The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-04-26
BRITISH PEERS
SOME FACTS ABOUT THEM AND
THE POWERS THEY HAVE.
(Tit Bits.)

land.
The full assembly consists of three
Princess of the blood royal, two Arch
bishops. twenty-five Dukes, twenty
three Marquesses, 1874 Earls, forty Wis
counts. twenty-four Bishops, 1856 Bar
ons and sixteen Scottish and twenty
eight Irish representative peers, max
ing a grand total of 61S peers. OF the
61S S47 are Conservatives, l25 are
Unionists, ninety-one are Liberals, for
ty-fiye are independent or have no sta
ted politics and ten are minors.
The Bishop of Sodor and Man can
sit in the House of Lords, but he can
not speak, nor can he vote, although
he possess both privileges in the Manx
House of Keys.
In addition to these there are about
100 holders of titles OF nobility VINO
are not members of the House OF
Lords, their peerages being those OF
Scotland or Ireland only. There are
also fifteen ladies who are peeresses
in their own right, twelve of England
and the United Kingdom and three OF
Scotland.
Female succession may occur in the
imperial peerage in any barony OF Eng
land which was conferred by writ OF
summons but it is subject to the rule
of allowance whenever there are more
than one daughter, sister, ETC., eligible
tn succeed. The term imperial" in
cludes the three series of peers OF
England" (up to June 30, 17OO.
"Great Britain" (thence to close OF
180O). and the United Kingdom
(18O0 onward).
There are also few cases in which
special remainders" have been grant
ed to female relatives in the absence
of males.
An Irish peer who holds an imperial
title has also the special privilege OF
being able to seek election to the
House of Commons for any constltu'
ency not in Ireland itself
It was in the reign of Edward LII
that Parliament was formally separ'
ated into 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 argument
cd from time to time, and there is no
limitation OF the power of the Crown
to add to it by further creations. Inc
mower of the Crown to create lrlsn
peers is limited by the act OF the IN
ion, so that only one can be created
whenever three of the peerage OF Ire
land 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 pc
culiar to them apart from their per-
sonal privileges.
The chief powers vested solely IN
the Houses of Commons are those OF
imposing taxes and voting money for
the public service. Bills for these
purposes can only originate in thai
house. and the Lords may not make
any alteration, except for the correc'
/ ton of clerical errors.
In addition to the power of express
ing assent or dissent by a vote, peers
NAV record their opinion and the
grounds of it by a protest, which
is entered in the journal, together
with the names of all the peers who
concur in it.
When the Commons have passed
hill thev send it to the Lords. For
merly it was forwarded by one OF
their own members, who was usually
accompanied by not fewer than eight
other members.
The Lords sent down bills by two
| masters in chancery, unless they re-
late to the Crown or the royal family
in which case they are generally sent
by two judges. According to an ar
rangement made in 1856, one of the
clerks of either house may be the
bearer.
The British Constitution is not
founded on any single written instru-
ment, but it rests upon few funda'
mental principles developed from the
people themselves.
In theory, the Sovereign is invested
with supreme power and authority
and the hereditary House of Lords en-
Joys equal influence with the elected
House of Commons, and every change
must receive the independent sane
ton OF all these powers.
In practice the entire power OF the
Crown is vested In the ministry Tor
the time being, and It would De an
offense against the unwritten law OF
the Constitution for the Sovereign 10
refuae to assent to any bill tnat nau