f L400
to the annual item of civil contingencies. It is very "civil," no doubt,
to make a commoner into a peer, but when the "contingency" arrives, we
think the recipient of the honour ought to be civilly expected to pay
for it. Perhaps, however, the better course would be to do it cheap, and
we should hardly think the dignity of the peerage can be sustained by
such charges as we find making up the sum total of the cost of a Barony.

The Clerk of the Hanaper, or Hamper, gets L24 13_s._ 4_d._; but why the
title of Baron should be hampered with such an expense it is difficult
to guess, unless it is that the newly-made peer is expected to "wet" his
dignity with a few dozen of something drinkable. Deputy Hamper--by
virtue, possibly, of some bottled beer--gets a guinea; and the "porter
to the Great Seal" has another guinea; but, whether the word "porter"
applies to some officers, or to some beer for the LORD CHANCELLOR'S
department, we have no means of knowing. The sealing of the patent is a
costly affair, including "Sealer, L1 2_s._ 3_d._; Deputy ditto, 10_s._
6_d._; Chaff Wax, L1 2_s._ 6_d._; deputy ditto, 10_s._ 6_d._"; from
which we can only infer that, while two officers are employed in the act
of sealing, two other officers are standing by and "chaffing" the
operation.

The "Royal Household" receives L104 6_s._ 10_d._ for a jollification, no
doubt; though we suspect that this act of _High Life Below Stairs_ in
the Palace is entirely without the sanction of Royalty. Our old friend
"Garter" comes in for L20, which is moderate, considering how invariably
the recipients of dignities are tied by the leg by Garter's stringent
requirements. The bill winds up with one guinea for the engrossing
clerk, who engrosses very little of the profit but a great deal of the
trouble, for he was obliged to engross the warrant and find the
parchment.

It costs in all L420 to make a Peer; and if every Member of the Peerage
is worth what he costs, it is easy to estimate the value of the Upper
House of Parliament. Our own opinion is, that the Lords would be quite
as precious without the preliminary outlay incurred in their
manufacture; but if something is to be paid on the occasion, we think
the money might be better employed than by inciting it in chaff, or any
other kind of wax, and liquidating it in "porter," or Hampers of any
description whatever.

* * * * *

A TAP ON A TUB.

The _Morning Advertiser_,