The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-05

Commons IL might prove at times moon
vuniently self -essertive, and almost certainly
would be disposed TO exercise moro fro
quently the veto power.
To what extent has the English system
OF government become democratic in sub
stance as we'll es In form7 In other words
what Is the composition OF the House OF
Commons and of its executive ommittce.
a Cabinet from the social point Of viewf
Mr.. Low comedies that tho democratio
element cannot be said to have yet made
its presence conspiouously felt in the repre-
sentative chamber. 1t is pointed out that
the Parliament of 1900, though perhaps
little less wealthy and little less arts-
tocratio than its predecessors, is. in the
main. an assembly Of persons who ha We
either made or have Inherited fortunes.
or who are connected with the landed
and territorial classes. IL the assembly
be taken as a whole. Its composition is
pretty much what II was In 1895. when it
was computed that a quarter OF the mem
bers OF the House Of Commons were con-
nected with the thirty-one great govern
ing families Of England and that the
House contained ~; members OF noble
families, and 81 others Of aristocrRto birth
or deeoent. Mr. Low selects at random
from Lat Of the present Parliament two
dozen names Of Fnglish and Scottish MEM
bers for the purpose OF indicating the
status and profession and in some CASES
the plaoe Of education. since this il often
guide to the social position Of Englishmen
off, ha nd ola Nv
gentlemen. brewers oolliery proprietors.
bankers. u p and ID. L. (Justice
OF the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant) are
descriptions which continually meet the
eye. descriptions very slightly oheokered
by an occasional Journalist, miners
agent" or trade union SECRETARY About
quarter Of the two dozen members had
been to school either at Eton or at Harrow.
The proetariat has not yet taken TO send
ing its boys 10 theee semnaries. and IL
may be said that most OF the youths edu-
Gated there are the SONS Of very well-to-do
parents. while many Of them belong to the
clsse which IN any other country than
En gland would be called aristocratic
II. now, We ascend from tho Commons
10 the Cabinet. wa find the popular element
even less in evidence In the body that
really rules the Empire the numerically
preponderant demouutio section Of the
English population il but seldom, and then
slightly, represented This ia true not OF
Conservative Cabinets alone. the anti
democratic tendency is but little less pro-
nounced in Liberal Ministries The fact
IL recalled that Of the Prime Ministers
81 the nineteenth century the greater mum
Der were Peers or closely connected by
birth with the peerage. like Grenylle. Port
land Liverpool Grey. Melbourne. John Rus
sell Aberdeen Pdlmerston. Derby and Sails
bury: two. Peel and Gladstone belonged
to wealthy mercantile families Addington
was thu son Of a physician. Canning father
an obscure barrister and his mother
an actress while DisrJeli'- father was
Jewish literary man OF foreign descent.
with name which most Engishmen were
unable 10 pr1rounce CORRECTLY Few suc-
cessful outsidar4 had madr their wav
bv luck or their own ceVernesa into the
select circle Addington whose father
had been medical attendant 70 the great
Earl 81 Chatham. was put into Parliament
for close borough when he was six and
twenty Canning after attracting atten-
ton 20 himself by bis brilliant career at
Eton and Christ Church, was no more than
q when Burke and Pitt introduced him
into politics as Member FOR Newport There
have been. Of course Cabinet Ministers.
like MIR Bright Mr. Chamberlain and Mr.
Morley whose distinction has been achieved
outside the political coterie. and perhaps
outside party politics altogether. who have
been commanding figures in the country
and well known to the public before they
Ir,,tr4 oil 70 ha
Such cases may become more frequent in
the future; but it must be acknowledged
that the number Of men who have scaled
the walls Of the political citade by the
truly democratic method Of imprcSsing
their personality upon the masses OF their
fellow citizens has so far been small Nor
OF these are there more than two or three
who have attained positions Of the highest
cminence and authority and who could
have been thought Of "a possible canci-
dates for the first place Of all
II one asks. then. how. as a matter OF
practice the British Ministry is at present
constituted. the answer il that about a
third of it is made up OF the Premier's DO
htical associates and supporters among
the peerage. The rest are drawn from
the House Of Commons: and since. as rule.
one fairly educated and suitable English
man is IA well able to perform the duties
OF public department IA another especially
when assisted by a sedulous. permanent
civil service, no great harm is done, aud
public feeling IL not outraged by the fact
that social Influences largely determine
the choice. No doubt conspicuous party
leader who should have strikingly impressed
himself upon the House and the nation
might have to be admitted, whether he be-
longed TO the right set or not. Such man
was John Bright But such man IL rare.
1Ln Erlliah nllLlin a. n...nc.nll.. -.