EARL BALDWIN OF BEWDLEY

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22135, 3 July 1937, Page 23

EARL BALDWIN OF BEWDLEY

SEAT TAKEN IN HOUSE OF LORDS

LARGE ATTENDANCE OF PEEKS AT ANCIENT CEREMONY

■raoM OU'ii OWX (JOIIHKSI'ONDENI .' LONDON, June 12. When Sir Stanley Baldwin, with Lady Baldwin, was raised to the peerage in the House of Lords, the time-honoured and. stately ceremonial was watched by his confreres of a few days before—members of his Cabinet—and by several ' hundred peers more than normally attend debates. The Leader of the House, (Viscount Halifax), Viscount Swinton, Earl Stanhope, and Earl de La Warr were seated on the front bench, and behind, above, and below them were sopie 250 peers, an assembly worthy of a momentous debate or division.

The Archbishop of Canterbury took his accustomed seat. The Leader of the Socialist Opposition (Lord Snell) was in his place, and the Liberals mustered in force. Along the steps of the Throne sat a line of members of the House of Commons, the veteran Socialist, Mr Clynes, in the centre, Captain Margesson, so long Chief Whip, on the wing. The Commons' gallery was crowded to its utmost. Peeresses and distinguished visitors from overseas sat in the galleries on either side.

Black Rod (Sir William Pulteney) led the colourful little procession into the chamber. Next came Garter King of Arms (Sir Gerald Wollaston), splendid in his jacket of Royal Standard flags: the Earl Marshal (the Duke of Norfolk) in resplendent robes; the Lord Great Chamberlain (the Earl of Ancaster), bearing his staff—a six-foot-long, thin, white wand. Next the Marquis of Londonderry, the first sponsor; Sir Stanley Balwin; and last, the second sponsor, the Earl of Derby; these three wearing their robes of crimson and ermine and carrying black cocked hats.

Writ of Summons

Sir Stanley Baldwin bowed to the Throne, then knelt and handed his writ of summons to the Chancellor, Viscount Hailsham. From Lord Hailsham's hands it wis given to those of Mr Overbury, the Reading Clerk. To the table Sir Stanley and his sponsors proceeded and stood there while the Letters Patent signed-by the King were read: "To all Lords, Spiritual and Temporal, and all other our subjects whatsoever to whom these presents shall come, greeting; know ye that we of our especial grace, certain knowledge and mere motion do by these present advance, create, and prefer our right trusty and wellbeloved counsellor, Sir Stanley Baldwin, Knight of our most noble Order of the Garter, to the state, degree, style, dignity, title and honour of Viscount Corvedale of Corvedale in our county of.Salop. ." Viscount Corvedale stood at the reading clerk's right hand, and awaited the next step up in the peerage, which followed immediately. Whereas "especial grace" is enough for a Viscount, the Letters Patent now continued: —"Further know ye that We of Our more abundant especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, do, by these presents advance, create, and prefer the said Stanley, Viscount Covedale, to the state, degree, dignity, style and honour of Earl Baldwin of Bewdley."

The Letters Patent in the concluding passage explain the phrase "belted earl." They continued: "and we dignify, invest, and ennoble the Earl Baldwin of Bewdley by girding him with the sword and putting a cap of honour and a coronet of gold upon his head." While Lord Baldwin listened intently to the reading, he put out his hand to the table from time to time as if he were feeling for the box so familiar to him on the table of the Commons. His voice, wont to be one of the clearest and mellowest in that other place, could hardly be heard as he look the oath of "true allegiance to King George, his heirs and successors." The red-bound Testament was kissed, the roll was signed with slow care.

Procession Reformed

Then the procession reformed, and passing round the floor of the House, each member bowing in turn to the Throne, came to the Earls' Bench, which in the everyday order of things is the Front Opposition Bench. Garter King of Arms standing before them murmured instructions. Thrice they rose, took off their bla*ck cocked hats and bowed to the Lord Chancellor, who lifted his own three-cornered hat from his full-bottomed wig in acknowledgement. Then the procession moved slowly away up the floor of the House. With the Lord Chancellor, Lord Baldwin shook hands and was kept more than a moment in smiling talk before he joined his sponsors again, and their scarlet and ermine vanished through the door to the Jcft of the Throne.