St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-29
THE COST OF royalty.


The debate in the British parliament
and the discussion in the English press
over the provision for the queens
grandchildren is an indication that the
European people are growing tired Of
the costliness of royalty. To US on this
side of the water, who are free from the
traditions Of the old countries, it seems
the height of absurditY that such inn
mense sums of money should annually
be appropriated from the public treas
ury for the maintenance of one family
as the English people pay to the royal
household. The sum of three millions
and half Of dollars is annually appro-
priated to provide for the living ex-
penses of Queen VICTORIA and her
children. 1t is no wonder that La
BoUCHERE made decided stand against
the proposition to further increase this
sum by making provision for the
queens grandchildren. The British
taxpayer sees no end in the future to
this species of extravaganza, and it is safe
to assert that LABoUCHERE voiced the
sentiment of nine-tenths of the British
taxpayers when he asked parliament to
call halt in this matter. The fact is
that Queen VICTORIA is abundanHy
able to provide for all of her descend
ants. She is an enormously rich
woman, the wealthiest sovereign on
earth, and it is an everlasting shame
that she should be constantly POSING
before the people of the realm as a beg
gar. In truth, the old lady is becoming
quite miser. On the theory that the
the dignity and splendor of the king
dom, parliament makes most generous
provision for the royal housekeeping.
But the queen does not use the money
with which she is generously provided in
supplying the national pageantry that
is expected. She quietly salts down
every dollar of it in her own name. She
lives as moderately and cheaply as it is
possible for woman Of her station. She
never had any taste for social Splendor,
and, since Prince ALBERT's death, over
twenty-five years ago. she has lived in
retirement. Still, she applies as regu-
larly to parliament for her enormous
allowances as if she were spending her
income for the national benefit.
The Prince of Wales is just about as
eXtraYagant with his income as his
royal mother is niggardly. So long as
the old queen insists upon retaining the
position of national figurehead, his
royal highness doesn't seem to think
that he is under obligations to devote
any of his money to national purposes.
Neither does he follow his mothers ex-
ample Of sailing it down for rainy
day. He is thoroughly imbued with
the idea that the British government
owes him living by reason of the ac-
cdency of his birth, and he goes in to
have good time.
And yet the marvel is that an intelli-
gent nation like Great Britain should
be so trammeled by tradition and super
stition as to permit itself to be robbed
by the royal burglars who are con-
stantly breaking into the national treas
ury and appropriating the public
money to private uses. 1t is easy TO
see, from the tone of the English press,
that the British public is extremely
weary of this thing and, however much
the royal influence may be eXerted to
stifle discussion of the subject in par
lament, it is evident that LABoUCHERE
expressed the general feeling of the
taxpayers with eyactness, and the dis
cussion of it will continue in the clubs
and in the houses all over the United
Kingdom until public sentiment will
be worked nm that will make the throne
tremble.