The Portland daily press., 1866-10-08

At the last meeting of the New Ehslailu
Historical and Genealogical Society heV. u T.
Stowe, of Hartford, read an elaborate artleie OH
the British Aristocracy, presenting the histo-
ry of this branch of the English Goverhllieh'
in point of view novel and deeply interesting
1t was the result of personal observations III
his visits to England in 1886 and 1919. 1he ho-
bility of Great Britain, their grades, appear
ance Parliament and mode of perpetuating
their order. were presented to the audience In
| the usual lucid style of Professor Stowe. he
said:
The British aristocracy is one of the most
remarkable institutions of the age.
II has outlived all the circumstances which
oave II birth 1t is an incOngruity in all Its re-
| 7otions to modern society. 1t is essentially
onerous and oppressive. Yet while the hered-
itorv aristocracies of all the other parts OF Eu-
rope, except Russia, have faded and become
powerless this alone stands, fresh, strong, ana
| wegbty in wealth, in talent, in political etfi-
cieney and even in the affections and pride OF
the people,
| Causes of this:
First. The right of primogeniture and the
law of entail. No power like the power OF
| land.
| Second Constant accession from the Com
| mons, receiving from them every generation,
some of the most vigorous and energetic men
and giving every ambitious man the hope that
he NAV himself some day become nobleman
OF about 450 or 500 members of the House OF
Peers in 1853 more than half-260-had receiy-
ed their present titles since 1770 Especially by
marrying strong, finely developed women from
the untitled ranks. The preservation of the
purity of the blood has been the ruin of the
other European nobilities.
Third The wisdom of always yielding and
making merit of it, where they must
Not more kthan half the nobility of Great
Britain have seats in the House of Lords. To
be entitled to seat by hereditary right one
| must be a Peer of England, or a Peer of the
United Kingdom of England and Scotland, es-
tablished in the reign of Queen Anne: All
grades of titles, except Dukes, are in the House
of Commons by election.
Seldom more than 80 Lords of the 4J0 or 500
are present at the Legislative sessions, no stated
| number being necessary for quorum; and in
| the law sessions often no more than two be-
sides the law Lords.
| In 1858 there was one Prince of the Blood,
or Royal Duke, lin 1886 there were fonr,) and
| the House was composed of Dukes 20, Mar
quises %, Earls 1885, Viscounts %, Barons 218,
representative Irish Peers (chosen for ife) %,
representative Scotch Peers (chOsen from Par
lament to Parliament) 49, and Bishops 80;
| English Bishops ranking as Barons, "a; the
Bishop Of most recent appointment and the
Bishop of Sodor and Man not having a seat;
| Irish Bishops, who sit by rotation, 4.
The Sovereign can make any nObleman of
any rank at any time, but can never unmake
one.
The nOblemen have no connection with the
places from which they receive their titles but
the bishops all have this connection, except the
Archbishop of Canterbury, who has no special
| connection with Canterbury.
| Professor Stowe mentioned incidentally the
origin of the wOol-sack. 1t is represented as
| having originated in very early times-when
the great business of life was in keeping herds
| and fiocks-in producing the simple necessities
of life, and manufacturing, in the primitive
way, the fieeces of their hoeks, which were
their principal material at that time for that
purpose, into clothing. When any dispute
arose, the Judge or Justice in the case mount
ed wool-sack. Hence the introduction of it
into the dignity of the legislative or parliament
tary proceedings of Great Britain. Professor
Stowe said it looked like large feather bed
The Lord Chancellor is said to have taken his
seat upon the wool-sack He never saw him
on it, but sitting beside it. He did not know
that the Chancellor did not climb upon it oc-
| casionally, bnt he should think he would be
| very liable to tumble off.
The woOl-sack has for ages been termed the
seat of Lord Chancellor, in the House of Lords.
| The seat of the Lord Chancellor in the House
of Lords has for ages been termed the wool-sack.
| 1t is large square bag of wool, without back
| or arms, covered with red cloth. He also dis
cribed the mace. 1t is large rod of brass, and
must always be present or their meetings are
not legal. 1t was this which drew from Crom-
well-when he entered the Parliament house,
just before dispensing its members, the excla-
mation-"What means this bauhle? take it
away" after which he locked up the House.
and put the keys in his pocket.