On the record
But the Lords are those who give social bribes, and not those who take them.
Said by
Walter Bagehot
Source
gutenberg.orgWalter Bagehot: “But the Lords are those who give social bribes, and not those who take them.”
Editor's note · Context
Bagehot critiques the role of the Lords in British society, suggesting they are the ones who influence social norms through their power.
Share
More from Walter Bagehot
They are solely concerned with his attractiveness as a candidate; they need not regard his efficiency as a ruler.
If those persons be people of different temperaments, different ideas, and different educations, you have an almost infallible security that nothing, or almost nothing, will be done with excessive rapidity.
They have given what I may call a CONFIDENCE IN THE UNIVERSE.
They say, We reject your Bill for this once or these twice, or even these thrice: but if you keep on sending it up, at last we won't reject it.
Other voices in this conversation
