The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-12-09
Tho British Noase Of Lords.

The British Hoase Of Lords. @s-~.a
The House of Lords is composed of
the Lords spiritual and temporal. In
the reign Of Henry Ill. 1873 prelates and
only rs temporal Lords composed the
House. Atthe time of Henry VIII. the
spiritual and temporal Lords were
about equal in number. At the present
time the spiritual Lords are the Arch
bishops of Canterbury and York and "a
Bishops of the Church of England.
They aro Lords of Parliament only, and
not peers. The Lords. temporal are
Dukes, Marquises, Earls, Viscounts and
Bar0ns. whose titles are all hereditary.
The title of Duke was first conferred
on Edward, the Black Prince. whom
Edward III. created Duke of Cornwall.
Marquises were originally Lords of the
marches, or borders. and derived their
title from the offices held by them.
The first who was created Marquis
was Robert de We're, Earl of Oxford, in
1913. Earls were in existence before
the Conquest, under the title of Ealdor-
men. and to these Lords the admins
tration of the shires was committed.
After the Conquest they were called
Counts, and hence the shires were
called counties. Viscounts were first
created in the reign of Henry W., and
the title of Baron was in existence long
before the Norman Conquest. The
number of the House of Lords is not
limited. In the reign of Henry VII.
the temporal peers were only 20: at the
death of Elizabeth they were increased
to 60; the Stuarts raised the number to
$50, which William III. and Queen
Anne still further increased to
168. On the union of Scotland
in 1907, 16 peers of Scotland
were added; and on the union of Ire
land in 1900, % peers of Ireland. Since
that time numerous additions have
been made, 81 that at the present time,
in addition to rs Lords spiritual, there
are sitting in the H ouse of Lords peers
of the blood royal, 81 Dukes, 10 Mar
quises, 1l3 Earls, "a Viscounts, 25O Ba-
rons, IA Scottish representative peers
elected for each Parliament. and %
Irish elected for lise-making total in
the House of 500 Lords spiritual and
temporal. Though the titles of the
Lords are hereditary. the peerage is con-
stanty undergoing changes, resulting
from extinctions and additions. Of the
sixty peerages in existence at the death
of Elizabeth, forty are now extinct.
The blood of the people is constantly
finding its way into the channels of the
peerage, and new and fresh elements
are taking the plac, of those which
have died out and disappeared. Ora
pers, tailors, apothecaries, wool-dealers,
silk-workers, merchants, jewelers.,
goldsmiths, tradesmen, BARRIERS. coal
dealers, money-lenders and manufac-
turers were ancestors of many who now
boast of their noble blood. The most
striking instances are those of Lord
Tenterden, the grandson of a barber;
Lord Clifford, the son of grocer; Lord
Beaconsfield, the son of an author;
Lord Truro. the son of tradesman,
who married the cousin of the Queen;
Lord Eldon, tho son of a coal agent;
Lord Clyde, the son of cabinet-maker;
Lord Peterborough, the son of country
clergyman; Lord Ashburton. a mer-
chant; and Lord Lyndhurst, the son of
portrait painter, the American Copley.
In the House of Lords is the throne
occupied by the Queen at the opening
of Parliament, and in front of the throne
is the woolsack occupied by the Lord
Chance !lor-a sort of ottoman with q
sack of wool for seat, au emblem of
the source of England's National wealth.
The spiritual Lords and the Admins
trative party sit on the right, the oppo-
sition on the left. and the neutrals on
cross benches between the two. A
quorum of the Lords is three. and i'm
portant measures are often passed with
less than twenty members present.
Though the House of Lords has no pow
er to originate money bills, it has per-
feet right to initiate other measures-a
right so rarely exercised. however, that
it is now generally understood that the
province Of the Peers is chiefly to con-
troll and amend projects of legislation
which emanate from the Commons.
The most distinguishing feature of the
Lords is their judicature, which relates
to the trial of peers, claims of peerage
and offices of honor, and contested cleo.
tions of peers of Scotland and Ireland.
They constitute the Supreme Court OF
Judicature, the tribunal of appeal in
the last resort, and the court for trial
of cases of impeachment. Though ap-
parently branch of the Government
representing the aristocracy. SO far
from being an element from which dan
ger may arise to the liberties of the peO-
pie, the House of Lords serves only as q
wholesome regulator to the legislation
of the Commons T. Davis, in Har-
per's Magazine.