The sun., 1897-06-27
A Proposed Peerage for Creator
Britain.

1t will have been noticed that among the
titles and decorations showered upon the
loyal subjects Of Queen VIoToRIA at tho
recent Diamond Jubilee the colonists, and
especially the Canadians, came In for o
largo share. Even among the six now
peerages created, one fell to q Canadian.
1t is apparently taken for granted that tho
bestowal Of rank or of any honor, which
will enable ono to tack prefix or an affix
to his name, exerts an occult influence
upon tho intellect end can transform
o quondam champion Of colonial inter-
ests into an ardent imperialist and jealous
supporter Of the Grown. Such an instru.
ment Of seduction has, at least, the merit
of cheapness, and If it really possesses the
efficiency ascribed to It, the patriotic Eng.
lishman cannot but regret that it was not
used far earlier, and 10 not now employed
upon q much larger scale. This view of
the political possibilities that lurk in
the attachment of handle to ones name
is taken, we observe. by q correspond.
ent Of the Saturday Rsvte,O, who sub
mits to her Majestys gracious oonsid-
Grafton the advisability of throwing the
peerages of Great Britain and Ireland wide
open to the Greater Britain Of tho Colonies-
This would be, he sees, less costly mode
of firing the colonial heart than the imposi.
tion of duties on those food products from
foreign countries which compete with
colonial commodities. "I believe this" he
naIvely remarks, "to be an act of grace
which would tend to federate the empire in
bonds of amity far more than all the attempts
Evh oh af hain hv hA
'higgling' Of markets" In order that the
distribution of lordships should be suffi-
ciently lavish to produce deep impression
upon public sentiment, he proposes that the
peers of Canada, for instance, should occupy
position identical with that belonging to
the peers Of Scotland. That is to say, they
| would not all have seats in the House of
Lords, but would have the right of meeting
together and choosing members of their body
to orepresent them in each Parliament. These
elective peers Of the colonies would be in q
position, he says, "to bring all questions of
| imperial or colonial policy forward, and,
after having them discussed In the calm
atmosphere OF such an imperial Senate, to
send them down to the House of Commons.
The colonies" he admits, "can never have
seats In the House of Commons, for already
the numbers In that House are far too
great"
Those who imagine that such an expedi.
ent would have any practical effect on pub.
lie opinion and legislation In England's
transmarine possessions must bitterly de-
plore the fact that scarcely any recourse
was made to it In the case of the American
colonies which revolted In 1778. Nearly q
century and three-quarters elapsed between
the settlement at jamestown, In Virginia
and the Declaration of Independence. YET
during the whole Of that period not single
colonist was made peer, although in the
provinces of New York, Virginia, and South
| Carolina, there were many great and opuleni
landowners better deserving of u peerage
30 far as income was concerned, than were
some OF the contemporary Irish time
servers and English lawyers who obtained
one. There were among the colonists gal
liant military officers, eminent jurists, ant
exemplary administrators. yet not one O.
them was thought worthy Of being mad,
a lord. In the whole history of the American
colonies only four of the Crowns subjects
on this side of the Atlantic were allowed
the privilege of writing ssh" before thei
names. we re1er, OF course, TO Sir WILLIAA
PHIPPs and Sir WILLIAM PEPPERELL O
Massachusetts, to Sir WILLIAM JOHNSON
of New York, and to Sir WILLIAM FRANK
LIN, the illegitimate son of BENJAMIs
FRANKLIN, who was made royal Governo
of New Jersey. Who can say what nigh
not have been effected in the pivotal col
ony of Virginia during the years imme
diately preceding the Revolution by a ju
dicious distribution of titles, couple,
with peremptory order to Lord Dun
MORE, the royal Governor, not to tsmpe
with the slaves. Not only Virginia, Soutl
Carolina, and Maryland, but New York
and even Pennsylvania, were at the tim
essentially aristocratic communities, an,
it is possible that good deal might hav
been accomplished among them by givinI