Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-06-08
An ArisincraiIc GaYernmelf.
THE PRESENT HOUSE OF COMMONS AND How IT
Is DIVIDED

Is DIVIDED.
In the present British House of Commons,
out of G52 members, 2l2, or nearly one-third,
either bear hereditary titles or titles of cour-
tesy growing out OF the hereditary rank of
near relatives, or are more or less nearly III
the succession to titles. Of these lGi are re-
turned by English, "a by Scotch. and "a
Irish constituencies. The Scotch members
descended from peers or baronets are as two
to fac of the whole representation. Among
the English members they are but one to
three, while among Irish members they are
less than one to four OF the English titled
or likely ITO be titled members, lO9 are Con-
seryative and 80 Liberals: of the Scotch, Is
are Conservatives and IL Liberals; of the
Irish, 10 are Conservatives and Home
Rulers. A glance at the Privy Council might
cause pain to Republican of Il severe type.
That body, which. of course, comprises all
who have held the highest offices in the
country, consists at the present moment OF
POI members. OF these, . are Processes OF
the blood royal, IL are Dukes, Marquises,
32 Earls, 8 Viscounts, 80 Barons, II younger
sons Of other peers, and l3 Baronets. Nine
other members are in the succession to titles.
Thus the proportion of mobile" to COM
moner members is lo7 to 20, or ns nearly as
possible, two to one. Turning to the Cabl-
net, we find the proportion there lis three to
| one, if we include Lords Baconsfeld and
| Cairns, and seven to five if We do not. At
any rate, ''her Majesty'5 confidential ser
wants, includes one Duke, one helr-presump-
| tive to Dukedom, one Marquis, three Earls,
one Baron, and two Baronets. MIR. Glad
| stones Cabinet at first constituted con-
sisted OF one Duke, one heir apparent to a
Dukedom, four Earls. one Baron, and one
heir -presumptive to a Barony, and seven
other members, two of whom were subse-
| quently raised to the peerage.
| The three great Viceroyalties. Ireland, In
| dia, and Canada, are held by peers. The
British Ambassadors at Paris, Berlin. St.
Petersburg, and Rome all enjoy precedence
by right OF birth With respect to subordi-
nate political offices at home, 1t my be mem
| toned that only one Lord of the Treasury Is
| entitled; The Junior Lords of the Admiralty
| consist of the eldest son of an carl, II baro-
| net, and two others who bear names which
belong to the peerage. OF the five parlia-
| mentary Under Secretaries OF state, one Is u
| peer and two others are peers sons, one IL II
| baronet, and the first III the succession to n
baronetcy. Of the permanent Under Secre-
tares, one is a peer and two are sons OF
peers One Of the most democratically con-
stituted of English institutions il. perhaps,
the Supreme Court OF Judicature. OF its 80
members but one is peers son, another Is
a baronet, and two others are baronets sons,
Of the Bench OF Bishops, who are peers
sons, and n third IL uncle to peer.
The House of Lords at present numbers
| 600 members OF these 2i9 are Barons The
titles OF three only of the Burons, date from
the thirteenth century, of four only from the
fourteenth, of four only from the fifteenth,
or six from the sixteenth, of 10 from the
seventeenth of IG from the eighteenth. The
t,tl Il
the present century. Of the A Niscounts
who sit IA such III the upper house. one dates
from the sixteenth century. hive date from
the eighteenth, and the remaining Is from
the present century. Out OF ia Earls, two
only date from the fifteenth century, three
from tho sixteenth, Is from the seventeenth,
30 from the eighteenth. The remaining Cl
enjoy titles created Ill the present century.
OF the - Murquises, one dates from the slx-
teenth century, seven from the eighteenth.
tho remaining IL. from the nineteenth. Oh
tho q Dukes, one dates from the fifteenth
century, one from the sixteenth, seven from
the seyenteeth, seven from the eighteenth,
five from the nineteenth. Nor are the oldest
titles most heard of these days. None Of the
five noblemeu who ENJOY respectively the
positions of Premier Duke. Marquis. Ear
Viscount, and Baron. hold or have held Offices
| OF importance in the state. The % blue
ribbons, which have at least II consdernbl,
significance Hs badges of recognized influence
and position, are held by ten Dukes. sitting
as such IN the House OF Lords; three Mar
quises, II Earls, and one NIscount One o
the Dukes dates from the sixteenth, thre,
| from the seyentecth, two from the elghtteth
and four from the nineteenth century. ~
the Knight of the Garter who are Marpulses
ono bears title dating from the eighteenth
the other two titles dating from the ninc
! teenth century. Of the Enrs who Hr'
knights of the Garter, the titles oi two dat'
from tho seventeenth century, of two from
the eighteenth, of six from the nineteenth
The solitary Viscount who enjoys that dis
tinctiun from 1852.
Ii may be added that the older families ar,
by no means, politically speaking, the mos
conservative. For the last hundred year
the most famous branch of the ilownrds has
generally been found arranged on the popu