The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-03-15
THE ENGLISH NOBILITY.

as the younger children, brothers and
sisters of the peers renamed common
ers, an abrupt contrast between the
different classes was made impossible.
The aristocracy at all times was an
"Open" one, into which commoners
were frequently admitted.
The English noble families almost
exclusively received their titles in COM
paratively modern times. Queen
Victoria made no less than three hun
dred and fifty peers during her long
reign. Nearly the entire nobility had
been extinguished in the wars of the
White and Red Rose. Many farmers
and land owners without titles can
boast of far older pedigrees than any
of the peers; a number of the former
can trace their lineage even beyond the
time of William the Conqueror.
There are English, Scotch and Irish
peers. All English peers are members
OF the Upper House. Very naturally,
as the Upper House consisted in the
entirety of the English lords, ever
since the Lower House separated from
it in the fourteenth century. But when
in 17O7 the consolidation with Scotland,
and in 1900 that with Ireland was con-
summated, only part of the Scotch
and Irish lords were called to the Up
per House. After the unification with
Scotland, the members of the Upper
House, so far known as "Peers of
England" were called "Peers of Great
Britain" and, when Ireland had been
added, "Peers of the Empire" Shortly
Imperial Peers), to distinguish them
from those Scotch and Irish peers who
had no seat in the Upper House. The
summons to the Upper House was ac-
complished by adding an English to
the Scotch or Irish title; thereby estab-
fishing the right to the privilege. In
some cases the English title is the
same as the Scotch or Irish; sometimes
it is new one; and sometimes it is an
equal. higher or lower title. The Duke
of Argyll (Scotland) is also Duke of
Argyll in the Upper House. The Duke
of Abercorne Qreland) is in the Upper
House only the Marquis of Abercorne.
The Earl of Armagh (Ireland) is in
England Duke Of Cumberland and
TeviOtdale. The Earl of Waterford
(Ireland) is in England Earl of Shrews-
bury and Talbot. The Earl of Fife
Qreland) is Duke of Fife in England,
etc. These lords are generally known
by their higher title; no matter wheth-
er it is an English, Scotch or Irish title;
but they hold their seat in the Upper
House solely by virtue of their Eng
lish title. In newspaper reports about
parliamentary proceedings they are
called by their best known title; but in
official records their English title is
given, which occasionally causes misun-
derstapdings.
Those Scotch and Irish peers who
have no English title, have no seats in
the Upper House; but they possess the
privilege to elect representatives peers.
Sixteen Scotch peers are elected, for one
session only; and twenty-five Irish
peers for life. The Imperial and
Scotch peers are excluded from passive
vote right in the Lower House; not so
those Irish peers who have no seat in
the Upper House. Lord Palmerston, an
Irish peer, was, as prime minister, for
many years the leader of the Lower
House. And when Lord .Curzon wss
appointed viceroy of India in 1898 he
received an Irish title Nord Curzon of
Kedlestone) so that later on he would
be enabled to continue his parliament
tary career in the Lower House.
New Scotch titles of nobility cannot
be created. But according to the union
decree of 1900 the king may grant one
new title for every three Irish ones
which have become extinguished; but
this privilege has rarely been exercised.
The peers are distinguished accord
ing to rank: dukes, marquis, earls, Wis
counts and barons. The first duke
(from the Latin 'dux") was the Black
Prince, the chivalrous son of Edward
III. The Norman kings, probably be-
cause they themselves were Dukes of
Normandy, did not confer this title on
their subjects. The oldest of the now
existing ducal titles is that Of the