DISCUSSION OF THE SUBJECT IN PARLIAMENT. 413 
civil country, —a nation opposed in constitution, 
habits, feelings, and desires, to the despotie states 
of the Continent, still it was found that all distine- 
tions were almost exclusively conferred upon military 
and naval officers. There were no orders to reward 
the man of genius and of science; none to pay him 
for the halo he gave to the name of England. There 
were few men of eminence (whose pursuits were civil) 
Knights of the Bath ; they were, indeed, few and far 
between. Although there were five orders, — the 
Garter, the Thistle, St. Patrick, the Bath, and the 
fifth, a new one, St. Michael and St. George of the 
Ionian Islands, yet there was not one to give honour 
to the man of genius and talent. It was quite dif- 
ferent on the Continent; there was found the man 
of literary eminence in his proper place; if they went 
to Prussia they found him honoured ; if to France, 
highly and nobly distinguished. Exgland stood alone, 
and yet she was a civil country.* (Hear, hear).” 
(283.) This speech, which in our opinion places 
the inconsistency of our honorary distinctions in a 
new and forcible light, as being utterly at variance 
with the nature of our government, was answered 
by another distinguished member, who in the late 
administration was one of the chief advisers of the 
crown. ‘This reply deserves great attention, not 
only from its nature, but as revealing to us those 
sentiments entertained in the highest circles, which 
have hitherto guided the government on all questions 
influencing the science of the country, and from 
which has resulted its present humiliation. The 
* Taken from “ The Sun,” April 19. 1834. 
