New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-14
THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.
DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT ON HIS ALLOW


| LONDON. Aug. IA minority of 20 in the House Of
Commons against the addition Of 10000 year 10
| the Duke Of Edinburghs present income, Il a very
remarkable fact IL is even a surprising fact. and
| will explain why it Is surprising. The Duke Of
| Edinburgh, known also as Prince Alfred. Is tho
Queens second son. He is young man Of %. and it
| is not known that he possesses any extraordinary
| merit beyond that Of being the son of his
mother. When he came of age, eight years ago.
| Parliament gave him f15,OOO year, and a. that
was in the days when the upper and middle classes
| had entire possession of the government Of this
country. there was no opposition TO the grant 10
is understood that the Duke has found this sum in
sufficient to support the expenses of bachelor
establishment. He il now about to marry the Grand
Duchess Alexandrovna, the only daughter Of the
Emperor of Russia, and upon that marriage the
Queen comes to Parliament with request for al
additional annuity. Precisely how much she really
wanted we have no means of knowing but the
sum for which her Ministers thought it prudent to
ask the House Of Commons was a sum which makes
this young mans income just E25.0O year. 1t IL
understood that his bride brings as much more ~
that the pair will act up housekeeping on the yearly
pittance of e5OOOO-say $25O,OOO gold.
The House to which this application is made ia
the richest House that ever legslated for the Com
mons of Great Britain. Although elected under the
Reform act of 1867, which, for the first tme admit
ted the working classes Of the towns and cities OF
Great Britain to q share in the franchise. there
never was a House so completely identified in in
terest and opinion with the interests and opinions
of the wealthy and welltodo classes in this coun-
try. You might define it as a political aristocracy
tempered by money. or as plutocracy tempered by
rank and don't know which definition comes
nearest the truth To this House of aristocrats and
plutocrats comes petition from woman who Is AZ
once the first woman in rank in England. and the
richest woman of any rank in Europe. ask
ing that moro money be taken from tho
people and given to her second son. III tho
House truly represented the people of England, 1T
might or might not grant this petition. / am not
competent to say what the opinion Of the people OF
England on this matter is. nor do l know anybody
more competent than l. The people have not been
consulted, and nobody makes any pretense Of con-
suting them, or of desiring to ascertain their
wishes. majority of them, if consulted, would
probably reply that they do not know who the Duke
| of Edinburgh is, and would certainly reply that
they had never heard Of the Grand Duchess Alex
| androvna. And as they live on weekly incomes
varying from nothing to 80 shillngs week, they
would add that the sum of E250OO is a sum respect
| ing which they can form no conception.
But the House represents and means TO represent.
a minority of the people. 1t well understands the
perfectly well that in society and among the com
mercal and trading classes the marriage is liked.
and that the Queens petition for money to promote
it is thought proper petition to grant. Social in
fuences are very strong indeed, and very
| strongly on the Queens side in this matter:
| but [ believe the House would arrive at
| the same conclusion independently of them. They
are however so strong that it requires considerable
| courage in any member of Parliament to oppose
them when they unanimous. When they are
reinforced by the general assent of the middle Glass;
| as in this case they become almost IRE
sistble man who stands up Against
| them knows that the consequences of bis
so doing may be made, and probably will DO maze.
very disagreeable TO him. lie will be made to feel
it in society," if he goes there; and be will lose vol s
among the gentry and shopkeepers OF his borough at
the next election. Hence said at the beginning of
this letter that minority of 20 members against
the grant to the Duke of Edinburgh surprs-
ing fact am far from saying that there are not
more than 20 men in the House of Commons capable
of doing an unpopular act from sense of duty.
But with most of them in this case the sense OF
duty was the other way. They really approved the
grant. The surprising thing is that 20 should have
been found who had at the same time the
independence of mind leading them TO disapprove
it and the independence to express their dsapprovai
by their votes. When the dOwry of the Princess
Louise. $4,000 year, was voted upon her mar rage
with the Marquis of Lorne the outside demonstra-
tions of dissatisfaction were more numerous than
now, yet the minority against it in the House Was
then composed of but three membership p. A.
Taylor Sir Charles Dixie, and Mr.. Auberon Herbert
The increase to 20 marks the growth of sentiment
in the House which may not be Repubhcanism but
which walks in parallel lines with 1t.
1t was Mr.. p. A. Taylor Of Leicester who moved
the rejection of the present bill-a man whose per-
feet fearIessness has long been known, but whose
abilities are far greater than his health always per-
mits him to display. His speech yesterday much in
creased his reputation. He objected to the grant on
the ground that it derogated from the dignity of the
Crown TO be forever coming before the public with
applications for money; that there was no evidence
that claims Of this sort might not be satisfied from
the Civil List out of which the Queen was believed
to have made great accommodations and respecting
which Ministers observed studious cOncealment:
that recent bill had expressly legalized the holding
and dispOsing of private property OF all KINDS by the
Crown, thus reversing the old doctrine tLat such
power was dangerous, yet that the Queen was now
applying the old ground. as II the ClVll List ana
her own savings were together inadequate 10 maze
a suitable provision for her children. Further Mr..
TAYLOR urged. there is no precedent for voting
money on the marriage of one OF the Royal fanliy
except with reference 10 his or her possible aces
sion to the throne, of which there was now no hnt;
He disked an alliance with Russia. moreover, and
could not see how the interest of England would be
promoted by surrendering the second son of the
Queen to the Colossus of the East whose aims were
hostile to those of England. Knowing well how
dear TO the English heart presidents are ne quoted
great authorities against the policy OF such grants
Lord Althorp, Lord Castlereagh, Mr.. Canning, and
Mr. Br0ugham. He pointed out that there was no
proof that great a sum was really needed, aud II
not needed denounced il a wantOn and proiigate
demand and in the name of 10000 workingmen in
n of null lie