The sun., 1885-11-01

tccpyr,sht, isss, By Adam Bsdssal
II auk and Tile.

lss.
Rauk and Tile.
The population OF England is divided into
peers and commoners. There are five hundred
and eighty-nine OF one class and thirty-flve
millions OF tho other. Tho nobility. however.
was at one time oven more restricted In num-
bers. At the close OF the wars OF the Roses
there were twenty nine peers left in England.
and at the death OF Elizabeth. in 1903. there
we're still only ilfty-nine. In tho present year
81 our Lord about six hundred mon. with their
Immediate families. constitute the aristocracy
OF England.
The orders Of nobility are lve: Dukes, mar
luises. earls viscounts. and barons. In every
Instance tho eldest son succeeds bv right OF
birth to the rank and titles OF his father; but
all the children Of a peer are titled and their
precedence Is strictly defined. Nevertheless
thcy are commoners In the eye OF tho law their
itlos are By courtesy only and In official docu-
ments tho eldest son OF the Duke OF Argyll Is
described as John Campbeli. commonly
called tho Marquis OF Lorne." once heard q
sery eminent man. himself . member Of the
aristocracy. deride the notion that the son Of
An English earl was noble. That's what they
call noblemsn" said this son and brother
and uncle OF earls.
The wives OF peers are all pesresses. and arc
styled duchessea. marchionesses. countesses.
viscountesses. and baronesses. There are also
several peeresses In their own right. for in
certain families. in default OF sons. the dignity
descends to daughters. Should there be moro
than one daughter. they are co-heirs and the
title remains in allegiance until only ono sur
wives. She then becomes peeress In her own
right and transmits tho succession to her
oldest son. I knew such o lady. married to a
commoner. and he took her family namo. 80
that their son. who would succeed. might In
herit the greater name; for no peeress can
by marriage confer any rank on an ignoble
husband. He remains q commoner. and upon
tho death OF his wife will be commoner still.
though his son becomes a peer. He is not
even dowager. The dignity of Lord Great
Chamberlain is hereditary In one OF these
families. and sometimes descends to females.
It was recently In allegiance between two old
ladies who together constituted the Lord Great
Chamberlain Of England. They were. how
ever. allowed to depute ono individual to act
for both. on certain state occasions whom this
important functionary attends the Queen.
Scotch and Irish peers. as such. have no ad-
mission to the House Of Lords. but there are
twenty-eight representative Irish peers. elect
cd by their follows for life. who sit in that as
sembly. and sixteen Scotch lords. elected for
single Parliament. Very many OF the nobility
OF Scotland and ireland. however. are also
peers OF the United Kingdom. and therefore
members. In their own right. OF the House OF
Lords. Altogether there are about one hun
5red and forty peers without seats in the Up
per Chamber. In all other respects their rights
and privileges are tho same as those OF other
peers of the same degree. Yet their dignity is
less regarded. prominent commoner once
sought permission OF ono Of tho Georges to
ride In o precinct of St. James's Park reserved
for the royal family and the court. No. in
deed" said the King; I will mako him an
Irish peer. but won't let him ride in st.
Jamess Park"
Two archbshops and twenty three bishops
have seats In the House Of Lords. but their
titles are not hereditary. and their wives have
mother rank nor precedence. Tho Archbishop
OF Canterbury goes before dukes. and next
after the royal family. but his wife Is plain Mrs.
Smith or Jones. and follows every woman who
has rank Of her own In the kingdom. The
spiritual lords can hardly be said to belong to
tho aristocracy. though you would never sus-
pect 1t from their bearing. They sit in its
chambers and are reckoned in Its degrees. but
their blood is not ennobled.
OF the present peerage only about two hun
dred families have been noble for moro than q
century. At the accession Of George ILL.,. in
1760. the House OF Lords numbered IT'S men,
bers: all the others have been created since.
most OF them for services to their party or the
Prime Minister Of the day. Pitt created fifty
peers In five years. and during the seventeen
years OF his administration he thus rewarded
$50 OF his followers. That it is the Minister
who really confers tho dignity Is shown by the
nabIt OF the English writer's. who no longer
speak OF the Queen as creating peer. but
always attribute tho act to the Premier. For
nerly. OF course. this was the sovereign's
faculty. but the powcr Of the Crown. in this ns
In other matters. has passed to its nominal
servants. During the twelve years that spent
in England Lord Beaconsfleld and Mr. Gladstone
together made sixty-one English pgbiemen.
OF these. twenty-seven wore promoted from n
lower grade; the others had been commoners.
and were thus absolute additions to the peer
age. Liberal marquis was made duke
solely because Of his immense wealth. and the
appointment was universally applauded. while
. Conservative commoner found himself sud-
denly noble in all his veins because he had
been Bsaoonsfled's private secretary.
In some few instances great military or naval
achievements have been rewarded with peer
ago. Marlborough. Wellington. and Nelson are
the famous names that will OCCUR to ALL and
Stratbnairn. Napier. and others In our own day
uHVo hSO lhlTIy ehTHeu tu0lE rank Dy SuCc6SR IN
arms: but those can be counted on tho fingers.
The real passport to the upper House is the
favor Of the Primo Minister. or course this
may be won by public services; a great diplo-
matist or a successful Governor General is
sometimes ennobled. or raised step In tho
pesrage. but rarely unless he Is OF the party In
power. There are besides what arc called :" law
lords. lawyers who have risen from the middle.
or oven the lower. class by their ability or learn
ing. and finally reached a seat In the House OF
Lords; but those must espouse n party and
have little chance OF promotion while their an
tagonists are In possession OF tho Government. t.
The bishops. too. and even the archbishops.
are appointed by the Prime Minister from his
own party In politics. The Father In God must
b Tory to be consecrated In Tory times. and
. Liberal can succeed tho Apostles only when
the Liberals hold the reins. Nine-tenths Of all
the creations OF peers in the last hundred years
have been as purely for partisan reasons AS the
nominations OF any President OF the United
States to which the advocates OF civil service
Eeform" have been most violently opposed.
And these English appo intmsnts are not for
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