The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-02 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, Aug. I.—Two o'clock.—Business has con-
tinued active since the opening, and quotations
have generally improved. Threes, for the Account
(of which the tours de compensation has been fixed
at 69f. 50c.), are being dealt in at an advance of
50c.—viz., 69f. 67 c., whilst Italian Fives have
gained 75c., the price being 52f. 50c. Credit
Foncier Shares are 15f. higher, at 1,315 f.. and Mo-
bilier 7f., at 667 f. 50c.
Three o'clock.—The market has closed as fol-
lows :

li per Cents 97 50
Do. end month —
3 per Cents. 69 60
Do. end mouth 69 67i
Credit Mobilier

Bank Shares 3560
Italian Loan 52 25
Do. end month 52 50
Mexican Loan 33
Do. Bonds l9O

Do. end month 667 50
Credit Foncier
Do. end month 1315

Spanish Threes —
Home Debt
Deferred

RAILWAYS.

Orleans
Northern

For Account.

Lyons and Mediterranean B7O
Southern
Western
Eastern
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard
North of Spain
Saragossa
Ditto to Barcelona
Boman

351 25
392 50

A Question of Precedence.

Recent events in Hanover may be productive of
some problems in our social system. The King of
Hanover may, under certain contingencies, lose his
throne. He may, therefore, return to this country,
resume his rank as Duke of Cumberland, and de-
scend from the heights of sovereign rule to become
a junior member of our Royal Family. The circum-
stance of the succession to the throne of Hanover
by the late Duke of Cumberland has left open a
question of precedence and dignity among those
descending from a Royal stock. The children of
the King of Hanover -are the only members of our
Royal Family in the fourth generation from the
Sovereign. It is a matter of doubt what would be
their title and precedence. The Act of Henry VIII.
regulating precedence gives rank only to such of the
Royal Family as are sons, brothers, uncles, grand-
sons, or nephews of the Sovereign. The eldest son
of a Duke of the blood Royal takes rank after
dukes, and the younger sons after earls, by tables of
precedence dating respectively 1399 and 1485.
They certainly are not entitled to the qualifica-
tion of " Royal Highness." In fact, that appel-

lation was never even given to the grandson of a
Sovereign until the marriage of the late Duke of
Gloucester to the daughter of George 111. Pre-
viously, his qualification had been simply " his
Highness." Perhaps the eldest son of the pre-
sent Duke of Cumberland would be entitled to

the prefix, together with the title of " Prince ;" but
the title of the younger sons would be that only of
Lord George" or "Lord Henry," like the sons of
any other Duke. On the death of the present Duke
of Cumberland his eldest son would succeed to his
dukedom, taking rank among Dukes only according
to the date of his patent. The younger sons would
remain as they were, and their children would de-
generate into plain esquires, presenting the anomaly
of untitled persons who are nevertheless in the suc-
cession to the throne. The title " Royal Highness"
is ono which has given rise to many disputes. When
Napoleon wrote from the Bellerophon to George
IV., then Prince Regent, the latter observed that it
was the most proper letter he had ever received. He
referred to the fact that it began " Altesse Royale,"
a dignity which, though claimed by French Princes,
was never conceded by them, even in exile, to the
Princes of England. The younger sons of France
claimed equality with Sovereigns, whom they ad-
dressed as " brothers ;" and " Royal Highness" was
originally the exclusive property of Sovereigns.
Even some minor Sovereigns did not aspire to it.
The late Duke of Coburg, father to the Prince Con-
sort, never, till the marriage of his son with the Queen,
assumed any style but that of " Serene Highness."
Since then the " Royal Highness" has been twice
conferred by her Majesty—once, on Prince Louis of
Hesse, and more recently on Prince Christian. While
the right of her Majesty to confer such title is un-
questioned, it is clear that the title confers no rank.
In fact, Prince Christian, except by courtesy, will
enjoy no precedence whatever in England; nor will
his children have any any legal status in this coun-

try except as esquires. The same may be said of
the Prince of Teck and his children, whose prece-
dence in this country will rest solely on the grounds
of courtesy and hospitality. A Princess of England,
though she transmit the right of succession, can
confer no interim advantage of precedence or de-
gree. Among many conventional errors none is so
great as that of styling the Princess Mary, Princess
Mary of Cambridge. Had her father never been
created Duke of Cambridge, her Royal Highness
would still have been Princess Mary of Great Bri-
tain—her real appellation. The titles of the father's
dukedom have been added for the sake of distinc-
tion, as when there were two Prince Georges—one
the son of the Duke of Cumberland, the other the
Duke of Cambridge. But to adopt this form
when there are no duplicates is a clear redundancy
and vulgarian,—The