Our Friends Spoke Much Of Sumner And Prescott, Who Had Visited There;
Also Of Mr. Lawrence, Our Former Ambassador, Who Had Visited Them Just
Before His Return.
After a very pleasant day we left, with regret, the warmth of this
hospitable circle, thus breaking one more of the links that bind us to
the English shore.
Nine o'clock in the evening found us sitting by a cheerful fire in the
parlor of Mr. E. Baines, at Leeds. The father of our host was one of
the most energetic parliamentary advocates of the repeal of the corn
laws. Mr. B. spoke warmly of Lord Carlisle, and gave me the whole
interesting history of the campaign which the vase at Castle Howard
commemorated, and read me the speech of Lord C. on that occasion.
It has occurred to me, that the superior stability of the English
aristocracy, as compared with that of other countries, might be
traced, in part, to their relations with the representative branch of
the government. The eldest son and heir is generally returned to the
House of Commons by the vote of the people, before he is called to
take his seat in the House of Peers. Thus the same ties bind them to
the people which bind our own representatives - a peculiarity which, I
believe, never existed permanently with the nobles in any other
country. By this means the nobility, when they enter the House of
Lords, are better adapted to legislate wisely for the interests, not
of a class, but of the whole people.
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