Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-02-02
Letters from England.
NO. XIV.
A CHAPTER on Tifief


ton OF member to fill his place rave me an
opportunity of observing something of the
process Of an English election. This was q
contested election, which in England means
nothing more than that there was a sompeti.
ton for the seat II very often happens that
the votes Of borough, and even of whole
county, can be SO well predicted that only
one candidate Is presented. when Mr.
Macaulay was returned to the present Par
Lament for Edinburgh, no other candidate
was polled for, and hence in the English
phrase, no one contested The election with him .
Among the names which at an early period
were prominent before the electors of Mary
lebone that of Nisccunt Ebrington seemed
most in favor. Now the question at once oc.
CURED to me Why should Lard Dudley Stuart,
and Vscount Lbrington-noblcmen as it
would seem, and entitled to a seat in the
/ Upper llouse-desre scat il the House of
| Commons The same question would apply
to Lord John Russell, Viscount Palmerston.
and numbers Of titled persons in the Lower
House As this may have perplexed others
besides myself, | give you the result Of my
luVG;cics into the matter
II Lord john Rnsseii aud vistount Ebring-
ton were really entitled to be called Lord and
Niscount, they then would be Peers and could
not sit in the Lower House. But it seems
that more than half the titles given to per-
sonagcs in England are merely titles bv cour-
tesy. Lord John Russell and Niscount Eb-
rington are conmoncrs and in all legal pro-
ceedings would be styled simply John Rus
sell and Hugh Eortescue In case of either
committing felony he would not like Peer
Of the realm be brought to the bar Of the
House of Lords for trial, but would be tried
IN the Criminal Courts like other commoners-
there never has been and cannot be an Eng
li5h Lord in the House of Commons
Every English Duke, Marques, Earl, Wis
eyunt, ANA Baron, Of full age and Of sound
mind, is Peer or Lord OF Parliament. -
These titles are hereditary, generally de-
sccnding on the death of the father TO the
eldest son; but all the remaining sons and
daug hters, and even the eldest son till his
father 3 death, are commoners, and without
title. But by courtesy certain titles are
given IN ordinary address to the some and
daughters Of noblemen. The eldest son Of
Duke, Marques or Earl, during his fathers
lille time, assumes his Fathers second title,
II he have one, that u.s. a title formerly borne
ny hin or his ancestors to which higher has
49, s~NSu' An~o IauNSV TIiO
Vi Fortescue takes the title Of Niscount Eb-
rington, which is his father = second title
Lord John Russell is the third and youngest
son Of the 9th Duke of Bedford who died in
1882 Francis Russell, the eldest son, was
styled Marques Of Tavistock from his father g
second title, until he succeeded to the Duke
dom on his father'- death.
With Niscount Palnerston the case is
somewhat different. lie is Peer, but not a
Peer Of Great Britain. By the act Of Union
with Ireland in $500 it was provided that Is
temporal Peers should be elected for life from
among the Peers Of Ireland to represent them
in the House Of Lords. Lord Palmerston is
an Irish Peer, but not an Irish Representa-
tive Peer, and consequently not member of
the Upper House. The same wouldapply to
amy Scotch Peer who is not aleo Peer OF the
tatiye Peers Of Scotland. The Earl Of Aber-
deem has no right to a seat in the House of
Lords by virtue Of his Earldom, which is a
scotch dignity, but he is also iiscount Cor
don, and as such is an English Peer.
But YOU arc ready to put one or two very
natural questions How are titles ofcourtesy
to be- distinguished from titles OF actual no.
bllity and how are family relationships TO
he known with such a diversity of titles
among the different members If Niscount
Ebrington is a commoner and Viscount Cor
don It Peer, if the Earl Of Aberdeen stands
in the relation of Father to Lord Iladdo the
Son. how are we to kn.w the import Of these
designations There is no other way than
hyu acquaintance with the antecedent his
tory Of individual families. There are GER
taiu general rules which regulate the grada-
ton Of titles from the eldest son downward
in case the father has inherited more titles
tlan one, but it is impossible to say, without
consulting some book of Peerage, what these
titles are in any particular case. Neither is
it possible, except in the case Of Duke, the
highest title of nobility, to distinguish titles
conveying actual rank and privileges, from
mere titles Of courtesy.
As regards the courtesy titles Of daughters
and younger sons Of noblemen, the following
Is the practice All daughters Of Dukes,
Marquises, and Earls, take the title Of Lady;
all daughters OF Niscounts and Barons the
title of Honorable; the younger sons Of Dukes
and Marquises are called Lords those ofEarls
Niscounts, and Barons are called Honorable.
As have gone so far into this matter, ]
shall make two more observations before leav
ing it. A reader Of the Free Press once asked
ice why the younger Pitt had no title al
though his father was Earl of Chatham. The
answer is that an older son inherited the
Eardom. Still the courtesy title of Honora-
bic was always given him, and after he became
Il member Of the Privy Council, the style Of
Right Honorable This latter title belongs to
all Privy Councillors, and is given by cour-
tesy to all Edrls, Viscounts and Barons
The readers of " Sunny Memories may
have been surprised that the wife of Lord
Campbell should be called Lady Stratheden.
This involves another point. Some English
digritles are limited to male descendants,
others in the absence of male issue descend |
to daughter. In this way female may be-
come Peeress IN her Own right. Such is
Lady Strathoden, and her rank being higher
than that of her husband, she still keeps her
tide, which is strictly, Lady Campbell, Baron
eSs of Stratheden.
But to return to the election of member
for Marylebone Sir Charles Napier at one
time expressed desire to be put in nomina-
ton Cor the seat, but afterwards withdrew his |
nImn- Ihn nnlu candidates Inrn remuininn1 |