The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-04-20
v hat 1t Costs the British Nation to
Support the Royal Family.

v hat 1t Costs the British Nation to
Support the Royal Family.
A PROMINENT member Of Parliament
recently announced in speech that
Queen Victoria's youngest daughter,
Princess Beatrice, was engaged to be
married. This statement was subsequent
ly contradcted, but in all probability it
was premature rather than erroneous. 1t
has been feature in the Queens policy
to marry her daughters early, and it is un-
likely she intends the youngest to be an
exception to this rule. In this case, Par
Lament will be, Of course, applied to for
provision for the Princess on the same
scale as that given to her older sisters,
namely, $4,000 year, which will make
the entire sum granted TO the Royal fam
lily, exclusive of the Royal grant of 1885,
600 to the Queen herself, e14S,00 per
annum. This will be the last grant to
the present generation, but nine years
hence the eldest son of the Prince of
Wales will be of age, and an allowance
will, in the ordinary course Of things, be
required for him, even if there has not
previously been an application for fur
| ther sum for his father; and meanwhile
none of the existing pensions, with the
exception of that (e6,000) allotted to the
Duchess of Cambridge, can be expected
to expire.
From this point of view, then, the bur-
dens of the British taxpayer are not like
| ly to see any abatement; but on the other
hand, there is very satisfactory set-otf in
the fact that under improved management
the revenue derived from the vast estates
which the Crown surrendered to the coun-
| try for a fixed Parliamentary grant, of
late, is augmented to such degree that
it, last year, nearly covered the whole of
this grant, and will doubtless in time far
exceed it, The same may be said in re-
gard to the revenues of the two royal
| Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall. In
| 1865, the Queen received from the former,
rs Duchess of Lancaster and heiress of
John of Gaunt, e26, O00 in 1874, e41 900.
| The increase has for years continued at
the rate of an average of some co, 200
year. This revenue is entirely indepen-
dent of that granted by the Legislature,
and completely at her own disposal. The
| Duchy of Cornwall revenue has risen
from e22 900 in 1924 to ere 900 to-day,
and increases at the rate of about e3, 900
year; but it is probable that the increase
will ere long take sudden leap to a
much larger sum, by the falling in of
| leases, and that the income from this
source will render Il future Prince of
Wales independent of Parliamentary
grant.
Moreover, there is good reason to sup
pose that the Royal family of England
will, like the house of Orleans, be rem
dered very independent of large grants
from the State in time to come by the
immense property they will inherit from
Queen Victoria who must be one of the
wealthiest persons in the world, quite
apart from her State revenue. Not only
does she own the valuable properties of
Osborne and Balmoral (he latter more
than %, 00acres), both of which, although
not sources of revenue, would sell for i'm
mense sums, but her accumulations Of
money must be proligious. Like many
persons who have been bred under Pc
cuniary difficulties, Her Majesty's ex-
penditure has always been exceedingly
careful No establishment in the world
has been conducted with more thorough
economy than hers, and since the death
of the Prince ConsOrt and her consequent
retirement, an immense saving has been
effected in her expenditure. Of her
1885, 900 a year, it was arranged at the
beginning of her reign that all except
f96 900 should be divided between the
three great departments of Ler house
hold. OF the COG, 900, $50, 900 year was
for her "privy purse" or private ex-
penses, and t36 600 a year for "contin-
gencies." But the retiring manner in
which the court has lived of late has re-
duccd the expenditure so much that it
may be doubted if this e36, 900 year has
been touched, indeed, whether even great
portion of the sums allotted to the Lord
Steward, Lord Chamberlain, and Master
of the Horse, has ever been used. There
is, for instance, no need now for half the
horses formerly kept, and it is notorious
that when more are needed they are hired
from livery stables. But besides all these
sources of revenue, the Queen has yet
another very considerable. An &c
centric miscr, by name Neill, wi o died
in 1859, left her property amounting to
over $500, 600. Here is at least 100000
year.
1t will thus be seen that, while her
means have increased, her expenditure
has greatly diminished. In the way Of
charity she doubtless dispenscs a good
deal, but is by no means profuse, her sub
criptions being, in this respect, singular
ly in contrast with those Of the late Queen
Dowager. For instance, she only sub
scribed e100 on the occasion of the dread
full floods in England last year, while the
Duke and Duchess Of Edinburgh gave
like amount. Her presents, moreover,
are apt to be very little like what might
be expected to come from such a source
But be it remembered, almost her first
act on coming to the throne was to pay
her fathers debts, and she has never had
a debt herself, and now probably, with
president eye, she is making provision
which will cause her careful economy to
be blessed by her sons subjects. For
nothing is more likely 10 commend royal
ty TO them than the finding it cheap
ApptetOn's Journal.