Show IS liE THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE The House of Lords Investigating the Claims of MajorMaitlaud LONDON June 10A committee of the House of Lords today began the consideration considera-tion of the claim of Major Maitland Lauderdale Lauder-dale to the Peerage Major Maitland in his petition to the Lords says he is a Peer of the fourth son of the sixth Earl of Lauderdale Lauder-dale who it is alleged married Mary Mc Adams in New York in 1772 Two days before be-fore her death Mary McAdams had born three sons to this fourth son of the sixth Earl and it is contended by the petitioner Major Maitland that this marriage legiti matizes the offspring Sir James Maitland descendant of the sixth son of the sixth Earl of Lauderdale contests the clrim of Major Maitland to the peerage United States Minister Phelps United States Senator Sena-tor Edmunds and Messrs Fowler Stephens and Clarence Cary will give testimony concerning con-cerning the law of marriage as it existed in the American Colonies in 1772 The suit affects the title of one of the oldest old-est peerages in England the income of which is 80000 a year The suit will be tried in the House of Lords and will be argued before the Committee on Privileges by the AttorneyGeneral on one side and the SolicitorGeneral on the other The case I turns on the validity of the marriage of Sir I Richard Maitland to Mary McAdam which i was celebrated in 1772 in this city The estate is claimed by two Maitlandsone Major Frederick Henry Maitland of the Bengal cavalry and political agent for Central Cen-tral India He is a direct descendant of Sir Richard Maitland who was Adjutant General Gen-eral of the North American colony from 1765 to 1772 and fourth son of the sixth Earl of Lauderdale The other claimant is Sir James Ramsey Maitland who is the descendent de-scendent of the fifth son of the sixth Earl If the House of Lords come to the conclusion conclu-sion that Mary McAdam was lawfully married mar-ried to Sir Richard and that her children were born in lawful wedlock then Sir Frederick Fred-erick will become the next Earl of Lauderdale Lauder-dale If the decision is against the validity of the marriage then Sir James will succeed suc-ceed It is in regard to this marriage and I to the laws and customs in the colonies at the time that Senator Edmunds will he summoned to give testimony I |