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The Sovereign alone confers honours and
degrees of nobility ; coins money ; conducts affairs
with foreign states; controls the army and navy ;
appoints governors and ambassadors; and the
Sovereign is the head of the Established Church.

The House of Lords.

The House of Lords is composed of the nobility
 of the land, who are called Peers, and of the
Archbishops and Bishops of England. The number
 of Peers composing the House of Lords is not
fixed ; it amounts to about 540; but it is liable to
decrease by the death of Peers without heirs and
to increase by the creation of new Peers. Of these,
5 are royal princes; 27 are life-members by right
of office, as archbishops and bishops; there are
21 dukes, 18 marquises, 24 viscounts, 111 earls,
240 barons, 16 representative peers of Scotland—
chosen for each Parliament; 28 representative
peers of Ireland—elected for life.

Peerages are hereditary and descend to the
eldest son, and to the eldest son of the eldest son,
and so on. At one time, that is, about 800 years
ago, the House of Lords was the only Legislative
and Executive body in the country. Itwas composed
of the most important persons in the kingdom,
whether as holding estates of land from the King
and owing him military services in return, or as
having distinct offices in the government of the
country. There was then only one Chamber, or