Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-09-17
THE BRrTIsM "NOBrLI4r.b
THE ARIsTOCRACY OF THE UNITED KINoDoNs.-
THE MIGHTY OLIGARCHY
Cores pOndence N. Y. Herald, 1' @.-' '"t
BIG PEERS.

THE MIGHTY OLIGARCHY
Correspondence N. Y. Herald -.-' .'"
BIG PEERS
The existing type of English Duke Is not a
very exalted specimen of nobility. The Dukes
OF Bnccleuch, Devonshire, Sutherland, Bedford
ana northumberland are indeed petty klngs hav.
lug immense landed estates and looking down
upon politics from the helgth OF their grandeur
They condesend to put their younger sons into
Parliament and their poor relations into govern
ment offices. SCOTS, Leveson- -IiOwers. Oayen-
dishes, Rnsseis, and a few Percys, who ought to
be SmlthsOns, may be found occupyIng lncralive
posts in the public service but these
GREAT DUKES
themselves will accept nothing but lord Ileutsn-
little seen or heard of beyond the limits of their
own property, where they are regarded as demi:
gods but they have scarcely any active influence
on society. They come up TO their big houses in
London Tor a lew weeks after Easter vote upon
one or two broad-bOttomed questions very eau
tously, never trust themselves to speak more
than few words in Parliament and call around
them thelr family lawyers, doctors and the ancient
dependents OF their race 10 few solemn dinners
in which the conversation is extremely homeIv
and prosy. They avoid all appearance of state or
display In London, and appear forever on their
guard, as though they were already fortfying
their abodcs and Strengthening their positions
against coming siege. They take care never to
ihIOilCIS Will popular caprice or TO come in con-
tact W It'll the strong current of opinion. They
| have, however, policy of their own, and any
one who penetratcs into their recesses and stirs
them up with fighting purposes soon finds out
| how strong they are. Behind them starts up
whole host of
| HENcHMENAND ToADIEs.
who are connected with them by the ties of in
| terest or relationship, generally both, and who
manage the press and the law courts for them
very arttullY. No paragraph IN any way disa.
greeable TO these dukes could obtain insertion il
| newspaper, for there IS not print OF anv char
acter or Importance in Great Britain which i
moi, directly or indirectly in the hand of this
| MIGHTY OBLIGATORY.
| The Duke of Norfolk stands apart He is no
| slch, he Is not clever, but he Is supported by th
powerful body of the English Catholics, and Der
haps, no individual Enghsman has so much per
sonai Importance.
THE DUKE OF SOMERSET
is rather hot-heRded man, without much none
or authority, who has many of the qualities Of
government clerk high up ia his department
lie mlsmanaged the navy very grossly, and OF
the formation OF the Gladstone Ministry no wa
ieft out AN the cold on aeeount.ot his impractibl
temper. Yet in a recent IA Wsuit, brought aRafns
him by Mr.. Williams an eminent London ply
clan, 1t was found impossible TO obtain legal DE-
cislon against him, and the present Attorne
General, hme-serving and unscrupuiOus lawyer
who was retained for ths iplaintiff threatenod
throw up his brief II ths matter was pEssse
against the Duke.
The Duke Of Richmond, who is nominallv col
Il servatIVe leader Of the House OF Lords, is a ger
ttlemAn and good man of business He has gFel
deal of influence in the army and on the turf bU
ID not person Of much consequence in polite
and his intellect Is rather below the average.
THE DUKEs OF GRAFTON AND LRRDs.
are social and political nonentities. The Duke
Manchester Is an honest, blunderng and rathe
Ridiculous man; who has somewhat equlvocI
position in the VIce Court at Marlborough nousl
The Duke OF st. Albans has done one or two pOV
ular things. tic has refused to sell small churc
: living which be might have sold, and ho has o
fered to resign his snecure as hereitary registrl
Of the Court OF Chaneeryi but he has also left OF
rot his relations in q London workhouse in spite
some public appeela from the local irate-paysT
aud seemsto have more show than goC 10 hin
He has a smah place about the Court, aAd is vel
pOOor. The ~
Al DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH
is dull, civil man, much beloved by the ben,
iced clergy, and ahares ecclesiastical power
England with Lord Shafesbury.
THE DUKR OF RUTLAND,
v who was formerly a remarkably handsome mI
:. and one Of the first suilOrs Of the PFinceas Ma
of Cambridge. s an exquisite Of the first waite
with many chiVAlric qualities but he has bee
# little seen IN sOeiety forsome ysars and rsigl
h Oves his WdOda Of BelVOir, giving his heat :.
e horses aud 10 hounds. lie cannot be said
count at all in public life, his brother, Lo
John Manners, who was once thought risin
man among the tories, still takes part in pol
ties anil looks after lhA parkp and ssatnes VII
his party are in power.
The Duke Of Portland Is another of d
: great territorial maugnates who holds himbe
- aloof from Court aud city. de is immense
!. rich, and very strong on his own ground.
+ never travels beVond il He GhOUe,f howeVe
/ that be could and would have his way in
10 recent law suit, and get il. The Dukes
!. Newcastle and Hamilton and Beaufort may
( classsd together except that the Duke Of NeV
castle has ruined himself on the turf, and Il
: ;. Dukes Of Hamilton and Beaufort have N
The Duke Of Hamilton, too, has cOnsidsRah
influence Il society, and especially in the spO
ling world OF Europe, and may be called
, cOsmopOlilan among tuFfmsn, having 4 "a
!. ming horse in moot Of the great events; WheI
n ~ the Dukeof Newcastle Is nowhere and Wip,
i altogether out Of mehs memories. 'la'4'i =