BRITISH HONOURS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2480, 14 September 1922, Page 4

BRITISH HONOURS.

TWENTY PEERS A YEAR. MORE LORDS TITAN COMMONERS. Few developments of our constitutional system have been more remarkable in recent times than the steady increase in the membership of the House of Lords, says it correspondent of the London Times. Forty years ago peers’ seats in the Upper Chamber did not greatly exceed 450, a body considerably less than the.' membership of the House of Commons. But. an official return lately published showed that between' the beginning of iB6O (the lasi weeks of Dol'd Beaconslield's Government) and the beginning of 1920 no fewer than 356 peerages bad been created. 64 peers had been advanced in rank, and 13 peerages had been called cut of abeyance. That gives an annual average of slightly more than 10 creations and advancements combined. This return has been brought up-to-date to" the recent Birthday Honours inclusive. For tile period from January. 1880, to June, 1922, the creations (lumber 337, while 71 peers were advanced in rank, a total of 458. During the term of Mr Lloyd George's .Ministry (1916-22) there have been 87 peers created, and 21 advanced in rank, a total of 108, as against 89 creations and 17 advancements, a total of 106, during Mr Asquith's term (1908-16). Mr Lloyd George’s creation and promotion of 108 peers in about five am. a,-half years works out at: about 20 a year, a proportion largely in excess r.l that or any other Prime Minister in the period To the total of 458 may be added the 13 peerages culled out of abeyance, making the grand total 471 m 40 years, although of that number about 90 have been merged in others or become extinct. To-dav. Counting 'this year’s creations, there art--737 peers, of whom 20 are minors. Ihe effective voting strength of the House ol Lords is 717, as compared with 707 in 'he House of Commons. The disproportion will he greater when, under the pending changes, the Irish representation in the House of Commons is greatly reduced. But peerages have been only one feature in the recent flow of honours. Approximated the peerages, Privy Uouncillorsliips, baronetcies and knighthoods bestowed m each of the last four years respectively

For the first six months of this year die numbers were: Peerages 10; Inw Councillors, 7; baronetcies, 32; knighthoods, 141. . , , ~ The correspondent remarks that the “enormous upward bound’’ in the number of knighthoods is the more notable seeing that a kni‘dit hood was formerly thought a sufficient reward for the highest public service—for the great achievements ol Sir Francis Drake, for instance. Did. not Mr Disraeli on one occasion compliment a m-w knight in these terms:— I con"Taiulale von on having attained a rank which was'deemed sufficient honour for Sir Philip Sidney, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Isaac Newton, and Sir (.‘hristqphier ten. More pungent, was Lord Salisbury s reply when pressed to confer a knighthood upon a member because of Ink wealthy «lie. “I suppose we must give Mr A. vital he asks, as there is no other wav of making Mrs X. a lady. 1 regret that the resources of the Constitution contain no method of making Mr X. a gentleman. There Tire also Grand Crosses, Knight C-ouimanderships, Companionships, and memberships of the various orders of distinction. Before (he war these were reserved very largely for those who had served the Crown in the Army, Navy, amt civil services. But the war led to a very wide interpretation of service, especially in :aspect- of iho Order of the British Empire The decorations given run into many thousands. They are almost beyond count and are still being distributed with a liberal hand.

have been:— 1918 1919 1920 1921 Peerages Privy Councillors . 16 . 16 23 7 6 16 15 10 Baronetcies 36 42 40 42 Knighthoods . Ill 95 97 • n: 153