The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-11-28
The Richest Man fu England.

| He is the Marquis of Westminster. His
| wealth is estimated at f21 ,000, 900 sterling,
| or $lo5,' 90, 600, and his annual income at
100000. How ne become 30 Immensely
rich is explained by Shelton Mackensie, the
| well informed literary editor of the Phila-
delphia Press:
Some people may desire to know how the
Marquis Of Westminster comes to possess
this immense pr 'perty, equal to the fabu-
l9us wealth Of the Count De Monte Christie.
More than half of it has accrued within the
last fifty years. The Marqusate of West
minister is Of a modern creation, dating 10
farther back than the time of the Reform
Bill, when Earl Grey rewarded many of his
political supporters with new peerages, and
with advancements in degree.
Thus the Earl of Grosvenor was changed
inte :. the most noble the Marquis of West
minister, and originally inherited, with his
fathers Earldom, the estates-at that time
chiefly consisting of land in Chcsiro and
Dorseishire. But he also was owner of a
large tract OF land in Westminster, stretch
ing from the Houses of Parliament to Chel-
sea-land which originally belonged to the
Crown, and was sold to the Grosvenor fam
lily for trihe. BY degrees, as London in
creased, particularly spreading to the West
as most gre It cities do, this land, swampy
and barren as it was, came into request for
building purposes. George the Fourth,
ashamed OF such a residence as st. James
Palace, (Which originally was an hospital,
and looks like one to this day. and tired Of
Carlton House, obtained authorization, from
Parliament, TO build another Palace on the
site Of Buckingham House, in Pinlico, for
mcrly the property Of his mother, Queen
fhspl Iy, h. Of
only few feet above the level of the river
Thames, from hch II is not far distant,
this was, perhaps, the very worst site in
London for a dwelling.
Bat upon IL arose the present Bucking-
ham Palace the town residence of Queen
Victoria, around which with due rapIdty,
soon accumulated new squares and streets,
the Indications of the rich and fashionable
people of the West End Many of these
squares and streets, consisting Of palatial
houses, were built on the Grosvenor ground
but not with the CroSvenor money. The
London practice is to lease ont the building
lots, at so much annual ground rent; for
the tenant to build the houses according 20
certain architectural plans supplied by the
ground landlord, so as q secure uniformity
OF appearance and construction. The ground
Il generally leased ninety nine years al the
expiration Of which period It reverts TO the
landlord, together tcth rha:erer ediJice has
been constructed upon IL.
or course, as each Of these houses comes
back TO the landlord the grandson of the
present Marquis o Westminster, who NAV
he living when these reversions come into
operation, will find MS London income mar
velously aurmented-for If the rent of the
mere ground of fashionable dwelling in
" Belgravia," $50 called because the Marquis
* a'sc Baron Belgrave.) be estimated at
G300 year, the dwelling itself, when il
falls back, literally for nothing, as part of
the GroSvenor estate, will be worth ten
times as much. Whoever shall he Marquis
Of Westminster in the year 1900. may esti-
mate bis London property at not less than
G! ,00o,c coo TO 81, 800, 600 per annum. 4
comfortable ingome for one ran-unless.
by that time the artificial distinctions of
rank shall have become things of the past
TO be rhi'osophically contemplated by Mr.
Aac7ulay's Australian citizen, as he sits on
m the ruins of 81, Paul's, calmly smntins
his pipe, and musing on thc decay of grea.
empires.
With all his wealth, the present Marquis
Of " eS.miniStcr was not above accepting
service in the Household Of Queen Victoria.
and wearing her livery, as Lord High Stew
ard, sort of upper iiunkey, whose duty it
IS TO pay the part Of tirst-class fuot,nan to
MS Mistress, carry a white wand in his hand
before her. and invariably walk backward
ont OF her presence, IT the risk of some
times fal.ing-whch has happened more
than once. \ Marquis with e700, 600 per
annum, who would thus act as upper ackey
for 1000 year, is precisely the man to
give no more than fl00 to a national chari-
teble purpose, while Mr.. Thackary (whom
nI doubt, he looks down upon) gives ten
times as much