We have discussed the elevation of Lord John Russell to
the peerage, and its results, in another column, but we may here correct some minor but interesting misapprehensions. The facts are as follows : The late Earl Ludlow, who owned a property at Cople, near Bedford, and was a political friend of John the sixth Duke of Bedford, 'contracted in the hunting-field a strong friendship with Francis, the late Duke. As he was a bachelor and had no near rela- tions, he bequeathed to the Duke, at his death, in 1843, his Bedford- shire estate, and a very fine property called Ardsalla Castle, county Meath, which he had long held and seldom visited. The Earldom of Ludlow became, of course, extinct, and as the addition of some 4000/. or 50001. a year in Irish laud was a matter of little moment to the owner of the rentroll of Woburn and Tavistock, the Duke re- solved at his death not to let it pass with the Dukedom but to bestow it on his brother Lord John, to whom he was personally much attached. Ever since the late duke's death, it has been expected in the county of Meath that Lord John Russell would abandon politics and become a resident squire at Ardsalla, and some of the Irish papers have gone so far as to assert that the Earldom of Ludlowls the title by whiah he will shortly be called to the House of Peers. We have reason to know that the choice of any such title is at the very least premature, and, on abstract grounds, it is most unlikely that his lordship should select a title to which he has no other claim than that of owning a property once owned by the Earl of Ludlow. It is fax more probable that he will not travel out of his own historic family, and we believe that we shall not Ite found to be far from the truth when we assert that in all probability, within a week or two of the present date, the Gazette will announce that "her Majesty has been most graciously pleased to summon John Russell, Esq., com- monly called Lord John Russell. to the House of Peers, by the name, style, and title of Earl Russell of Ardsalla, in the county of Meath, in the Peerage- of the United 'Kingdom."
