xin A REPRESENTATIVE HOUSE OF LORDS 233 



advancing civilization. When titles are given only for 

 life, and are bestowed exclusively as recognitions of merit 

 or of exceptional ability and integrity, there will grow 

 up among us a true aristocracy characterized by the high- 

 est intellectual and moral qualities, while the old aristocracy 

 of birth will be less and less esteemed, except in so far 

 as it possesses similar characteristics. Educated public 

 opinion will, from time to time, indicate the men who 

 should be made eligible for election to the Upper Chamber, 

 and no Ministry will then dare to advise the Sovereign to 

 bestow this honour on the unworthy, or as a reward for 

 mere political support, thus lowering the standard of 

 those who are eligible for election by the people's local 

 representatives. If, further, it was the rule that each 

 of the great political parties should give titular honours 

 to not more than a fixed number in each year, the balance 

 would be kept even, and at successive elections each 

 party would have an equal range of choice. 



There are many matters of detail which it is not 

 necessary to discuss at present. Among these are the 

 term for which the Lords should be elected ; whether 

 they should change with a change of Ministry, or by 

 a portion retiring at intervals ; whether the judges, when 

 they leave the bench, should be ex-officio members or 

 should be eligible for election. These are matters of 

 minor importance, which will be easily settled when the 

 main principles of the scheme of reform are decided on. 

 These more fundamental points may be summarized as 

 follows: (1) The limitation of the number of members 

 in the new House of Lords to about two hundred; (2) 

 The extension of the range of choice to knights and 

 baronets ; (3) All titular honours in future to be granted 

 for life and only in recognition of distinguished merit ; 

 (4) An age-qualification of about forty years ; (5) Kepre- 

 sentation of counties as units, by two members of each ; 

 (6) The constituency to consist of all the members of the 

 County, District, Town, and Parish Councils in each 

 county. 



I now submit this scheme of reform, first, to the 

 leaders among the existing peers, to whom it offers an 



