The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-02-02
Eurland-Tne New Peers.

correspondence of the Naton.l
LONDON, January 3.-The Parliament of The
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Is
composed OF four constituent eements-tht Ming
or Queen. and the three estates OF The realLi-TZ,
The Lords Spiritual, The Lords Temporal ana me
the laws that are binding npon I'VE subjects Of the
raj const.i The House of Lorus. The foIn' con
sisiipg of the AlchDsbops OF Canterbury and iork
ana twenty -four bishons of the Church of thgland
the latter consisting of. tue Prince of Wales
quises, Ill Earls, "a Vfcounts, 245 HdrODs, l6
keprescn'ative Peers of Scotland, 2g Representa-
seven ladies who Peeresses In their own right.
The House Of Commons consists OF 65S mem,
by Scotch. and lO5 by Irish constituencies. The
members OF the House of Commons though they
MYSTICAL mun.ber of 85S since the union with Ire
land ut the close of The hast century and this Sta
merous aud almost Fundamental alterations which
have been made In the distribution OF the electoral
franchise by the several reform acts which have
been passed during the century, There Is no rea-
son why 65S should be selected rather than any
other fancy number. Thirty or forty more or
thirty or forty fewer members OF Parliament
would not make an, petcepuble difference either
In the quality or quantity OF the legislative
or deilberatiye acts perfoi med by this body but
the whole distribution Of POLITICAL power in this
country is full OF curiosites and anomalies. grown
out Of tradition or compromise. and iostertd by
nlation. P1obsbly 65S Is Ms good HIS any other
fancy number, ana II docs Its work with sort OF
clumsy method thu, suits The genius Of The people
stricted. ~ erages become dormant from time Ia
time die out, but The gaps made by these natural
processes are than filled up by new creations
and promotions iOm II lower TO higher rank.
During he reign OF Queen Victoria no lever than
46 or nc i In ee "s, OF seus
10 feel bound tap The fouutsin of honor
in favor OF his supporters st The hgnniag,
tenure Of ofilc-. When Lord Melbourne was Prime
Minister. ai The commencement OF The Queens
Sir Rot,er. Pee., between S4 and S46 was sails
bed with four. Lord hus ell. between lS17 and
1851. and again in $50. created twenty; Lord
paim,rsiVn, & urleen: Lord D.rny,lsn. Mr. lad
stou., tcciing the weakness of his party III the Up
per House, ADVISED the creation OF less Than forty
peers iu SIX years, and MIR Disraeli not TO he out
done has In The brief per1Gs Of his TWO reignS In
1865 ana 1874 3, created seventeen, aud within
the iast lew Gays be has promoted three OF his sup
pcr1eis aaG eleyattd tour lnorC-@iYlng him round
intsI 'f d-'wen', In 'hr'e vesrs or Al aver
age Of eight year. But among bis four-anC.twen-
- u, Te ~ than hrre cut cs, and no Prime
Minister except Gr. Nsraeii has ever naniged
more iuan two. rev. Indeed, have yenlhred
" aspire above plurality OF yiscoun,s.
New crrarion, are inteisfble enough 10 any
British born SUBJECT IN country Ia "hrch posi-
doc IN c.ty Is so highly valued as IL ls In this
country, entrance into and acceptance 10y the ola
hereditary nobility or q reat Britain are obvious
eblecis OF ambition. What men desire, aho slIl
more what wo,ncn desire. when they have acquired
the necessities and comforts OF NE is coiisidera-
ton from and power over others. utlt, even
the hnmhlest kind OF itic--say 4 knigbthood-h Il
stepping towards The realization or their de-
sires. Hut Il kn,ghIhood IS II poor thing after all
II coniers The title OF Lady" upon Your wife or
widow but 1t does not help your children. A.
sOUn, therefore, as man is made Knight bt
aspires. II he has family. TO iecoInc barOnet,
and then the title 6escenGs to his eldest son, and
so Oh through the generations which succeed him.
but This, u2h heredi AIRY little, does not bring
hi III within the hereditary pcerscc. A baronetet
dies not give ma" seat In Parliament. and II
DOES very little tor his younger children. 1t gives
them OFT OF snadcYy ec-denca at dinner table
among lsI of common eIs. and this shsdUTy pre-
eedence The sons aud daughters Of baronets are
NOT stow 10 exact. But II does not give
them either power Or consideration.
Bsrony is very different thing. A Baron
10 aa augass taa8. HE Is hereditary peer
OF TN. rea,nI, whose DIood Is ENROLLED, ana whose
ignitIes can be lost only by attaiper taken awsy
BIZ act Of p rliaHen'- he cannot sit In the n,
OF Commons, but he ms ses' m he II, us" at
Eotts. which uescenas 10 bis etAesi son. he ha-
p,eet,irncr over all commone,s ard buioneIs ard
%higi,Is xi,d PRIV souDStlleTs who are net emo
bee He is, Ia virtue of hts dignity, sne Of tlrr
EiYi.7s councillor ana hereditary member OF the
highest ,utIca body in the country. His wife share
MS ,fies and honars with him, and their and
Daughters are DISTINGUISHED from he herd whom
ls,er asrents have eft behind BY courtesy titles OF
J. bosorai,e' added 10 r ctr nancs.