Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-01-12
European Correspondence.
LONDON, Dec. odd, 1868.

hapS, of much Immediate importance,
but which commends itself to public at
tention partly Ivy $ novelty and partly
by its useful results, to which its adop-
ton may gradually lead. 1t has hit on
a patent process for tie utilization of
young Peers. The practical philosopher
who signs over all waste of force must
have often saddcned at the reflection of
what the typical young Peer might do,
and what, as rule he does. AT the age
of p he finds himself, as a m tier of
couree, in position which it takes a
Commoner of the highest ability almost
a life of constant effort to attain. In
deed, the Commoner, whatever his adj
vantag s, is most exceptionally lucky if
only born future legisl tor, but by t y
time he is called on to exercise his right
has often, boy as he is. picked up prac-
teal knowledge CT political affairs which
is none the less serviceable in the long
run, because at first it is thoroughly SUI
perficial. In his fathers drawing-room,
among is intimate friends, he may be
brought into close contact with the men
who make history, and may hear the
latest details of an exciting d. bate, as
they are brought fresh from the House
of Commons. Great statesmen, who to
the vast majority ofyoung IInglishmen,
are virtually little more than abstract
entities with famous names, are to him
thoroughly ineligible creatures of flesh
and blood, into whose character he has
some sort of insight of his own, and
whose history, both private and public,
he may have discussed by those WHO
know them best.
1t requires very little acquaintance
IN this country-a system which, if the
recent elections pr,ve anything, does
not seem very rapidly on the w,ne-to
understand the immense advantages
to which this practical personal knowl-
edge of political men and things may
be turned by legislator. For want OF
it, many an able man has failed in Par
Lament. Arrived there in mature
years, with hi tastes and traditions, as
it were crystalized, he can't catch the
him with the unconscious facility of the
man who has gradually grown up into
| it from. the cradle. The latter, in fact,
| begins as legis,a.or-at least in this re-
| spect when the former is more than
half way to the end and as these are
not the days of M ethuselah, in which
score of years more, or less, made no APP
precable difference in a patriaschal ca
reer, such a waste eff political force is
obviously matter for regret. Hesides,a
yaung, and putting them at once to use
full work, would deserve consideration if
only because it protected them from the
endless temptation which surround and
| too often overpower them. With plenty
of money and time at his disposal, de-
prived of nearly all the usual incentives
to ambitious eXertion, and systematic
cally marked down from schooltOy
days as a natu, al object of prey by the
dangerous classes of the community the
Peer may almost be congratulated if he
sows his wild oats in time t. settle
quietly down into that commonplace
character. the model landlord. or the
gentleman ia .mer.
II is true, he might have been a states
man of respectable mark but, on tn c
other hand, he would not have been
without numerous plecedents if he had
spent the best part of his life in profit
gate dissipation. and even carried to an
early grave shattered constitution and
furnished name.
The new scheme for the political util-
ization of young Peers, indeed, very
modest beginning, but still a / eginning
"a step in the right direction which
may lead to further steps. 1t las,
moreover, the recon mendation OF sing
ling out class of Peers who have hith-
erto been considered, above all others,
ornamental-the LOrds-in-waiting. We
are all familiar with the title, but prob
ably very few of us have any but the
vaguest idea of what duties 1t actually
implies-when, here, for what, and
upon whom the Lords-in waiting actu-
ally waits. Most of us are, perhaps, in
the position of the plain citizen who
when told what great thinker was go
ing into Parliament, innocently asked
what the great thinker thought about
D But, hitherto all the world Las been
: agreed that, whatever he may do,
1 waiting is essentially ornamen
, tai. One w.uld as soon have thought o.
associating real utility with him as with
1 the illustrious maintenance. of the
a Lord Mayors show.