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ART. II.-Random Recollections of the House of Lords, from the Year 1830 to 1836, including Personal Sketches of the Leading Members. By the Author of " Random Recollections of the House of Commons." London: Smith, Elder, & Co. 1836.

IF our prediction was correct, that the "Random Recollections of the House of Commons"-written by the same author, and reviewed by us several months ago, when the work made its first appearance -was sure to become one of the most popular books that we had ever read, it may just as confidently be asserted that the present volume will be equally so. The former work, we learn, has had an almost unprecedented sale; nor can it be supposed that any person who may have read or possessed it, will remain satisfied, without adding the one now before us, which is in every respect a suitable companion to the Recollections of the House of Commons. We are inclined, indeed, to say that there is more ease and freedom in the latter, more of the portrait-painter's excellencies, and decidedly more of pungency in the reflections volunteered, than in the former. There seems to be no ground for impugning the author's fairness, and profession of perfect impartiality between the various parties into which the members of the Upper House, as well as the Lower, are divided. We have no doubt, however, that he is liberal in his politics; and really, if talent is to be allowed to sway a man's opinions and gain converts, it is not easy to see how any person who is in the habit of attending the House of Lords, could be won to the Tory side. Truly, according to the author's statements, the Ultras of that party, with remarkably few exceptions, are the most untalented and bigoted set of men we ever heard of; nor can we help surmising that there must be something essentially wrong in a creed which is maintained by such narrow-minded and feeble personages. Be this as it may, our present duty and purpose are to afford our readers a view of some of these sketches, after glancing at a few of the preliminary descriptions of the House of Lords, as respects the building, the regulations for conducting business in it, the scenes that are sometimes displayed by the privileged members, and other miscellaneous notices.

The King's throne, in the House that was destroyed by fire in 1834, was a costly piece of workmanship, and always kept covered, except when occupied by his Majesty. In front was a brass railing, to prevent any other person approaching it. But to some, the Woolsacks, allotted as seats to certain functionaries, are objects of greater curiosity. That, for example, on which the Lord Chancellor sits during the proceedings of the House, consists of a sort of sack of wool, firmly stuffed, and covered over with crimson cloth. Such a seat cannot be a very comfortable one, either in hot weather,

or when occupied for any considerable length of time: there is no back to rest against. Besides the ministerial and opposition benches, the former being on the right of the throne, the latter on the left, there are cross benches, which Peers who follow a middle course, occupy. There is no admission for strangers to this House when sitting in its legislative capacity, unless introduced by an order from one of their lordships.

Our author gives a very clear and correct account of a variety of forms and regulations laid down for the guidance of the Peers. But of some things which are constantly spoken of, a fiction serves the place of reality. Thus, the great seal, which it is so often said the Lord Chancellor carries before him, is of this character. It is merely the bag in which the seal was deposited when received from the king, that is thus borne about. This bag is beautifully embroidered, and measures about twelve inches square, the great seal itself being about seven inches in diameter. It is made of silver, and is in two parts-the wax being poured into an orifice at the top of the seal, when they are laid together, where the ends of the ribbon or parchment is previously inserted; a double impression is then obtained, and appended to the letters patent. On every new accession to the throne a new seal is struck, and the old one is cut into four pieces and deposited in the Tower.

Our author is decidedly of opinion that the Upper House is greatly superior to the Lower, in as far as talent, order, and good taste, are concerned. It does not appear to us, however, that his individual sketches of the most active and influential men in the two, bear him out as to the first of these features; while, as regards order and good taste, although we are of the same mind with him, it must be confessed that the Lords present a much less exciting display. It is true that the Commons, being responsible to their constituents, are often obliged to make speeches, whether capable or not of creditably acquitting themselves; besides, many of them have not the advantage which the majority of the Lords enjoy, of having had a considerable apprenticeship in the Lower House, or of long experience as hereditary legislators; and who in this way become perhaps an indispensable branch of the legislature. At any rate, from the different sort of ingredients which go to the composition of the two Houses, it is nothing but what might be expected, when it is declared that the scenes of confusion so common in the Lower House, are of rare occurrence in the Upper. The art of cock-crowing, braying, yelping, or mewing, is not studied by the Peers. The triumphant party among them do not even cheer upon the same scale and in the same manner. But it is to be borne in mind, that there is generally a great disparity in the number of members in the two Houses. The system of voting by proxy in the Lords, and the very irregular attendance of many of them,

