sent moment was one in which concessions judiciously
made w-Juld he the surest pledges of safety ; and, in con-
clusi.on, repeated his sanguine hope that the Chamber
would not allow itself to be the means of impeding the
consolidation of the revolution, and thence plunging the
country into new tumults and dissentions, but would rea-
dily sacrifice its own future privileges to the welfare of the
nation, and thus put the finishing stroke to the great work
of general reconciliation.

The Bill was ordered to be printed, and distributed to
the Members in the usual manner.

The Ministers of Commerce brought in several Bills Of
local and private intersst.
The Chamber then proceeeded to the discussion on the
Bill granting an additional credit on account of the Na-
tional Recompences.
The two articles of which it Was composed were
adopted without discussion, and the Chamber proceeded
to ballot on the ensemble of the Bill. The following was
the result of the scrutiny :—For the Bill, 62 ; against it,
11 ; blank votes, 3.—Adjourned.