RAISED TO THE PEERAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 395, 21 May 1910, Page 10

RAISED TO THE PEERAGE.

THE COST OF ADMISSION TO THE HOUSE OF LORDS. Although titles cannot be bought ir Britain in the open market, as they cat/ in many Continental countries by merely paying so much gold "over the count* ter," Mr. Herbert Gladstone, Mr. Ivof Guest and Sir John Dickson-Poynder will not rise to the .peerage for nothing. They will all have to pay heavily for their peerage in stamp duties, Crown Office fees, and Home Office fees —the total in each case running into several hundred pounds, and all fees are collected strictly in advance.

As a viscount Mr. Gladstone will be charged £467 4s 6d, the amount being made up as follows: —Stamp duties, £2OO 12s, Crown Office fees £229 10s, Home Office fees £37 2s 6d.

A viscount is, of course, the fourth degree in the British Peerage, the first being a duke, whose rank is inferior only to princes of Royal 'blood. After a duke comes a marquis, and •then an earl. Viscount was anciently the name of him who held the chief office under an earl. The latter being often at Court, the viscount was his deputy to look after the affairs of the country. In the reign of Henry VI. the title became a degree of honor, and was made hereditary. The coronation robes of a viscount are the same as an earl's, with the exception that he has only two and a-half rows of ermine; his cap is the same, and the golden circle of his coronet is surmounted by sixteen silver balls. The robe of a viscountess has two and a-half inches of miniver, and two and a half bars of ermine, a yard and a-quarter train, while the coronet is the same as her husband's.

Mr. Herbert Gladstone can thank his lucky stars that he was not given one of the higher ranks of the Peerage, for a duke has to pay fees amounting to £BO9 12s, whilst a marquis has to pay up £691 12s, and an earl a sum of £573 12s.

Sir John Diclcson-Poynder and Mr. Ivor Guest, having only been made barons, get let off with a mere £360 17s in fees. The sum is made up as follows: (Stamp duties £l5O 12s, Crown Office fees £179 10s, Home Office fees £3O 15s. The coronation robes of a baron have tut two rows of ermine; in other respects they are the same as those of other Peers. King Charles 11. granted a coronet to 'barons, who until his reign wore only a plain circle of gold. It is formed of six silver balls set at equal distance on a circle of gold bordered with ermine. A baroness has two inches of miniver and two bars of ermine on her coronation robe, which has a train a yard long. She wears a coronet the same as that of a baron.

When Lord Roberts was made an earl he strongly objected to paying the bill of more than £1750 with which he was presented. The reason why the fees were considerably in excess of those quoted above was that, having no son to succeed him, he wished to have what is called "a special remainder" to his daughters. All "extras" of this description have to be paid for. In addition to all the fees enumerated above, there are many more charges that a newly-fledged Peer must pay before he takes his seat in the House of Lords. There is the license for the coronet on his carriages and notepaper, and, if he wishes them, the expensive coronet and robes of his new dignity. It' may, however, be whispered in confidence that not every Peer possesses his own coronet and robes. In the case of the older families, of course, these are treasured family heirlooms, but in the case of the newer creations, they have (been known to be borrowed or hired for the occasion.

Some people appear to think that the British Peers habitually wear their coronets in the House of Lords or on' grand occasions. As a matter of fact, the only occasions on which Peers put on these symbols /are at a State Coronation of the Sovereign, or when they wish to have their (portrait painted or photographed "in State." A few years ago a newly created viscount was* so fond of his coronet that he had it emblazoned oil everything—even his luggage. The result was that, when travelling in Spain, he was mistaken for the Prince of Wales.

For a long time he could not make out why he was treated with such extraordinary ceremony and charged such wonderful prices. It was only when the mayor of a town proposed to offer him an address that the mysterv came out. A baronet has to pay £204 9s 6d for the privilege of seeing "Sir" in front of his name and Bart, behind it.