to that of any other nation. And therefore we are proud of our peers, and hope that the House of Lords will long continue to hold its high place in the State, and long enjoy its ancient privileges. My object to-night is not, however, to look upon the Lords in a social point of view, but as a legislative assembly.

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is composed of the Queen, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons. The origin of Parliament is one of those things which, as Lord Dundreary would say, no "fellow can understand"—at least, few subjects have afforded to antiquaries more cause for learned research and ingenious conjecture. Not to weary you, however, with their abstruse investigations, suffice it to say that, during the earlier reigns after the Conquest, the spiritual and temporal Lords were the only members of the legislative and judicial assemblies of the realm; and though the opinions of an inferior class of the community were occasionally asked, the Commons had no real participation in the business of these councils before the fortyninth year of Henry III. Indeed, it was not until the fifteenth year of the reign of Edward II. that it was enacted that the legislative autho

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rity of the realm should be in the King, with the advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons, in Parliament assembled. This was the first attempt at settling a free constitutional government. Originally the three Estates of the realm sat together in one chamber, and various dates have been assigned for their separation into two distinct Houses,-nor is it a question I need trouble you with. The House of Lords is now solely composed of the Lords spiritual and temporal. In the earlier Parliaments, the number of the Lords spiritual was generally greater than that of the Lords temporal. In the reign of Henry III. a hundred and twenty Prelates and only twenty-three temporal Lords were summoned. In subsequent reigns the number varied considerably, but the temporal Lords rarely exceeded the spiritual Lords in number. At the time of the dissolution of monasteries by Henry VIII., the spiritual Lords were equal in number to the temporal nobility. The Lords spiritual are the Archbishops of Canterbury, York, and Dublin (the latter only till 1871), twentyfour bishops of the Church of England, and three Irish representative bishops (the latter, owing to the Irish Church Bill, will cease to sit after January 1, 1871). The Lords spiritual have always had a seat in the

House of Lords, but by what right is not agreed— some saying that it was by virtue of their ecclesiastical office, or by their tenures as barons. The Lords spiritual, not being ennobled in blood, are now regarded as Lords of Parliament only, and not Peers.

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The Lords temporal are divided into Dukes, Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts, and Barons, whose titles are all hereditary. They are called Peers, because, although there is a distinction of dignity among them, they are equal in all public actions; as, for instance, in giving their votes in Parliament or at the trial of any nobleman. The title of Duke, though first in rank, is by no means the most ancient in this country. It was first conferred on Edward the Black Prince by Edward III., whom he created Duke of Cornwall. quesses were originally lords of the marches or borders, and derived their title from the offices held by them. The first who was created a Marquess as a title of honour was Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford, in 1198. Earls were in existence before the Conquest by the title of ealdormen, and to their hands the administration of the shires was committed. After the Conquest they were called counts, and hence the shires intrusted to them were called counties; but in course of time the original title

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of Earl was revived. Viscounts were created for the first time in the reign of Henry VI. The first Viscount was John Beaumont. The title of Baron is a very old one, and was in existence long before the Norman Conquest. Unlike the House of Commons, the number of the members of the House of Lords is not limited. In the reign of Henry VII., the temporal Peers who were summoned to Parliament were only 29; at the death of Queen Elizabeth this number was increased to 60. The Stuarts again raised the number to about 150, which William III. and Queen Anne further increased to 168. On the Union of Scotland in 1707, 16 representative Peers of Scotland were added to the House of Lords. The two first kings of the House of Hanover continued to make additions to the Peerage, so that in 1760 that body amounted to 174. In the reign of George III., the creation of peers was freely resorted to by successive Ministers as an expedient for increasing the influence of the Crown. On the Union of Ireland in 1800, 28 representative Peers of Ireland were admitted to the House of Lords, and 4 Lords spiritual, to sit by rotation of sessions, of whom an Archbishop of the Church in Ireland was always to be one, Since 1800 numerous additions have constantly been made

to the Peerage. George III. created 388 Peers; George IV., 59; William IV., 55; and our present gracious Queen, about 110; so that now in this year of 1870 (in addition to the 30 Lords spiritual) there are sitting in the House of Lords 4 Peers of the blood-royal, 20 Dukes, 20 Marquesses, 127 Earls, 31 Viscounts, and 239 Barons-making a total of 471 Lords spiritual and temporal.

Peers are created either by writ or by letterspatent, the latter being the more usual way, though the former is the more ancient. But the writ of summons to Parliament does not ennoble, unless the person summoned to Parliament actually takes his seat there. The method by letters-patent is therefore the more secure way of conferring nobility on a man and his heirs, because the title is not lost by his omission to sit in Parliament. A writ of summons is, however, generally used when the eldest son of a peer is called up to the House of Lords in his father's lifetime, because there is no fear of his children losing the nobility in case he never takes his seat, for they will succeed to their grandfather. According to the ancient law-writers, the sovereign can create either a man or a woman noble for life; but this proposition was disputed in the debate in the House of Lords on the letters