New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-16
HOW THE PRINCE OF MONACO RULED.
From Bet1rdrid.

The Prince Of Monaco was the relentless Bomba
of miniature Naples. His fathers indeed had
chastscd the people with whips, but Prince Honore
chastsed them with scorpions.
Amongst other ingenious devices the Prince dis
covered a new mode of exaction called tho mon
opoly of cereals" He made himself the sole miller
and contractor of his dOmlniOns. Everyone must
eat the Princes bread. and pay the Princes price
for it. Any person. Moncgasque or foreigner. who
bought or eat of any unauthorized flour was pun
shod by fine and imprisonment. To make matters
worse the Princes corn was not only dear but also
bad, the cheapest and vilest sweeplngs OF the
Genoese and Marseilles markets. Travellers pass
ing through the country must leave their sand
witches ut the Princes custom house; and work.
men coming to their daily work from beyond the
borders could not carry their humble luncheon in
thsir pockets. to the prejudice of our lord the
Prince, his crown and dignity. The skipper of
some little fishing bark who brought few remain
ing loaves from Nice or BOrdighera into the harbor
unconsumed was liable to have his vessel cOnscated
and he fined q round sum of money In the bar
gain. Every baker had to keep a register OF tho
amount of bread purchased by each family and II
the consumption seemed under the average, the
Princes gendarmes made quiet dOmiciliarv visit
in search of q hidden barrel suspected to contain
contraband -four. The poor wretch found guilty of
eating untaxed bread went to prison. and his child
Similarly, Honore " had a monopoly of educa.
ton. He established q college at Mentone and
promulgated law that no one but his own pro-
fessOrs could keep school or give private Lessons
within the principality. Moreover, lie instituted
complicated cattle-tax in accordance with which
every peasant had to register at once the birth and
sex OF every calf or lamb on tie day OF its arrival
and upon stamped paper out OF which, OF course,
the Prince turned another honest penny. Ii the
creature died. the fact must be notified TO tho
police or else the family were held to have sold It
outside the bOundary-line. without the knowledge
and to the great damage OF our sovereign lord. ny
these and many like petty exactions, Honore v.
managed to pocket in twenty-five years no less
plum than 100000 francs-a very reasonable
remuneration for the arduous task OF governing
5000 souls. Had the Office been submitted TO
public competition by open tender, no doubt many
n respectable provincial mayor would gladly have
undertaken all the duties for round SUN OF TWO
hundred year,
Prince Fiorestan his successor. was compelled to
abolish the corn monopoly but still stucx to the
other princely abuses. Accordingly in 1s4s. the
better half Of his dOminions. including MentOne
and Roccabruna, declared themselves independent,
and so remained till the French annexation OF
Nice. At that period, his Highness OF Monaco, al
WAYS ready to look at every political change III
commercial spirit Did to the Emperor his shad0wy
feudal rights his revOted hegcs for another
lump sum OF hundred and sixty thousand pounds
sterling. Moreover, no obtained leave to open his
gaming tables at the Casino. and so prepared tho
wav for his present magnificent fortune. A phi
yate person W no should mako a living by keeping
roulette tables wond not be looked upon with
favor in general society," but as Prince Fl0restan Is
a crowned head, and the descendant or so many
respectable hereditary plunderers with pedigree
reaching back to land pirate OF the tenth century,
we must not he guilty OF sOdnddinm md0n fum Dy
calling him ugly names. SO we will leave the poor
blind old man unmocsed in his great W bite To0ny
palace haunted only by the ghosts OF the ruined
after losing their last Napoleon. ct tho appalling
rate of some dozen per annum: Monaco Is % Deau-
tifu little domain, but still l would not ike 10
stand in the Princes shoes.