THE BRITISH ARISTOCRACY. 241 



We have of late heard noble lords talking high about independance of 

 debate ; one of them especially, the Earl of Carnarvon, exhibited such 

 extreme sensitiveness on this point, as to request the minister to get him 

 formally un-lorded, in order that he might in the other house enjoy the 

 privilege of independent debate as a British statesman. It concerns this 

 nobleman, and all others to know, that absolute independence, though it 

 may do very well to talk about, is, in our country, quite impossible. The 

 presumed independence conferred by an hereditary place in the legis- 

 lature is only a degree removed from that conferred by election. The 

 controlling power of the king and the commons over the lords, proves 

 this to be the spirit of the Constitution. Noble lords, if they would pre- 

 serve for any length of time a remnant of their dignity, must consider 

 themselves virtually, though not nominally our representatives, as truly as 

 the Commons, they must arouse themselves from this dreaming about 

 inviolable independence. They must henceforth be abundantly content 

 with the great privilege of a seat in parliament without the trouble and 

 expence of election. The honour thus conferred by a great and intelli- 

 gent nation is surely as much as mortal men, such as modern lords are 

 especially, ought to covet, independently of personal merit. With this 

 honour and privilege our nobles must henceforth be satisjled ; or we warn 

 them, with a sincere wish for their welfare, that their consequence must 

 and will be very soon indeed abridged to smaller dimensions than we 

 ourselves desire it to be. 



Most Englishmen are now aware that national affairs could be carried 

 on without lordly intervention , arid not a few have been absolutely 

 forced into the suspicion that worse political alternatives are possible than 

 the suppression of hereditary peerage. We are sincerely anxious, if 

 possible, to save our noble brethren from degradation, though we are 

 quite sure their gradual depreciation is inevitable. We would fain 

 render the unavoidable equalization of the popular mind to the lordly 

 one, and the consequent discontinuance in society of admiration at lordly 

 peculiarities, as little mortifying as possible. We know there are many 

 good, and many more improveable fellows amongst the lords. We know 

 that from the number of noble families, and their long standing, there 

 must be many thousands of our worthy fellow-countrymen closely con- 

 nected with lords, and warmly interested in their welfare and reputation. 

 We feel therefore it would be inhuman, not merely wantonly to insult 

 them and triumph over them ; but not also to try and save them from 

 getting deeper into the mire than they already are. With this feeling 

 we have endeavoured to propagate our own views of the providential 

 depreciation of the English Nobility. 



