The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-02-05

little change in it's composition: but
with the abolition of the monasteries
in 1889 the nineteen abbots who had
sat in 1t lost their seats. In the
reigns of Edward vi, Mary and Eliz-
abeth the lords exercised more power
over legislation than did the COM
mons. But under Cromwell the COM
mons passed resolution that tho
house of peers in parliament is USE
less and dangerous and ought to he
abolished" With the restoration the
house of lords took it's former place
and the bishops of the. Anglican church
were given seats in it,
The number of peers has varied
widely, for the king has always had
power to create peers. At the end of
| the wars of the Roses there were only
tWenty-nine; on the death of Eliza
beth there were fifty-nine. At the be-
ginning Of the eighteenth century there
We're 17s. The act of union with Scot
land added sixteen representative
Scotch peers elected fresh for each
parliament. George III. created about
400 new peerages. In 1900 there were
added twenty-eight representative Irish
peers elected for life.
| The title earl is prehistoric. Earls
! in the Anglo Saxon days were really
governors of counties-their wives were
! and are today called countesses. The
barons came with the Normans. The
title duke was first borne by Edward
the Black Prince, in 1897, Richard H..
created the first marquis in 1888 and
Henry Nv. the first viscount in 1899.
! The house of lords consists of all
the peers of the United Kingdom, the
representative peers of Scotland and
Ireland, the royal princes and certain
bishops of the Anglican church. 1t
is the most elastic legislative cham
Der in the world, for the number of
| its members is unlimited. Inevitably
the best that is in England gravitates
to the house of lords. Any man may
become peer; it is far easier than
becoming president Of the United
States; man has but to distinguish
himself greatly in diplomacy, politics,
finance, literature, art, business, phil
anthropy, war or any other walk Of
life, and he will receive peerage
OF the 61s peers comparatively
small percentage takes any active part
in the ordinary proceedings. Fewer
than 200 are active in legislative work
Of these it is safe to say that almost
all would retain their seats if the
houses were made elective. and that
were the house abolished almost all
| could, if they desired, be elected men,
bers Of the house of commons.
Yet even the inactive members are
not unrepresentative. They live on
their estates, serve as mayors and al
dermen Of towns, as county council
lors, poor law guardians and local
magistrates and perform multifarious
duties of a public nature, for which
they receive no pay and that often
cost them. a lot Of money. They are
generally speaking good landlords, tho
leaders in agriculture, raising and
mercantile institutions munificent
contributors to local charities, enter
| prises and improvements-in other
! words, thoroughly representative of the
great mass of the British people And
if some of them have married chorus
girls and patronized prizetighters these
are the very few, and after all some
knowledge of the stage and prize ring
is not such a bad thing for member
of legislature.
But the active men in the house Of
lords almost without exception have
earned their position by experience
and great service to the nation-gov-
erning colonies, presiding in the courts,
working as cabinet ministers, repre-
senting their country in foreign cap
itals, winning the nations battles, adj
ministering it's finances. building it's
railroads, making its laws. M. dc
Vogue, the French historian already
quoted, says it is they and not the
commons who have built the British
empire. ..... 49,.
a few examples, LORD Lansdowne
has served his country as secretary
for foreign affairs, secretary of war,
governor general of Canada and vice
roy of India. Lord Salisbury has been
lord chancellor for fifteen years. Lord
Curzon won his spurs in the house of
comenons and governed India well.
He is now chancellor of the university
of Oxford: Lord Miners work in
Egypt and South Africa is famous.
Lord cromer is the, maker of modern
Egypt Lord Londonderry has been
d member of the London school board,
a member of several cabinets and lord