The Osceola times., 1881-08-20
RRIIISH PENSION LIST.
some of Its Curiosities Exposed-sharp
Practices.
Cor. Philadelphia Telegram

Practices.
Cor. Philadelphia Telegram.
A diligent perusal OF the British Pen
sion List, however, rev eals a much more
extraordinary state Of things than the
payment now being made 10 tue ROYAL
family, / refer TO the perpetual PEN
sions;b some granted as rewards 10 sue
cessfnl generals and their heirs for
ever" but the greater number 10 iavor-
ties or Legitimate children of bygone
Kings. who never Iendcid the nation
the slightest service which could serve
for An excuse for these annual payments
10 the descendants.
Charles III. "of pious memory;" LEFT
the nation a goodly legacy, IN the shape
OF some half dozen Of his basterds,
whom be benevolently provided for at
the country's expense. Charles had an
intrigue With the Duchess of Cleveland,
bv whom be had three sons. All o.
these lef.handed ofishets of royalty
were created peers of the realm under
the respective titles of Duke of South.
ampton. Duke of Northumberland, and
Duke of Grafton Lancaster of the present
Duke.l The "pious" King had other IL
legitimate childreD, amongst them belsg
the Duke of Mammouth, by Lucy Wal
tiers; Duke of st. Adams, by Nell
Gwynne, and Duke of Richmond, by the
Duchess of Portsmouth. Two latter are
ancestors of the peers at present holding
the same title.
The Duke of Grafton had a pension OF
ell 500 per annum, part chargeaDle on
the Excise and part on the post office.
In 1916 the family commuted part OF
his for El35,000, and in 1856 portion
of the remaining pension was bought
out" fo- Gl9i 600, and year later the
amount paid out of the post Office funds
vas stopped, and the sum OF col ,00e in
cash given as compensation; so that at
present the Duke of Grafton is only
down on tine pension list for an annual
payment of eSiS. The wonderfully APP
propriate motto Of the Duke of Grafton
Is "Etdecus, ct pretium recti Both
the ornament and the reward of virtue"
The landed property Of the Graftons
comprises 80 200 acres, situated IN four
counties, and produces, even by their
own admission, G34 900 per annum; but
not one ofthem have ever had the man.
illness to refuse TO receive the price OF
his ancestors shame. 1t is estimated
that this one little illegitimate son OF
Charles H. and his posterity have cost
the country "a, 7,0O0up TO the present,
in addition to thousands of acres of pub
lie property to which they have helped
! themselves at various times.
Charles III. showed very business
like aptitude in providing for his natur'
al children at the expense of the nation.
The Duke of Richmond was granted the
right to levy tax OF one shilling per
"chaldren" on all coal exported from the
Tyne. In l779 this tax was commuted
for perpetual pension Of fl9,00O per
anSum, which pension was ultimately,
in 1S25, if / remember rightly, exiting
uished by the payment of f40l ,000.
The Richmond family seem to have
developed singular genius for finding
loose property. They own l7,ll7 acres
in Sussex, $1,000 in Aberdeen, 1j0,950 in
Baut, 1921 in Elgln,a and q 400 acres in
Inverness; and l am told that the title
to the greater portion of these immense
ly valuable estates would not bear III
| yestigatien.
No one would grudge Lord Nelson the
reward Of his splendid victories over the
| French at the battle Of the Nile and
| Trafalgar, where the greatest hero Eng
| land ever possessed lost his life. In 1901
Nelson was granted $4,000 per year in
recognition of his brilliant victories. He
was killed at Trafalgar in 1906, and very
properly his widow was granted the sum
of fl 500 year for life.
A brother of the Admiral, the Rev.
William Nelson, was voted a pension Of
10000 a year, and an earldom was con-
ierred upon him, in addition to a lump
sum Of 100000 given him. with which
70 purchase an estate to keep up the dig
nifty of the title. Two sisters of the Adj
mrsl were also voted 100000 pounds
each. When Nelson's widow died her
pension Of 81 800 was paid to his broth.
er Williams wife, ana the present Earl
still receives the same sum annually, also
the IS 900 voted TO the great Admiral.
The estate purchased for the Reverend
William now yields E5 500 year; there.
fore the present holder of the title re-
ceives eli 800 per annum from the ma.
ton, simply because his grandmother
happened to be the sister to the hero of
Trafalgar.
The present Duke of Wellington con-
unues TO draw his fathers pension Of
$4,000 a year, besides the revenues from
the estates voted him, which produce
another $4,000 annually, and the inter.
est On the 100000 voted to the hero Of
Waterloo.