Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-02-15
ENGLANB's HOUSE OF LORDS.
Some Amusing Personal Sketches,

According to "Cockaigne," says the st.
Louis Spectator, there are twenty-one
dukes who sit as such in the House of
Lords (being English titles), and four or
five others, who are Scotch or Irish, an
who therefore sit by virtue of an English
title of inferior degree, viz, as mar
quises or earls. OF these twenty-six
dukes, then, how many of them take an
active part in the deliberations of the
House of Lords ? Two, Duke of
Argyll and the Duke of Richmond. OF
the others, the Duke of Northumberland
was in the last Cabinet as Lord Privy
Scala most important office-and has.
since Lord Beaoonsields government
collapsed, fallen back into as much OBJ
scurty rs the second richest duke in Eng
land could attain.
melancholy, dismal old man he is
overpowered seemingly with sense of
his own greatness, n greatness which
would be vastly enhanced in the estima-
tion of many did he come in direct line
from the historic "Hotspur, instead of
possessing the plebeian patronymic of
Smithson, which gracious sovereign kind
ly altered to Percy to suit the require
ments of the title. The Duke of Marl-
borough is another peer whose line is
crooked.
Though Churchill still, he does not
come down from the "Great Duke" As
to the present Dukes fitness to make the
laws of the land, it need only be said that
he is the Infamous ckguard, liar, WIFE
beatcr and prohigate scoundrel, the late
Marquis of Blandford. The Duke OF
Bedford is grasping miser, with about
as much heart or generosity as pawn
broker. He has lately distinguished him
self by ha9gling over the sale OF piece
of land to the Metropolitan Board of
Works, when he should have made
present OF il. He is enormously rich,
his ancestors having acquired, as kings
and queens favorites, most valuable
church property, taken by the Grown
upon the destruction Of the monasteries.
The Duke of Westminster, though the
richest duke in the lnn1, with daily in
come that would support many people for
a year, is another miser, whose mind
seems only occupied with the advance
ment of his own personal interests and
the qualification of the chronological quail
ity OF amativeness, which he must DOS
sess to great degree, to judge by his
hasty marriage to young cousin OF his
own before deccnt term OF widowerhood
had been passed after the loss of his wife.
who in her day was the most voluptuous-
looking woman and striking beauty in
high life. The Duke of Sutherland pass
es most Of his time in forming Joint stock
companies to buy land in Canada and the
States, and his duties TO his country as n
, legislator are perhaps about the last sub
ject to which he gives thought. The
: Duke of Manchester is another promoter
of foreign schemes He is what in Eng
land is called "poor duke, and 80 he
has to do something to make money. he
wouldn't be very great loss as n law
maker, His son and heir, Viscount Mande
, vile, Is wretched specimen of noble
man. He il drunkard Of the rnost con
firrned sort, and his country cannot hope
for much in him either. Like Lord Bland,
=, ford and some others he is taboosd II
? London society, and finds it more con
genial to stay in America as long as h,
can. The Duke of Leeds is positiv,
:, nonentity. He is another ''poor" duke
: So are the Dukes of Athole, Montros,
= and Buckingham. The Duke of Beau
y fort is n horsy dandy, who has been on,
y Of tho "mashers' of society for over thir
ty years. He cares moro for the smile o
Connie Gilchrist, the short-petticoate,
4 young bHlely uClTesb, WHOSE prOJeClOT IL
- has been since she was fourteen, than h
! does for the legislative councils of his ma
a tive land. The Duke Of Grafton is ne7
:. man. His son, who will succeed him IN
: who became the Earl of Euston upon hi
>, father succeeding TO the dukedom tn
I other day, has already distinguished him
self az an arrant blackguard aud is MAI
~. ried to and has family by IL notoriou
20 eOurtesan named Kate Cross,
Il The Duke OF Portland poses as
Nv Nv ''goody- goody" young man, and wins til
,a approving smiles OF mammas md pre-
perly brought up young ladies-the sol
. OF man, in fact, who would (were he M
II stupendously rich) be cordially deteste
by any girl of spirit who was fond of hn'
III ing lark. His great-uncle, whom /
20 succeeded two or three years ago, hn
p been $50 it was thought a leper for mar
ot years and was never seen by anybod
The Duke of Norfolk, though no polit
er clan, is steady, sensible young ma
and is thoroughly liked by everybod
st The Duke of Hamilton is, as everybO(
ng knows, a reforming" blackgunrd
ut much for the dukes, OF course, ha
left out the "royal' dukes. Nobody ev
counts them, poor fellows. Political
re. speaking they have 10 will Of their ow
we but must do what the Prime Minister bi
them. They take no part in the natioI
councils as members 0f the House
ns Lords, though all have seats IN it,
Now for The marquises There q