Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-07-28
WHAT ROYALTY COSTS.
rive Million Dollars Per Aunum for
Victoria and Her Family.
London Cor. Philadelphia Telegraph

Five Million Dollars Per Aunum for
Victoria and Her Family.
London Cor. Philadelphia Telegraph.
Considering the money which the
royal family gets out of the country, |
don't see the necessity for the excessive
amount OF gratitude recently expressed
by the ultra-loyal portion of the Eng
llsh press for the stupendous labor un-
dertaken by royalty in amusing itself
by playing shopkeeper at fancy bazars
In aid OF charitable objects. Civil list
payments were fixed by a select COM
mittee appointed in 1880 at e3S5 600
per annum; but this sum is always ex-
ceeded. In 1870 it was e4O5. 900. and
1879 1T had risen to R407. 200. The
sum of e3o5,OO0 was the amount for
which her majesty commuted what
were called the hereditary revenues of
the crown; and the stipend was te be
devoted solely "to her majesty's house
hold, and the honor, and dignity of the
crown" A margin of $4,000 has
since been allowed but If the "honor
|and dignity Of the crown" Iequire -sny
sum above 100000, application has to
be made to parliament within thirty
days.
In addition to the above, about el,.
500 a'year are allowed to her majesty
for the payment of pensions "to persons
who have Just claims or the royal ben
efce, or who, by their personal services
to the crown, by the performance of
duties to the public, or by their useful
discoveries in science and attainments
in literature and the arts, have merited
the gracious consideration of their SOY.
ereign, and the gratitude of their cOun-
try" We sometimes see paragraphs in
English papers stating that "her most
gracious majesty has, with her usual
generosity, signifed her intention of
contributing so much to such fund" I"
and many simple minded people are
under the impression that the queen is
giving some of her own private money
to cause which has enlisted her wo-
manly sympathies. Never was there
so great a mistake. Queen Victoria
never contributed one single penny
piece of her private income to any
cause in her life. 100000 of the civil
list money is set apart for what is
termed the "privy purse" and other
sources of private revenue brings up
her majesty's private income to e100,-
600 per annum. Four thousand two
hundred pounds per annum is set apart
for "alms and charity besides $4,000
for "royal bounty and special service"
Very nearly the whole of these grants,
as a matter of fact. goes into the
queens private pocket. The queens
palaces are kept in repair and occasion
ally refurnished by the nation, in addi-
ton to the grants referred TO- Nearly
E50,OOO is thus annually spent, besides
which the "rOyal parks and pleasure
gardens" cost about 100000 yearly.
1t is estimated that her majesty has
hoarded at least e6,000,000 sterling
since her accession TO the throne, and
this sum, invested in different parts of
the world, if at 5 per cent interest
would yield an income of 100000, or
81, 100000 per annum, or even at 81
per cent-wou realize e210,O00, OR 81;
O5O,OOO yearly; and this in addition to
her regular source of income. A poor
clerk getting e150 per annum is obliged
to pay income tax on his hard earned
salary; but her majesty of England,
whose actual private income f1om one
source and another can not be less than
100000, never contributes single
solitary half-penny to the revenues of
the country, although size is "lodged
and boarded free"
Some time ago the Australian colo
nies particularly desired the Prince of
Wales to visit their exhibition; but it
was publicly stated that his royal high
ness was unable to do so, on account of
the expense. Now, visit to Austria
liza is not like an Indian trip, where
every petty rajah or princeling expects
a more or less valuable present when
ever visited by English royalty. One
of her majesty's frigates would have
conveyed the prince and his suite free
of charge to Australia and back, and
it is difficult to see how the trip would
have been very expensive. However,
his royal highness pleaded poverty, and
was excused from the duty of visiting
his mothers antipodean possessions,
though it was one which he might well
have undertaken free of charge. One
way and another the prince gets f13O,-
600 year out of the country, besides
living free of charge in palaces which
cost the nation another $1,000 annually
to keep in repair.
The prince has an allowance of $40,
600 per annum from parliament; the
princess also having a yearly allowance
of 10000. The duchy of Cornwall
brings in an admitted revenue of SO,
600, and is estimated to produce con
, siderably more. Then he is a general
, which post yields $4,000 per annum
, is colonel of three regiments, and draw!
J $4,000 per year as field marshal. The
, revenues of the duchy of Cornwall
were formerly charged with the pay
J ment of several pensions, aggregatint
} nearly f6, 900 yearly; but these charge.
| have, by little judlcious manipula
J tion, been transferred to the shoulder
of the nation. During the princes
minority, the accumulated incom,
from the duchy of Cornwall amountet
! to upward of E1,500,000 sterling, ant
yet the poor prince is so impecuniou
} that he cannot afford to go to Austria
lia- Truly, it is hard case!
; The other members of the royal fam
lily also draw large sums yearly out o
the public purse. First on the lis
comes the duke of Edinburgh, who i
granted e25,000 per year, in addition
to his pay as an aemiral, and larg
additional income with his wife. Tn
duke of Connaught has e15.000 yeaI
and free lodgings in palace. Prime
Leopold has a similar amount TIL
queens married daughters have ais
allowances ranging from $4,000 to e8
600 per annum, although one woul
think their several husbands Nigh
provide for them. The duchess o
Teck and Princess Augusta of Meek
lenburg-Strelitz are also pauperized t