The sun., 1869-07-27

Ihe DCcndCuCc Of The House OF Peers.
The vigorous attack and the inglorous
retreat Of the House OF Peers during the
contest over the Irish Church bill raises the
serious question whether It is not about time
The upper branch Of the British Legislature
erased TO exist rs an hereditary assembly
The frequent TRANSMISSION Of fresh blood into
L.. which some have thought would from
lime to time arrest its tendency 10 fall INTO
decay, has falcd to exert any such influence
upon It, as q few facts will show
In running the eye hastily over n list of
lhe present Chamber Of Peers, we select fifty
titles conferred since the first GEORGE
hscondcd the throne. OF these, fourteen were
bestowed for rare distinction in the Com
mons, twenty-six for high attoinmcnts nt the
bar, six for great skill in the army, and four
for marked success in the navy. Eighteen
Of them were ennoblcd during the reign of
GEoRGE Ill, and nineteen afterward, the
greater part of the latter since the advent of
Parliamentary reform under Earl GREY.
The fifty men upon whom these titles were
originally conferred were, in their respective
spheres, among the most conspicuous names
In the modern annals of England For
example take the late creations of ANNE
aud those Of the first two GEORGES
There was GoDoLrHIN, the great Trca
Burer HALIFAX, bettcr known by his
family name Of MONTAGUE, who founded the
Bank of England and devised the funding
system; BoLINGBRoKE the bold thinker, the
splendid orator, half suspected of treason to
the House Of Hanover, and whom Poph nn
mortalizcd in verso MARLBoROUGH peerless
in arms in diplomacy, and intrigue HARD
wICKE, whom Mr.. Justice STORY pronounced
the greatest OF Lord Chanccllors OXFORD,
who. as Sir ROBERT WALPoIE, ruled Eng.
land for twenty-five years as no man had
done since CROMWELL, and firmly fixed the
crown upon the stupid heads of tho lcwd
Hanoverians; AMHERST, ennobled for the
capture OF Louisburg from the French
MANSFIELD, the brightest luminnry of the
common law and GuITFoRD, familiar to
Americans Ms that lord NORTH who vainly
Strove to subduc the thirteen colonies in tho
revolutionary war.
We might extend this list, but these names
will suffice for the period in question. For Il
hundred and a hundred and fifty years THEN
descendants have sat In the House of Peers
and they recline on it's luxurious cushions to-
hay. But, during this long period, 10 replete
with great events, not one of them achieved
the slightest distinction in politics, or in any
thing else that is vaJsable. The best known
among them is HORACE WALPoLE, who was
a fribble in light literature, and sprightly
rhronicler of the back stairs gossip Of tn,
palace. The living descendant of MANI
FIELD is now one OF Her MWcstys oqucrric
in waiting
Nor has il Jared better with the primogC
nial heirs of the many distinguished mo
ennobled in the long reign Of the thr
GEoRGE--a reign;which wimoeaal ~. oH
quest uf Cenalu 0uI llc .uJ,.. 90, AmH
tou aud Fr.n d r-yo'uon- Ilc Wan OF "
roLEoE, and tle rariihm.alrry r... .7
ihTHA"' NORTU -. n' iNt rIii II'
cINAL, CAENIho, CAsuE'NCH l..
BR9CcUNI.
Foremost Of the Peers created during thii
reign, and whose descendants now hold scat
IN the House, are KENYON, Chief Justice o
he Kings Bench, who used 10 be charged
with iavoritism toward ERsKINE, then strug
Cling for fame as barristcr; THUm0w
who presided as Lord Chancellor at the open
ing scenes in the trial of WARREN HASTINGS
30 graphically sketched by MACAULAY; Ill
LESBORoUGH, who, as EDMUNp LAW, wa
HAsTINGss leading counsel, md aftcrwar
Chief Justice. TEETERDEN, also, Chief j us
tice, known to American lawyers for hi
learned work ON maritime law, know
Rs Abbott on Shipping" and who's
lather was hairdresser ERsKISE, th
greatest advocate who has stood at the Eng
hsh bar HOLLAND, eminent as a Statesman
though less famous than his celebrate
nephew CHARLES JAMES Fox ST. NINoEN
HAWKE, and NELSON, whose victories ov'
The fleets of France and Spain inspired CAM
BHL TO sing of Britannia's home on the deel
MELVILLE, one Of the ablest Scotchmen wi
ever sat in Parliament and ARTHUR, Dul
Of Wellington.
The only descendants Of these famous m'
OF whom anybody has ever heard, were Lo
HOLLAND who died thirty years ago, Al
was respected because he was the amiab
nephew Of Fox, and welcomed radicals of d
grades 20 the classic halls Of Holland hous
and the heir Of ELLEEBoRoUGu, who off
addressed the House, but never without d
monstrating that the blood Of a very proiouI
father may course through the yeine of
very shallow son. The representatives no
sitting in Parliament OF the many other en-
nent men upon whom GEORGE III. bestow'
coronets, have never made any figure at a
Excepting the ten or twelve names nc
holding titles originally conferred upon Il
sitting Peers after the death of GEORGE IL
che like judgment may be pronounced up
she heirs of Peers created since 1920 w
Asars or cares about the successors OF ELDo