The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-31
WHAT GOOD QUEEN COSTS.

Majesty and the royal household. A select COM
mittce OF twenty-onc members was appointed
by the House OF Commons to prepare estimates
for such support. The charges for the house,
hold of William ". were made the basis Of
their calculations They seem really to have
takon IT us model household and TO have ar
ranged the present one ON almost exactly tho
same plan. and with Just about the same ex-
pcnses. Foi hor Majesty privy purse they set
apart 100000 yearly; for household salaries.
S6j6,3OO; for ordinary household expenses
SSG2.5UO; for royal bounty. a.. 500 900. aud for
various other small items. 10000. The total is
G3sj,0OO or about 81 92j,O0O. The estimate was
agreed to by tho House Of Commons. and 50 tho
account stands to-day. Some Of the Offices for
which provision was made in that list have
since become obsolete. and the incumbcnts
have absolutely no duties to perform. Yet the
offices are still filed and the salaries arc still
paid AZ before.
These items by no means constitute the whole
expense Of the Queens household. and that
lump sum Of 81 1875 900 is by no means her
whole income from the national Treasury She
also receives the revenues Of the Duchy of Ian
caster. which amount to s2lj0p0 net. Tho
amount from this source is not uniform. but
that was the sum received for the last year re-
portcd-ls7G77 This swels her llaicsty's
priyy purse to tjl5.O0O per annum out Of the
funds Of tile nation. On this sum she has uhso-
lutcly no demands for her actual ordinary OK
penscs. 1t is clear pocket money She is under
no necessity Of laying out single penny Of It,
for every possible expense seems to be- provided
for in other allowances. If she travels by water
a yacht IL placed at her disposal at Government
expense. II she travels 10y rail. the country like.
wise foots the bill 10y an additional allowance
Even for charity she need not draw upon her own
purse. for n liberal grant Is made for this ex-
press purpose. Not only does she travel by wa
ter In royal yachts. but a small fleet Of these
yachts is built and kept in repair for her par
ticular use This Of itself is an enormous ex-
ira bill. but have no means Of finding the
amount of it, The maintenance Of royal pal
aces takes an additional 1857 900 a year. and
the maintenance Of royal parks and pleasure
gardens takes another 1929 G55 per annum.
Adding the annual allowance to her Majesty
the net revenues Of the Duchy Of Lancaster and
tho maintenance Of royal palaces parks. and
pleasure gardens we have total OF t2.s27 sos
II year. This does not include the travelling ca
penses Of the Queen, the maintenance Of the
royal yachts, or any Of half dozen other i'm
portant items which are strictly part Of the
expenses Of royalty in England. Allowances to
other members Of the royal family are also adj
ditional Items. In fact" a. an English au-
thoriiy says. If all the expenses incidental to
the honor and dignity Of the Crown could Ice
asccrtained. il would be- found that the $3.50 900
annually settled 10y Parliament upon her Maj
csty constitutes hut very small portion OF the
actual cost Of royalty"
Hn rnu''ier1ioh o, .lle oi'l'ers ".ach'd 10 the
ROYAL household and the duties Of those officers
io"uS "Ao 9hap''r from inc Araoiah Nlghts'
OF ,he ur"nh".'s persone OF NoVeht uhrden
p"n'oinlnls' lew OIL uiese ollcers are useful
s"i'o iehuer services that are quite useless
anu "'se nulnoer receive pay without per,
,u'"lins n"' services """'eNer' Inc Loru
me"Jdu. dn,ia auJ rns nom,s nus IRE
ro.ri,. an a., ,,,i.,a -, ~ ~, - 4,
49, y, w u '"o V'iiS, "i' ppi in'o'
ny the Master Oh the Household. and the Lord
Steward receives his $40 600 a wear merely for
attendance nj Court ON .,rs,, s,a,o aooasi,,,s
The Treasurer is supposed to be kind OF
deputy for the Lord Steward ia the absence OF
the latter. Lord Henry Thvnne Mp nor
loIMs inc hehvy duties OF THIS department.
His chief has no actual duties. and hence the
deput, hrlns him f., io notl,i,,, and r,,ai,.as
s,.,n D., = - - " w 1'''''," """ io'eN's
si'ozO Tor ms assistance. LORD Henry Somer-
set, gs Comptroller Of the Household receives
tho Same SALARY as tho ,rro,snrar ,na a. ,,
-, =, % 'o " 'ii' 10 sup-
poseu TO examine ana check me accounts OF the
Lord Stewards department. His duties are
| ncXt tn notbing Tho Master ~ ,b, uo,,soh,,la
| - ~, -, ~ n''''oi "a u'o househo'u'
Npi' or D. l. lowell performs. or may perform.
| the duties II the three officers lust named His
salary il a. 7go and II i. hi ,,riviIo,,a J., .li,
900 '"" - 10 III, pi''"'Ee 90 UNIV
NJ the queen Ape. Two secretaries.
! three clerks. pAymaster an Office kcep-
ar two rn.sser-ors =. boi,, ,ba NJ
"I'P vac .i"S
Ter 81 the Household IN MS duties Hence
| his heavy duties really dwindlc down to count
inn, his salary and .atiut, M tho pus.,,.s ,,li,
.r' " "'
! mo gentleman ~ the wine ana beer cellars
selects and purchases wines for the royal
| householI snrerint,pls tbair d.cnpti,, and
- ~ 80 ~ "" ''','"S' anu
SENDS them up 10 theiahle. salary. S25oO.
| The Lord Chamberlain is at the hend Of a vnsi
| department. The salary is $4,000 and il is
uoN filed 10y the Marquis # Hereford. Tho
| duties are su h rs ar" commonly performed bN
| mere clerks or servants. ani there arc lew ni
! them 10 which a Marquis would nut his hand
| THE Keeper Of Her MuIrstys privy Purse Sir
| Thomas Biddulph. receives 10000. and his
| principal duty is supposed to be- tho signing ol
| cho'ks on the Queens bankers A secretary
| with good salary assists him in his arduous
| duties. The Duchess of Wellington. ms Mis-
! tress ~ the Robes. has ~ 500 a year Hnf
| duties are about as imaginary m ANYTHING well
| could he. Eight Ladies' III the Brdrhamhor re.
c"ive - 800 each. They rotate in the duties OF
| the position. only one being on duty AT any one
time Hence each gives between six and seven
| Xpak, serNips p.r N,4ar and Count