xin A REPRESENTATIVE HOUSE OF LORDS 229 



become known to the electors, and this can hardly be the 

 case at a much lower age than forty. By that time it will 

 be seen whether a man has made any effort to qualify 

 himself for so high a position, either by historical or legal 

 study, or by having devoted himself to a practical inquiry 

 into the results of the various political, economic, or social 

 systems of other civilized communities. No one would 

 wish to have such a House of Lords as is here suggested 

 degraded by the presence of men who make use of the 

 great opportunities they have inherited for mere selfish 

 purposes, and whose highest pleasures are luxury or sport ; 

 or of such as are imbued with the prejudices and vices, 

 rather than with the virtues and true nobility, of their 

 ancestors. Instead of these we should seek for men who 

 are able to show a good record of knowledge acquired or 

 work done, and whose ability and character are known to 

 be above the average. 



Mode of Election. 



Taking, then, the actual peerage, together with all knights 

 and baronets of the United Kingdom who shall have attained 

 the age of forty, as constituting the body from which the 

 new House of Lords is to be chosen, the next point to be 

 considered is the mode of selection. We may first set 

 aside the method of election by their fellow peers (as in 

 the case of the present representative peers of Scotland 

 and Ireland) as being quite inadmissible, since it would 

 perpetuate many of the evils to obviate which reform or 

 abolition is demanded. The election must be a popular 

 one, and the most obvious suggestion is that the existing 

 constituencies of each county should choose its represent- 

 ative peers. There are, however, many objections to this. 

 It would, in the first place, involve much of the expense 

 and excitement of another general election ; and, secondly, 

 it is doubtful whether the average elector would be in a 

 position to judge of the qualities and comparative merits 

 of the several candidates. It would, therefore, be advis- 

 able to limit the voters to a body better able to make a 

 wise and deliberate choice, and such a body will be found 



