Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-19

distinguished members OF the supreme
court OF Jueicature on their retirement. A
few judges whose genius and service stand
out above those of their fellows are given
the real thing in peerages-a title that de-
sends to their sons.
The house of lords is a favorite subject Of
ridicule, both in England and abroad.
distinguished statesman. on inheriting n
title and being compelled to transfer his
political activities from the house of COM
mons to the upper chamber. went round
among his acQuaintances and asked TO be
condoled with
Speaking TO the house of lords" he said.
rs like talking to an assembly of corpses
by candle light"
The present Duke of Devonshire who as
Lord Harrington. a younger son." was ono
OF the most energetic and brilliant members
OF the house of commons, now regularly
goes to sleep whenever he attends a session
of the house OF lords. The English carica-
turtsts always draw him wrapped in slum-
Der. and they do not exaggerate. He il
not the only man who sleeps in that august
assembly. The writer once counted no
fewer than fourteen noble lords who were
doing off in house which at that mo-
ment contained only fifty-three members.
Have Nothing to Do.
The sleepy atmosphere of the chamber,
however, is no proper criterion OF the men
tai caliber of the men who compose II. As
a matter of fact, they are mostly above the
level Of the members of the house OF coB-
mons in intellect and knowledge; but there
is practically nothing for them to do, en-
cept transact routine business
1t is very seldom that the house of lords
has really serious subject TO debate, and
the conservatives in such an over
whelming majority that even when a great
topic does come up the debate is one-sided
and therefore uninteresting. Consequently
there is the strange spectacle of a batch OF
the ablest men Great Britain can produce
men who have been picked out for the
highest rewards the king can bestow be-
cause of their transcendent achievements
assembled together to do practically moth
ing. They are men above tie average OF
most parliamentary assemblies in intellect
and character, but no work is given them
to do that is of any Importance. and con-
sequently they have become the laughing
stock of two continents.
TO show the character of the House II ID
only necessary to analyze its composition.
Two archbishops and twenty-four bishops
are members. not counting the Bishop OF
Sodor and Man, who has a seat In the
House. but not vote There is strong
feeling among other denominations in Great
Britain that this representation of tho
Anglican Church. along among religious
communities, is very unfair and should he
abolished. However that may be IL is none
the less true that these twenty-seven men
have earned their seats in the house Of
peers, and not inherited them Their rise
in the church was in all cases due TO their
own ability. and they are, without excep-
ton, nen who stand far above the average
In character and intellect
Scoth and Irish.
The representative peers OF Scotland and
Ireland must also be regarded men who
have obtained their seats In the House by
merit and not by birth. OF course. they
obtain them by birth in way. because IL
they were not peers they would not b
eligible for election. The Scottish peers
elect sixteen of their number to sit In the
house Of lords. and the Irish peers elect
twenty-eight. These representatives are al
most invariably the best and ablest men OF
their order. Going through the list, IL 10
impossible to find q single name among the
forty-four which is not that OF a man who
is distinguished in some way unconnected
with the fortune of his birth.
Then there are the half dozen life peers.
who, of course, have been appointed on
their own merits. These are the law
lords" and they are all men whose reputa~
ton is not merely national, but intsrn2-
tional, among jurists.
So far we have counted sevenfy-seven
members of the house who owe their posi-
lions to themselves and not to their fathers,
To these should be added one hundred anc
eleven members to whom peerages, with
descent to their sons, have been awardea
for distinguished services as statesmen. sob
diers scientists, philanthropists adrn3n-
lstrators of colonies, diplomatists, meronahs
princes and public workers generaliS.