avowing without obtrusion the (d) general principles which he holds on the subject under difcuffion, when it is a subject of moment, or on others nearly allied to it. He will give every degree of reasonable weight to the arguments, and of reasonable credit to the motives, of his opponents. He will check in himself, and ftudy to reprefs in others, every ebullition of party spirit; and will habituate himself to cenfure without acrimony, to refute without lofs of temper, and to (d) Such an avowal is productive of the most beneficial confequences, both immediately and in the way of example. It tends to lead the speaker and the auditors to confider subjects on an enlarged and comprehensive scale, and to a certain degree detached from the prejudices and circumftances of the moment. By exciting attention to fundamental principles, it places their excellence, if they are just, in a clearer light; if false, it obviates the danger of men being surprised into a compliance with them. It likewife gives that publicity to the character and tenets of a Legislator, which affords the greatest satisfaction to his country, and has the best effects upon himself. Few circumstances have a more reasonable tendency ultimately to deprive perfons in political life of public confidence, than their suffering themselves to be led by the heat of contest or the preffure of difficulties to speak lightly of general principles, and to profefs to be guided entirely or chiefly by the incidents of the moment. VOL. I. M feel feel himself victorious without pride or oftentation. He will not be afhamed to retract with manliness what he has erroneoufly afferted; to acknowledge any change which further thought and information may have wrought in his views, either of the measure which he had countenanced, or of the diftin&t grounds on which he had conceived its propriety to be established; and will not be deterred, by the fear of being reproached as inconfiftent, from confeffing that he was less wife yesterday than he is to-day. A confiderate Nobleman will make a very fparing and cautious ufe of his privilege of voting in his absence by proxy; and will be fcrupulous in receiving the proxy of another Peer. Indeed, the idea of a perfon giving his vote in the decision of a question which he has not heard debated, and may never have confidered; in enacting or rejecting a Bill with the nature and object of which he is unacquainted; at a time too perhaps when he is in another quarter of the globe, and unable to learn the prefent pofture of affairs and circumftances either at home or in the rest of Eu rope; rope; is fo plainly repugnant to common fenfe; is capable of being so easily and grófsly perverted to the manoeuvres of private intereft or of party; and fo nearly resembles the Popish plan of putting one man's confcience into the hands of another; that the furrender of this privilege would apparently be at once honourable to the House of Lords, and bene ficial to the Nation. It has long been the practice of the House of Lords to be guided in pronouncing judgement in cases of appeals by the opinion of a few Peers eminent for their knowledge in the law. To the learning, experience, and integrity of Noblemen fo circumftanced peculiar deference is unquestionably due; yet it seems to be carried beyond its proper bounds, when it permits the filent rife and progrefs of an opinion, that a Peer not belonging to that pro feffion, who fhall take an active part in fuch deliberations, oversteps the limits of his province. It appears highly defirable that a confiderable number of Noblemen fhould be qualified by an acquaintance with the general grounds and principles of evidence, and a par M 2 ticular ticular study of those branches of the legal code moft frequently involved in the disquifitions which come before the House, to appreciate with accuracy the feveral arguments of the Counsel at their Bar, of their own profeffional Members, and of the Judges fummoned to affift them. By these means, not only the collective mafs of wisdom exercised in the decifion would be enlarged; but additional fecurity would be obtained against those misapplications and abuses, to which power, when lodged in the pureft hands, may sooner or later be feduced, if it fhall cease to meet with fuperintendence and control. Such are the public duties of Peers in general. On those of particular defcriptions peculiar obligations are incumbent. Proposals for the improvement of the Marine come with fingular propriety from the ennobled Admiral. The caufe of the Soldier is beft pleaded by the Commander, who has earned his feat in the Upper House by military services. Amendments in the civil, criminal, and judicial fyftem are chiefly expected, and most favourably received, from the dignified Lumi naries of the Bar. And to thofe who are elevated at once to pre-eminence in religious functions, and to the privileges of Peerage, the Nation will look for plans for the elucidation of the fcriptures, the amendment of morals, and the fuppreffion of feminaries of vice; for the establishment of new inftitutions for the inftruction of the poor, and the improvement of thofe already exifting for the rich; more especially as far as they involve the education of perfons destined for the clerical profeffion. II. A few obfervations on the duties of Peers in private life remain to be fubjoined. While the Nobleman guards for his own fake against thofe temptations to overbearing manners, and an oftentatious mode of living, to which his elevated rank, and the ample property which commonly attends that rank, render him particularly expofed; and more especially against fuch of those temptations as derive an acceffion of force from his own temper and turn of mind, or from any adventitious circumftances; let him conftantly M 3 |