The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-26 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY).
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
M five o'clock.
LEGISLATIVE JURISDICTION OF THE .
HOUSE OF LORDS.
Lord LYNDHURST gave notice that in a few days he
intended to call attention to the judicature in that house,
with a view of supplying a suitable remedy.
Lord DUNGANNON gave notice of his intention to-
morrow to put a question to the Government with re-
spect to the ticket-of-leave system.

THE WENSLEYDALE PEERAGE.
Lord REDESDALE having brought up the report
of the Committee of Privileges upon the Wensleydale

peerage,
Lord GRANVILLE said it might be convenient
for him to state that her Majesty's Govern-
ment considered it unnecessary to say " not
content" to the resolution of the Committee
of Privileges, yet it was not their intention by any
division to try to reverse, in a comparatively
thin house, a decision taken in a very full
one, and by a large majority. He had authority
to state that Baron Wensleydale had put himself com-
pletely in the hands of the Government, and would not
attempt to take his seat until the whole subject had been
considered. Her Majesty's Government found them-
selves in some difficulty. Her Majesty believed she had
the power to confer a life peerage, but this house had
come to a contrary decision. If time were given he could
only say that her Majesty's Government were most
anxious to approach the consideration of the subject with a
feeling quite apart from perslual and party feeling. He
thought that spirit would be met with similar feelings
on all sides of the house.
Lord CAMPBELL expressed his deep satisfaction at
bearing the observation of the noble lord who had just
sat down, and expressed a confident hope that the house
would come to the consideration of this subject in a cor-
responding spirit.
The Earl of DERBY also concurred in reciprocating
the same feeling as now actuated her Majesty's Govern-
ment, and proceeded to defend the course which he and
the party with which he was connected had discussed
,he subject. He submitted, that viewing the way in
which the subject was pressed upon them, the House
of Lords, i❑ defending their own privileges, could not
cake any other course than that which had resulted in the
resolution adopted by a very large majority on Saturday
morning. The noble lord then pnceeded at consider-
able length to discuss the merits of the whole
question, contending that the Government had acted most
hurriedly in advising her Majesty to exercise her pre-
rogative in the creation of a life peerage. fie concluded
by observing that he had sketched out a resolu-
tion on the subject, and it his noble friend did not
press his motion he should bring it forward next Thurs-
day.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said be believed
there was really an eseantial difference on this
question bet wean the parties who sat on the
opposite sides of the house. The noble lords who sat
or the opposite side of the house had no objection
that the appellate jurisdiction of the house should be
strengthened, and he could firmly say for himself
and her Majesty's Government that there never was the
slightest intention to create an immense number of life
peerages, and by that means swamp their lord-
ships' house. (Hear, hear.) He was convinced
there was a prerogative that would override

the prerogatives of the Crown, which would override
the privileges of that house, and that was public opinion,
which would prevent such an abuse of the lower.
He was not prepared to advocate the creation
of a number of lite peerages without such crea-
tion should embrace members of both the army
and navy ; and as for the supposition that a life peer
could only bold a subordinate position in that
house, he for one could not entertain such an
opinion. Did their lordships believe that had General
Wolfe survived his victory at Quebec and received a life
peerage, that his merits and Lis talents would not have
raised him to a pre-emilence in that house. He could
name many persons, it it were necessary to do so, who
had refused the honour of the peerage because they did
not wish to place their families in IA position which might
be attended with inconvenience and embarrassniekit if it
was not accompanied with opulence. But that objec-
tion would lose all its force if they could be made peers
for life. It was a question at one time whether the
Crown had nut the power of compelling persons to ac•
cept peerages ; and when Lord Chancellor Cowper was
asked whether the King had not such a power, he gave
lef a opinion that he had not, because the King ought not
to be enabled to ruin the families et his subjects.
(Laughter.) It. had been raid by one of the greatest of
orators and statesmen that the ancients placed the
temple of Virtue in front of the temple of Fame, to
show that the latter ought not to be entered except by
the former ; but ►uen could not be expected to place their

