The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-02-26
AN AMERICAN, YET A PEER.
FairTax's Unique Appearance-Has a Seat
In the House OF Lords.

Fair'ax's Unique Appearance-Has a Seat
In the House OF Lords.
At the Emmet-Chanler wedding on
u recent Tuesday one of the guests was Il
gentleman who occupies Il unique ras-
ton in this country. Lord Fairfax i an
American citizen, and yet he possesses
Il seat in the English house of lords; is
regularly summoned to the opening Of
parliament, and receives notices of i'm
portant debates just like any other
peer. 1t is the only case in existence
of Il citizen of one country possessing 4
right to help make the laws for another
nation.
This state of things was brought
about in curious way. Lord Fairfax,
who receives the name from his friends
by courtesy, although as an American
citizen he has no right to hold title
from another nation, is descended
from the original settlers of the Fair
fax estate in Virginia, the third Baron
Fairfax, who emigrated to this
country early in the seventeenth cen
fury. When the American revolution
broke out the then Lord Fairfax, the
grandfather of the present peer, lived
sometimes in England and sometimes
in America, often using his right to sit
in the house of lords. Throughout the
struggle for independence he sympa-
thizcd with the revolutionists, but for
bore any active part in the rebellion, be-
coming, however, when the United
States obtained it's enfranchisement, an
American citizen.
But an English peer can lose his It'll,
only for an act of treason. Lord Fair
fax had not committed any such act,
and consequently could not be de-
pIived of his right to the barony. Once
peer always peer. An English COM
moner foreswearing allegiance to the
crown cannot vote or legislate in Great
Britain before he has become renatural-
lied, but it is one of the ancient priv
ileges of the peers, dating from the time
of Magma Charta, that they and their
descendants must retain their titles and
rights in rerpetuty except in the case
of reasonable conspiracy or active war
against the crown.
Some centuries later this law was mod
flied in the case of persons becoming
Roman Catholics. Conversion TO Rome.
as in the case of the earl of Leicester,
about eight years ago, lost them their
titles. But even this law was repealed
on the passing of the Catholic emancipa-
ton act, and at present only treason
can deprive peer of his title. This is
how it happens that an American citi
zen holds British peerage.
The Chanler wedding was one of the
most remarkable society events of re-
cent years. Only the oldest families of
New York were invited. Even the wealth.
lest members of the society of to-day
were denied invitations. The old Astor
manor house at Barrytown-on-the-Hud
son WAS the scene of a reunion of the
has not been known for many years.
Only one guest of all the 200 invited
was not descended from the earliest
and most distinguished settlers of
America. This one exception was Mr..
st. Gaudens, the sculptor, whose IA
Their was Fourth avenue tradesman.
He was the only one there to represent
the arstocracy of talent. All the rest
of the guests comprised the Stuyves-
ants, the Van Rens5elaers and other old
families, whose claims to lead society
have been overlooked in recent years
in favor of the Nanderbilts and other
members of the arstocracy of wealth.
N. Y. Press.
There are 635,013,5 59,60O different
whist, hands in q mack of cards.