must present a much more manageable body, independent of the influence of that aristocratic dignity and gravity which the hereditary legislators are naturally taught to cherish. This due sense of their importance forbids them even from extending themselves horizontally on the benches to enjoy a nap, with the exception, so far as the author's experience goes, of two personages among their Lordships, the one a Ministerial Duke, the other a member of the Right Rev. bench of Bishops-the latter being an imperturbable snorer, even during Lord Brougham's thunderings.

But there are scenes at times to be witnessed in their Lordships' House, that would do honour to the uproarious Commons; and in these displays, no two figure more frequently than the late Lord Chancellor, and he of Londonderry. The only specimen we shall introduce of such scenes, took place in 1834, when certain explanations were given by members of Lord Melbourne's government, respecting the course which ministers meant to pursue relative to the Coercion Bill for Ireland, immediately after Lord Grey's retirement from office. The author, who was present at the time, gives the following account of the scene.

"The Duke of Buckingham, after violently attacking Government, concluded his speech as follows:- The noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack seems very desirous of correcting the speeches of other noble Lords. I tell him to recollect his own speeches on this subject, and correct himself. (Loud cheers from the Opposition). The hon. and learned Member for Dublin may now be said to be sole Governor of Ireland. (Hear, hear.') The noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack (Lord Brougham) and his colleagues think they have buried the noble Earl (Grey) in his political sepulchre, and that he will no more disturb them, but they will find themselves mistaken. The spirit of the noble Earl will burst its cerements, and will haunt them in their festivities, and disturb the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack in the midst of his potations pottle deep.'' A scene of confusion and uproar, which it is impossible to describe, followed the conclusion of the Duke of Buckingham's speech, in the midst of which

"The Marquis of Lansdowne and Lord Brougham both rose at the same time to address their Lordships, but the former gave way.

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Lord Brougham, (labouring under great excitement, and addressing his first sentence to the Marquis of Lansdowne), said-'Stop a minute! As to the concluding observations of the noble Duke, all I shall say is, that I do not frequent the same cabaret or ale-house as he does. (Deafening cries of Order, order'). At all events, I do not recollect (continued Lord Brougham, with increased energy), having met the noble Marquis (Londonderry) at the noble Duke's ale-house potations. My Lords, I have not a slang dictionary at hand.'

Here a whole host of noble Lords rose, amidst deafening uproar, to address the House. The first voice heard distinctly was that of

"The Marquis of Bute.-I rise to order. The noble and learned Lord is completely out of order.

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Several other noble Lords shouted · Order, order,' at the same time. "The Duke of Buckingham-(with a look of ineffable self-complacency, and evident enjoyment of the scene), I wish the noble and learned Lord to proceed.

"Lord Brougham remained for some time on his legs, as if desirous of proceeding, but the confusion and noise in all parts of the House were so great as to render any effort to obtain a hearing altogether hopeless. The shouts of Order, order,' from both sides, were absolutely deafening. Lord Brougham at last resumed his seat, without uttering a word.

"The Marquis of Bute.-I rise to order, not only from respect to this House, but from respect to both the noble Lords themselves, as it is likely they may, in the heat of the moment, give utterance to language which they would afterwards regret. I am sure they will both see that it is with the most friendly feeling towards them that I wish to put an end to this altercation.

"Lord Brougham.-The noble Marquis would have been more deserving of my thanks if he had allowed me to sit down, which I was just about to do at the time, without interfering at all. With regard to the concluding observation of the noble Duke

"The Marquis of Londonderry.-I rise to order.

"Lord Brougham (with great warmth).—This, my lords, is certainly not the way to keep order-(Renewed confusion and uproar).

