Peelites.
The followers of Sir Robert Peel in his departure from extreme Toryism, on the lines of the Tamworth Manifesto of 1835.
Peep-o’-Day Boys.
Bands of Protestant peasantry, formed in Ulster in 1782, who made it their business to eject Catholic tenants from their farms.
Peers, Trial of.
The establishment of the right of a peer to be tried by his peers in Parliament dates from the reign of Edward III, when Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to answer the charges brought against him before any other tribunal. He was supported by the Lords, and the King was at last compelled to yield. The privilege thus secured was embodied in a statute.
Pelagic Sealing.
The capture of seals in the open sea, and not on their breeding grounds. See Behring Sea.
Pelican State.
A name given to the State of Louisiana, from the pelican in its coat of arms.