The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-06-07
PEERS PATENTS
ARE: EXPENSIVE
UNAVOIDABLE INITIAL EXPENSES
3 :: - AGtREGATE SUM CLOSE ,
T.; no $500. g p ~ -
PITTS RECOMMENDATIONS
WOULD RAISE TO PEERAGE RICH
MEN WITH AMBITION.
wellin<ton'. artntette OF Fee.s-So"
bility's- Costly Robes-Coronets
a Big Item.

From the Detroit Free Press:
The principle upon which William
Pitt acted in recommending to King
George ILL., recruits for the house of
lords was that patent OF nobility
ought to be issued to, any man with
an income of $4,000 year who wished
to be made peer.
It would be impossible to support a
peerage on, an income much less than
that. Indeed, many a peer Of recent
creation, as we'll as Of ancient date,
is able to maintain his: dignity with
great success on $4,000 year, or even
less. But the unavoidable initial ex-
penses which a. peer is, called upon
to defray total up at the very least
close on $500.
First of all there are big fees to be
paid. There are five grades of nobility
baron, viscount, earl, marquis and
duke. The fee of a baron Is ESQ, of
a viscount e20o.. of an earl ESQ, of
marquis $500 and Of duke-the
highest rank in the peerage-e350.
Part of these fees, goes to the national
treasury and part to support the col
lege Of arms in Queen Victoria street,
by which all questions of arms and
heraldry are decided.
It is a singular fact that when Wei
lington took his seat in the house of
lords for the first time, on Jnne 70,
1914, he was baron, a. vlscount, an
earl, a marquis and duke, all rolled
into one. These dignities had been
conferred upon him from time to time
in their order by distinct grants for
his services during the long war with
overthrow Of Napoleon, the last and
highest patent Of nobility was be-
slowed that he was able to take his
seat in the house of lords: The COM
bined fees which wellington had to
pay for the Ave patents of nobility
amounted to s1,250.
A peer must wear the robes Of his
rank in the peerage on his introduction
to the house of lords. These robes are
made of scarlet cloth slashed with
ermine, the wearer's rank In the peer
are being denoted by the number Of
those bars of white fur which traverse
the robe back and front. A duke dis
plays four bands Of ermine, a marquis
three and a half, an earl three, a Wis
count two and a baron one. Each
robe costs between G40 and ESQ.
Then there is the coronet. The &C.
casions are rare upon which the peers
are called upon to wear their crowns.
They will, however, be displayed BY
the mobiles assem- bled attic coronati
of the king in Westminster Abbey.
The coronet Of each rank Of the peer
age consists of cap of crimson vel
vet. turned up with ermfne and sur
mounted by a golden tassel: 1t is in
the design. Of the coronet's outer circle
of gold and silver that the various
orders of nobility are distinguished. A
baron's coronet has plain circle Of
gold surmounted by six silver balls.
The circle Of gold in viscount's coro-
net is jeweled, and there are IL silver
balls. From the teweled circle of gold
in an ears coronet rise eight points,
also OF gold, upon each Of which there
is silver ball, and between each
point, close to the circle, is gold
strawberry leaf. The coronet of a
marquis has a row Of silver balls,
placed not on points but on the circle
Of gold, and, between each is g gold
strawberry leaf; and dukes coronet
has a wreath of gold, strawberry leaves
over the jeweled circle Of gold. The
goldsmith's charge for making coro-
net ranges from $50 gufneas.
Among other expenses Of peer are
fee of e1o to the college Of arms
for grant Of arms, tax Of two
guineas year for displaying these
armorial bearings ON his carriage and
q further tax of one guinea a year for
engraving them on his private note
paper.