The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-11
HOUSE OF LORDS.
Some Interesting Facts About the Up
per House of Parliament.

From Ttd-Bits
The House of Lords consists Of the spir-
itual lords of England, the temporal peers
of England, Great Britain. and the United
Kingdom, and of representative peers Of
Scotland and Ireland.
The full assembly consists of three
princes of the blood royal. two arch
bishops, twenty-five dukes. twenty-three
marquesses, 121 earls. forty viscounts
twenty-four bishops. 336 barons, and six
teen Scottish and twenty-eight Irish rep
resentative peers, making a grand total
of 6lS peers. OF the 6lS 3i7 are Conserva-
tives, l25 are Unionists. ninety-one are
Liberals, forty-five are Independent or
have no stated politics, and ten are
minors
The bishop of sodor and Man can sit
in the House of Lords, but he cannot
speak nor can he vote, although he pos
sesses both privileges in the Manx House
of Keys
In addition 10 these there are about 1870
holders of titles of nobility who are not
members Of the Honse of Lords, their
peerages being those of Scotland or Ire
land only. There are also fifteen ladies
who are peeresses In their own right,
twelve of English and the United King
dom and three of Scotland.
Female succession may occur i'm the I'M
peral peerage i'm any barony of England
which was conferred by writ of summons
but 1t is subject to the rule of abeyence
whenever there are more than one daugh-
ter, sister, etc, eligible to succeed. The
term Imperial includes the three series
of peers of England Cup to June so,
1700, Great Britain" dhence to close of
1900. and the Omitted Kingdom" $500 on
ward.
There are also a few cases in which
Especial remainders" have been granted
to female relatives in the absence of MALE
An Irish peer who holds an imperial
title has also the special privilegeof being
able to seek election to the House Of
Commons for any constituency not in Ire
land itself.
1t was in the reign of Edward III that
Parliament was formerly separated into
the two Houses of Lords and Commons
and that the deliberations were conducted
in separate chambers.
The original numbers in the House Of
Lords have been greatly augmented from
time to time, and there is no limitation
of the power of the crown TO add to it
by further creations. The power of the
crown to create irish peers Is limited by
the act of the union, so that only one
can be created whenever three of the
peerages of Ireland have become extinct
The judicial functions of the Lords and
their power to pass bills affecting the
peerage which the Commons may not
amend are the only properties peculiar to
them apart from their personal privileges
The chief powers vested solely in the
House of Commons are those Of imposing
taxes and voting money for the public
service. Bills for those purposes can only
originate In that house, and the Lords
may not make any alteration, except for
the correction of clerical errors.
In addition to the power of expressing
assent or dissent by a vote, the peers may
record their opinion and the grounds of it
by protest" which is entered in the
Journals, together with TIE names Of all
The peers who concur in 1t.
When the Commons have passed a bill
they send 1t to the Lords. Formerly It
was forwarded by one Of their own mem
beers. who was usually accompanied by
not fewer than eight other members.
The Lords sent down bills by two mas
tiers in chancery unless they related to the
crown or the royal family, in which case
they are generally sent by two Judges.
According to an arrangement made in
1856, one of the clerks Of either house
may be the bearer.
The British constitution Is not founded
on any single written instrument, nut ir
rests upon few Fundamental principles
which are Interchangeable since they have
developed from the people themselves.
In theory the sovereign is vested with