Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-08-08

TUE PRESENT HOUSE OF COMMONS AN
HOW IT is DIVIDED.

4Ah @AAAo'uNlhtAN
TUE PRESENT HOUSE OF COMMONS AND
HOW IT is DIVIDED.
In the present British House of Com
mons, out of Coz members, 2l2, Or hearty
one-third, either bear hereditary titNes or
titles of courtesy growing out of the he
reditary rank of near relatives, or \are
more or less nearly in the succession TO
titles. OF these lG4 are returned by I'm
glish, "a by Scotch, and 24 Irish constitu-
encieS. The Scotch members descended
from peers or blronets are us two to five
of the whole representation. Among the
English members they are but one to three,
while among the Irish members they are
less than one TO four. OF the English
titled or likely be-ttled members, 100
are Conservative and 5j Liberals: of the
Scotch, 13 are Conservatives and II Liber-
ais; of the Irish, 10 are Conservatives and
8 Home Rulers. A glance at the Privy
Council might cause pain to Republican
Of severe type. That body, which, of
course, comprises all who have held the
highest offices in the country, consists ut
the present moment of 207 members OF
these, 8 are Princesses of the blood royal,
II are Dukes, Marquises, 80 Earls, 8
Viscounts 30 Barons, II younger sons of
other peers and 13 Baronets. Nine other
members are in the succession to titles.
Thus the proportion of noble" to COM
moner members is 1877 to 20, or rs nearly
us possible, two to one. Turning to the
Cabinet, we find the proportion there is
three to one, if we include Lords Bacons-
field and Cairns, and seven to five if we do
not. AT any rate, her Maiesty's conf
dental servants" includes one Duke, one
heir-presumptive toa Dukedom, one Mar
quls, three Earls, one Baron, and two Bar
ones. Mr.. Gladstone's Cabinet rs at first
constituted consisted of one Duke, one
heir apparent to II Dukedom, four Earls,
one Baron, and one heir-presump ptive to II
Barony, and seven other members, two of
whom were subsequently raised to the
peerage.
The three great Vceroyalties. Ireland,
India, and Canada, are held by peers.
The British Ambassadors, at Paris, Berlin,
ST. Petersburg, and Rome all enjoy prece-
dence by right of birth. With respect to
subordinate political offices at home, it
may be mentioned that only one Lord Of
the Treasury is entitled. The Junior Lords
Of the Admiralty consist of the eldest son
OF an earl, baronet, and two others who
bear names which belong to the peerage.
Of the five parliamentary Under Secreta-
rleS OF State, one is peer and two others
are peers sons, one is II baronet, and the
first in the succession to barsnctcy. Ol
the permanent Under Secretaries, one is Il
! peer and two are sons of peers. One o.
the most democratically constituted o.
English institutions is, perhaps, the Su
preme Court Of Judicaturo. OF its 81
members, but one is peers son, another
, is baronet, and two others are baronets
sons. OF the Bench of Bishops, two are
peers sons, and third is uncle to peer
The House of Lords at present number
500 members. Of these 240 are Barons
The titles of three only of the Barons
) date from the thirteenth century, of fou
, only from the fourteeth, of four only from
i the fifteenth, or six from the sixteenth, O
~ from the seventeenth of 46 from tn
4 eighteenth. The remaining 176 Baron
i enjoy titles created in the present century
d Ol the a NlsCountS who sit us such in TIL
I upper honse, one dates from the sixteent
t century, five date from the eighteenth, an
G the remaining Is from the present Ger
tury. Out OF ID Earls, two only dat
u from the fifteenth century, three from tn
p sixteenth, Is from the seventeenth,
Z from the eighteenth. The remaining
c enjoy titles created in the present century
b or the 10 Marquises, one dates from tn
o sixteenth century, seven from the eigh
eenth, the remaining IL, from the Mint
Il tecnth. OF the q Dukes, one dates fol
the fifteenth century, one from tie sil
/ tcenth, seven from the seventeenth, seve
e from the eighteenth five from the nine
1t teenth. Nor are the oldest titles mo
e heard of these days None of the liv
nobleman who enjoy respectfully II
" positions OF Premier Duke. Marquis, Ea
Viscount, and Baron, hold or have hel
1r offices of Importance in the State. III
W 20 blue ribbons, which have ut least COZ
siderable significance as badges of reco
Il nlzed influence and position, are held
'e ten Dukes, sitting us such in the House
Ell Lords; three Marquises, | EArls, and OF
It, Viscount. One oil the Dukes dates fro
al the sixteenth, three from the seventeent
IL two from the eighteenth, and four fro
the nineteenth century. Of the Knight
at the Garter who are Marquises, one bear,
as title dating from the eighteenth, the 9th
~ two titles dating from the nineteenth ce
1i- tury. OF the Earls who are the Knigl
II of The Garter, the titles of two date frC
~ the seventeenth century, of two from t
lis eighteenth, of six from the nneteeni
The solitary Viscount who enjoys that Il
u tinction from 1852
u" It, may be added that the older famil
's are by no means, politically speaking, t
ny most conservative. For the last hundr
hu years the most famous branch of t
'er tlowards has generally been found
80 ranged on the popular side. 1t "
i"U Charles, eleventh Duke of Norfolk, W
no was struck off the list of the Privy Coz
,,e.; ilIors, and deprived of his Lord Lieut.,
plt l nncy and bis regiment for giving the TO
1' Of The People, our Sovereign" I
'u9 Duke Of Somerset, second on the roll
1i'' Dukes, is leading member of the Lib
Ill Party. 1t was noticed that in the di
nus sion on the Irish Church bill of 1869
an the House of Lords, the majority VIII
on. carried the second reading was made
ouI of peers of the older tiles-taking
N"s average-than the minority, which '
ehV ready to reject it.