Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-21

Vladimir that she insisted on his giving
| fere champe-re in her honor at his
country seat near Versailles two days Ia
ter. The unfortunate senator ventured
to hint that j. was his duty to return to
St. Petersburg at once. more especially
as the grand council of the en- pire, of
viii he was one of the principal mem
bers, had been summoned to meet the
day after the emperor's return to Cats
china. The grand duchess, however,
would not hear of his departure. She
declared that she had already invited q
number of Partisan celebrities to attend
the fete which she had In view at his
chateau, and that he must positively re-
main. As in addition TO her imperial
rank the grand duchess happens to be
a singularIy beautiful and clever woman,
although thoroughly INSCRIPTIONS, she
was able TO prevail upon NJ. Polovtsov
to stay and organize the entertainment
ID her honor in his customary magnif-
cent scale. The moment the last guest
had left his chateau he started for st.
Petersburg, arriving here the day after
the meeting of the grand council OF the
empire. On presenting himself at Cats
china for the purpose of waiting on the
emperor the latter refused to receive
him. and caused him to be notified that
he was summarily dismissed from his
post of grand secretary of the empire,
from his senatorship, and from all of the
other high offices which he had filled UNI
til then. The reason given for this UNI
expected piece OF severity on the part of
the car was NJ. Polovtsov's absence from
the meeting of the council, but the meas
ure was, of course, principally directed
nh
duchess Vladimir, on whom it inflicted
far greater humiliation than that ex-
perieDced by the senator.
How serious a matter the Emperor's
displeasure IS to any member of the i'm
perial family is shown by the statute of
April 5. 1895, which was confirmed July
2, 1886, according to the terms of which
leach member of the imperial family
owes to the person of the reigning mon
arch, both as chief of the house and auto
crat Of the Empire, entire respect, sub
mission, obedience and subj lection"
According to clause No. 81 of the same
law "the Emperor as autocrat has the
right and privilege of depriving any
member of the imperial family who has
incurred his displeasure of his or her
revenues, and of all immGnities, rights
and privileges as a Prince or Princess of
the blood"
But little love exists between Alexander
III. and the other members of the imper-
ial house of Russia. He is too upright,
too honest, too conscientious and straight
TO tolerate their frequently crooked ways
and somewhat Oriental notions of honor.
Moreover, they have never forgiven him
for having eighteen month ago reduced
all their allowances from the Crown by
two-thirds. Formerly they received as
much as 100000 per annum from the
civil list, whereas now the Grand Dukes
Vladimir and Alexis have to content
themselves with pittance of $4,000 per
annum. These measures of economy weigh
the most heavily on the Grand Duchess
Vladimir, who is a German Princess by
birth, and who is popularity regarded
here as a secret agent of Prince Bis
marck.
The Emperor's third brother has never
forgiven nor forgotten his Majestys
Intervention on behalf of his wife, the
charming Grand Duchess Elizabeth, who
until few months ago was a martyr to
her husband savage cruelty and brutality.
His uncles, the Grand Dukes Constantine
and Nicholas, have both been disgraced
for the gross scandals in which they per-
mitted their names to be implicated at
the close of The last war, when they were
shown to have been the recipients of
enormous brides fsom fraudulent army
contractors, and are practically banished
from court. Another Grand Duke is in
exile in Siberia for having stolen his
mothers jewels and robbed the imperial
chapel of its valuables for the purpose of
bestowing them on an American demi |
monda;ne. In fact, there are few of them
who are above reproach, and the Gear
stands alons in his honesty, his straight
forwardness, and his great sorrow.