farniliee in a situation which would be inconvenient to
themselves, unless the passage from the one to the other
temple were made easy and acceptable. He believed that
the longevity of the existence of that house, as compared
with other hereditary institutions of a similar kind, was
in great measure owing to the circumstance, that so far
from repelling great genius, great talents, great merits,
and great cervices, that house, under the sanction of the
Crown, had been made to attract genius, and talents,
and /services, so as to strengthen and fortify that posi-
tion which it now occupied, and which he trusted it
would lone. continue to occupy. (Hear, hear.)
The Earl of MALMESBURY said there was no one
in the holies) who was not fully convinced, supposing
that life peerage.; were accepted by their lordships, that
in the hands of the noble marquis the power of making
such appointments, as far as numbers were concerned,
would be safely lodged, but there was no security for the
future. (Hear.) He considered that the peerage would
lose one of its most valuable appendages, if it was unsc-
companied with the privilege of transmitting to.one's
children the honour acquired for personal merit. He
should consider it a reproach and an insult to be offered
a peerage and to be told that it should not descend
to his children. He did not believe that such peers
would be on a par with their lordships who were heredi-
tary peers, nor were they so considered in those coun-
tries where the two kinds of peerages existed. Dignities
for life never conferred equal privileges with hereditary
dignities, and he could prove that by what occurred in
the reign of King Stephen. That king, who was only a
king for life, conferred a charter for certain privileges on
the Bishop of Lincoln, but when in subsequent times,
in the reign of Edward 111., the Bishop of Lincoln was
called on to show by what authority he exercised those
privileges, and he produced the charter granted by King
Stephen, the lawyers of those days decided that he being
only a life king could not make a grant in perpetuity.
The bishop had to give way in consequence. The noble
earl then quoted the opinion of Talleyrand in 1315 in
favour of an hereditary peerage, and confessed for Lim-
self that he looked on the creation of life peers with
great alarm. (Hear.)
Lord BROUGHAM said that lie entirely approved of
the course taken by his noble friend oil the part of the
Government. He was sure that his noble friend Lord
Weesleydale would not have taken any other course than
that announced by the noble earl, which was quite iu
accordance with what Lord Wensleydale communicated
to himself, namely, that he should come to take his seat
as soon as the state of his health and the law—the law
allowed. He hoped the lususe would never consent to
give up that flower of its privileges, the appellate juris-
diction, but it was worthy of consideratioti how far the
services of that court might be obtained for themselves.
He could only say that he should willingly give any
assistance in his power to promote the object in view.
The Earl of HARROWBY considered that indepen-
dence and the hereditary quality were essential charac-
teristics of the peerage, but they ought not to make
the peerage too exclusive, and should make some con-
cession to personal merit and services when not accom-
panied with great opulence. They ought to be careful
that, in clinging too much to the independent principle,
they did not lose the opportunity of introducing into
that house men of sterling talent and ability. They
should beware of closing the doors of that assembly
against the rising talent of the country.
Lord CAMPBELL must protest against what had
been thrown out by the noble earl who had last spoken.
With his sentiments he ought to say "no" to the resole-
tiois,;and to divide against it. After what had passed, no
one would contend that Lord Wensleydale could take
his seat in that house. If lie attempted to do so they
would be under the disagreeable necessity of requesting
him to retire.
The Earl of CARNA.RVON expressed his satisfaction
at the way in which this important question had been
disposed of, by Lord Lyndhurst announcing his inten-
tion to move a series of resolutions upon it. Ile thought
there was a great difference between a limited applicea-
tion of the principle of life peerages, and its unres.tbriasinutd
use by a minister. While acknowledging the p
ipi rt ey
principles of
hai smni ennains
theuitries formas to e d i hostility guardedswtihlii tcayhn to the restricted,
incttreodd he c
musto f theex
fsbtiei.nce ent.hp
binding,r
Tioephaoesst ebdou.
resolu-
tion
and he was
Earl GREY did not
b y theno opinionw
before
et h
houserLeoou consider
dwCteoorbuihrle
d'efms
remaineJi d
H theirtid
el onrtdtshhai
objecteHdetoshtehuemreasvoaliulhtion were
tPsthsenyviwould soon do so. He did not think
himselfi
his protestf
confident
boundhe r ttlioat those
divide a
gwhoainst it.
theag .ncsotnisttoitnu constitutional privilege
otpersi voitletghee ofho recordinguse.
Lordai CA.MPBELL explained. He bad merely meant
to say that, so long as that resolution remained on their
votes, Lord Wensleydale could not claim his seat.
Earl GRANVILLE thought he should act most en-
tirely in the spirit of the resolution proposed by not
going further into the question, though sundry provo-
catives had been thrown out by noble lords opposite.
The course to be taken by the Government would de-
pend on the form of the resolutions to be proposed Ly
the noble and learned lord, and on its appearing that
they would out lead to any unnecessary delay.
The Earl of DERBY then moved that the house do
agree to the report of the committee of privileges.
The LORI) CHANCELLOR put the question, and
declared that the " contents " had it.
Lord CAMPBELL moved " that it be ordered and
adjudged accordingly."
After a few words from Lord DENMAN and the LORD
CHANCELLOR, the motion was agreed to.
The Earl of DERBY gave notice to move, on Thurs-
day, for a select committee to inquire whether it was ex-
pedient to make any and what provision for the
tmore
effectually securing the due administratioi4 ?f h,e p.