"The Marquis of Londonderry.-I maintain, my Lords, that the noble and learned Lord is completely out of order.-(The confusion and noise became, if possible, still greater).

"Lord Brougham (labouring under the most violent excitement).— Really, my Lords, this is unfair. Noble Lords on this side of the House -(pointing to the Opposition benches)-listen with the greatest attention to the attack, and yet they refuse to hear one word in defence. I do, my Lords, assure you, that

"The Marquis of Londonderry.-Speak in explanation.

"Lord Brougham (with great emphasis).-I tell the noble Marquis that I am speaking in explanation. If the noble Duke meant-(here Lord Brougham's tone became more subdued, and his manner less violent)-if the noble Duke meant, as I am persuaded he did mean, the language he made use of only as a joke, I am perfectly willing to take it as such; but if he meant it to be understood as a fact, thereby intending the thing as a personal imputation, then I say-(here Lord Brougham spoke with the greatest emphasis)—that nothing could be more unfoundednothing could be farther from the truth.

"The Duke of Buckingham.-I meant the observation merely as a joke. I was only making use of the language of Shakspeare in his tragedy of Hamlet."-pp. 60-64.

The Duke of Buckingham is a man of huge dimensions, and celebrated for his capacity as a boon companion. He is amazingly fond of quoting Shakspeare, and is apt to palm off the borrowed passages as his own. He is also a tolerably good hand at dealing out coarse abuse. The Marquis of Londonderry is a still richer subject, and is admirably sketched by the author. His Toryism is

not more remarkable than is his want of judgment. He has many a time done his party great injury by his recklessness, and they would often give anything to purchase his silence. But every effort to make him keep his lips sealed is in vain. Even when some one of his most intimate friends will seize him by the skirts of his coat, and endeavour to make him keep his seat, the attempt is vain, and his reproving glance seems to announce, "You may save yourselves the trouble, my friends, for I will have my own way of it. The constitution is at stake, and I must do what I can to save it." But, says the author-if there be a right and a wrong way, he is sure to choose the latter-the Tories, while he is upon his legs, looking each other significantly in the face, as if afraid of some calamity befalling their cause-thankful when he sits down without making very serious slips. He is clearly, as the author tells the reader, a man of no talent, his style and elocution being as defective as his ideas. It is, we believe, doubted by none, that he is at the same time strictly honourable, upright, and conscientious. When it is said in the present work, however, that he is perfectly impermeable to anything and everything in the way of sneers or sarcasms from the Liberals, even when uttered by Lord Brougham, who is a terror to all else, we think that the author could not have been in the House of Lords during the whole of the debates upon the Reform Bill. It appeared to us, that on more occasions than one, the Lord Chancellor was more than a master for the Marquis's sturdiness and presumption, and that after being told that "though his head were ground in a mortar, it would be impossible to drive prejudice out of him"-or words to that amount-and again, that "if you will let me alone I'll let you alone," he was for a long time very quiet and manageable.

From our author's pictures of the ultra Tories, as already remarked, there is at present a wonderful dearth of talent amongst them. Earls Winchilsea and Roden, who are such champions of the church, but whose imprudent advocacy of her interest does the cause so much harm, are described in colours anything but flattering, in so far as talent and discernment are concerned. Part of the sketch of the last named of these noblemen is thus drawn :— "He is all sound and fury. His voice, which is naturally good, though his peculiar opinions and the warmth of his feelings have imparted to it something of a melancholy, if not a whining tone, is raised to a high pitch, and his gesture is redundant in the extreme. He works himself up to a degree of animal excitement which is in admirable keeping with the rhapsodical character of his matter. He is as happy an illustration as one could wish to meet with, of the old adage, that empty barrels make the greatest noise. In the seriousness of his aspect, the gravity of his tones, and in his manner altogether, he strongly reminds one of those preachers of the gospel whose zeal borders on fanaticism, if it have not lost itself in it. It was a mistake in his destiny when he missed the Church. He