Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1837-09-07
THE ENGLISH CROWN


Sundry correspondents appear 20 be
puzzled about the manner IA which
the Princess VICTORIA succeed. 10 the
British throne and we frankly confess
that we participate partly IN their mis-
understanding Of the matter. The CHIEF
facts. however. We believe to be near
ly thus:
Queen Victoria succeed. in right OF
her father, the late Duke Of Kent. fourth
son Of George I'LL. The Duke Of Cum
oerland Is the 9th son. consequently.
by the English law Of succession, she
has prior right TO her Uncle the Duke
OF Cumberland. He succeeds TO Han
over rs eldest male. the Salique law
prevailing in Hanover. Had the Duke
OF Kent left a son instead OF daughter
he would have succeeded TO both Eng
land and Hanover. The Duke Of Cum.
berland is now the merit heir 10 the Bri.
tish throne. and 10 the event OF Victo-
ma dying without issue, the kingdoms
will be reunited. Many persons in
reference TO such an event are de,irou,
ola marriage between Victoria and IA.
son OF the Duke of Cumberland but A
separation is perhaps best for Enrland
The Dake Of Cumberland i Gisiiked.
not so much for bis Tory principles. rs
for his un-English habits II we may
use the expression, and for some be.
culiar circumstances Of former years.
which are not forgotten.
The inquiries that have been made.
and the doubts that have been express
ed on this subject, appear to have arisen
CHIEFLY from Misrepresentation Of the
rules which govern the descent Of the
crown. The inheritance follows the
foedai path Of desrcnis, with two cx-
cePhons-neither Of which affects the
present case. The preference OF the
males to the females; the rights of pri-
mogeniiure; and the representation Of
an ancestor by his issue, are, in all cases,
strictly adhered 10. How these rules
cast the inheritance on the present
Queen, the following account OF the
family Of George Ill, will show: The
four eldest male children of George III
were George Nv, the Duke OF York.
William Nv, and the Duke of Kent
George ~ took the throne as The eldest
son, aud died without issue the Duke
OF York, who was heir presumptive,
died during the life time Of George ".
also without issue,-,he crown ,l,en
fell 10 William Nv, at that time Duke
OF Clarence, and on his decease. with
out issue, II descended 20 the Princess
Victoria, as the representative of her
father the Duke of Kent, TO whom il,
would have fallen had he survived the
late King. The Dukes OF Cumberland
Cambridge, and Gloucester. as Younger
brothers Of the Duke Of Kent, cannot
inherit uLhl the failure Of his issue
shall take place. Thus then we have
the rules mentioned above, illustrated
the elder son is preferred TO the
younger; the male stock to the female
though elder; and the female Of an Ell .
der branch is preferred to the male of a
younger.
Were the crown limited TO the King
and the heirs male Of his body, as is
the case in many Kingdoms Of Europe.
the Duke OF Cumberland would ascend
the throne. This is the course OF the
descent Of the crown Of Hanover, and
by reason Of IT the Duke OF Cumber.
land becomes monarch Of that territory.
thus severing il from the crown of
England, % which IL has been attached
since the year l7l5 Most Of the mo
dern creations Of nobility are by patent.
and are limited in this way, and con.
sequently are not desccndible 10
the female issue in any case
The ole creations, generally, are by a
writ directed to a man and his heirs
and descended both TO the male and fe.
male issue, subject to the rules above
mentioned. The exceptions frat al
luded to above are the,c:-If a man
leaving more than one daughter, and no
son, by the foedal law. they shall take
together in equal shares, and If the in =.
herliance be dignity, as an Earldom.
IT shall remain in allegiance until the
King shall determine the allowance by
appointing one Of them 10 have it.
But when the King dies, leaving daugh-
tiers or female representative 10 equal
degree, the eldest daughter shall inherit
the crown to the exclusion Of the rest.
Again, It is the rule Of the foedal law
that brethren Of the half blood shall not
inherit from each other. This rule is
dispensed within the succession Of the
crown, when the brother of the half
blood is Of the blood Of him or her from
whom the crown descended TO The last
taker. BY the first ofihese rules Que en-
Mary was queen 20 the exclusion Of
Elizabeth and by the second. Mary
succeeded to the throne at her demise.
philadelphia Gazette