The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-05-02

| A lew weeks ago young EnBihsH
peer, of high rank, was caught cheat
ing in horse race, and was expelled
from the race-tracks controlled by the
Jockey Club. He had entered a horse
in race and in order, dishonesty, to
make money, had directed his Jockey
not to let his horse win. This disgrace
| full incident happening to man who,
by right OF birth, had the power to aid
/ in the making of English laws, has
called general attention to the defects
of the upper branch OF Parliament
the House of Lords.
! 1t is not, indeed, the only incident
which has taken place i'll recent years
involving a peer in personal disgrace.
At the present time peer is hiding
on the continent so as to be out of the
reach OF the law. Instances of peers
being made bankrupts have not been
rare in recent years, and cases of hope
less moral depravity, on the part of
noblemen, have again and again been
made public. In body comprising
between five and six hundred men,
however, most of whom have been
reared in, and are peculiarly subject to,
the temptations of great wealth and
luxury, it is perhaps not surprising
that some should go wrong; that there
should he extravaganza, dissoluteness
and dishonesty on the part of weak
peers.
But the House of Lords also contains
q large number of able, useful and up
right men. It's branch OF twenty-six
bishops presents many examples OF in
tellectual talent and pure personal
lives. The house, not long ago, was
found to contain twenty-one peers who
had served England as diplomats
abroad six who had governed large
colonies; two ex-speakers of the lower
house, two ex-lord chancellors, two
field-marshals, eight able judges, forty
generals, admirals and administers;
and twenty-four who were or had been
members of the cabinet.
In political eloquence, the hereditary
chamber need not fear comparison with
the popularity elected lower house.
The Duke of Argyle, the Marquis Of
Salisbury, the Earls of Rosebery,
Granville and Carnarvon are debaters
who are not excelled by more than two
or three of the greatest speakers in the
Commons. Many of the peers, more
over, have served in the Commons, and
have either succeeded to titles en-
towering them to sit in the Lords, or
have been created peers on account of
ability or party services. Manufactur-
ers, bankers, brewers and other bust
ness men have been raised to seats in
the upper house: though as yet science
and medicine are unrepresented In
it, and the only literary man who has
been made peer solely by reason OF
his literary achievements Is Lord Ten
nyson.
1t is clearly seen in England, how
ever, that the House of Lords is not
! thoroughly well-ftted to be powerful
and practical Legislative body in these
days. The idea of o man becoming a
legislator for life, merely by right of
birth, is seen to be absurd at time
when the masses of the people have
come to rule the empire. Even Lord
Salisbury, high Tory, and very ten
acious of the privileges of his order, is
in favor of making some changes in its
composition. ave belong too much to
one class he says, "and the result Is
that, with respect to large number of
questions, we are all too much of one
mind"
The reform of the House of Lords,
indeed, is one of the questions of the
near future in English politics, though
it is not one of the questions that will
probably soon he settled. Clearly as
the necessity of re orm is perceived,
there is an immense amount OF con-
servative inertia TO be overcome before
the movement can be successful
Among the suggestions that will be
considered are the creation OF more
life peers, III order that more general
ability may be secured, and all fields of
knowledge and action may be repre-
sented. Again it will be proposed that
the peers as a whole choose portion of
their members to perform the legis-
latlve duties of their house, as Scottish
and Irish peers now elect few of their
number to represent them in the House.
The House of Lords, if it should be re-
formed in either of these ways, would
he more in accordance with the spirit
o the age than the old, and far better
fitted to perform it's task in the system
of the English Government. YOUTHS
COMPANION