New-York tribune., 1911-02-23
PEER OR COMMONER?
why Sir Thomas Carmichael Is
Barred from Both Houses.

. -,.h, 1911. by the Brentwood Company
w. rhoras Gibson Carmichael, who has
-, heen appointed Governor Of Madras
! roprlation as great as that or the
80 Kingdom and ireland. was a par
,., friend and favorItC of William
-, Gladstone whom he succeeded as
t',.ro, Member Of Parliament for Mid
,a,hian His patronymic is not really Car
..,.bael but Gibson. and his family may
ss,d 10 have been founded ny Sir Alex
.,der Gibson. one Of the most eminent
.,s.s or tho reign Of King James J. who
tos,oved upon him not only baronetcy
,ut also barony. along with the title OF
ard Durie of Anticosu snd grant OF
.o,,e eighteen square miles in Anticosti.
.r,icosti. as everybody knows, is an island
4, tho Gulf Of ST. Lawrence, nov owned by
1I,,ri Menier the French chocolate manu-
,ac,urer. who uses Il as a game and fish
srreseTve
: The baronetcy. the barony and the land
GRO inherited by Alexander Gibson's SON.
Who was. however. deprived Of his titles
and honors in 1Sa and they do not seem
N have been revived by his heirs. nor has
snv trace been found Of the patents and OF
the warrants among the records OF the
crown Of Scotland. although ;he new Gov
error of Madras has in his possession
authenticated copies OF these documents
made about the time of their issue.
Another haronetcy was conferred upon
,ba head Of this Gibson family in iT02
and according TO some. sir Thomas car
michael IS the fourteenth baronet Of his
line. while according 10 others he is only
the ninth SIR Robert Gibson. the NTH
taronet. died in America toward the end
% the eighteenth century. and it was his
brother and successor who, with the per-
mission Of the crown, and il accordance
With the entail Of the Skirling estates. for
rerly belonging to the Earls OF Hyndford'
through the marriage Of John Gibson with
Lady Helen Carmichael. sister OF the
fourth Earl Of Hyndford. assumed the
name of Carmichael in addition to that OF
Gibson.
sir Thomas may therefore be regarded
rs the principal representative Of the
former Earls of Hyndford and claimant
N their honors. which include the Nis-
corntv Of Inglisberry and the Barony OF
Carmichael They have been dormant
since the death. without issue. OF Andrew
Carmichael sixth Earl Of Hyndford. in
-1ST. Readers Of Robert l.. Stevenson's
roycIs nav he interested 10 know that the
Farbara Grant who figures in his Ca
,riona and who was one Of the few actual
r.rsonares appearing in his romances, be-
came in real life the Countess Of Hynd
,ord and il was owing 10 her dying With
ont issue that the Earldom OF Hyndford
and the minor honors connected herewith
feu into abeyance. Most Of the estates
n tne Earldom Of Hyndford have now
rassed into tie possession Of the family Of
tho Anstruthers and Sir Thomas. who has
no children. and who is not particularly
yrh. having been compelled some time ago
n sci superb collection Of art treasures
and Historical relics. dating from the
twelfth 10 the sixteenth century. has alb
solutely declined TO take any steps to
establish his claims 10 the earldom. as pro-
ceedings Of this kind are terribly costly.
ore Of the reasons. however, which led
him 10 withdraw from Parliament was the
question raised, among others by Joseph
Chamberlain. as 10 whether he really had
night TO sit and vote in the House OF Com
mons on the ground that by inheritance
hc was I'm all probability a. Scotch peer. Tn
fact debate actually took place in the
House of Commons about the matter, and
Il was IN consequence Of the possibility Of
his vote on any important measure IN the
lower chamber being invalidated on the
ground that he was a peer that he with
, Ore" from the House Of Commons. Until
that time the impression had prevailed
that member Of the House Of Commons
could retain his seat there, even after sue
c'edine 10 peerase. until the moment
when he received the writ Of summons
from The crown to the House Of Lords. The
discussion, however. brought 10 light the
legal fact that a members seat in the
lover house becomes invalid from the very
r1or,ant that he inherits peerage no
matter whether he receives writ of sum-
mons or not.