The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-28

ton act. In which 1t was laid down that the
title OF the nation to these lands was IN
alicnahle. During the next three rcigns no
suggestion WA put forward that this prop.
crty belonged OF right To the sovereign. and
II taken by the state must be paid for. 1t
was Lord Butte who. under the accession
OF GEORGE ILL.,. inserted In tho preamble
OF tho civil list q rcnunclation Of the alleged
hereditary revenues In consideration Of
life income settled on the sovereign by the
act. This preamble has been repeated IN
the civil service lists OF the SUCCESSORS OF
GEORGE III. But Mr.. LABoucHERE Ia I'M
doubtedly right in affirming that renun-
citation Of something which did not exist.
dragged into the preamble ~ an act OF Par
lament. does not create tito.
Tho aim Of Lord BrTE's trick became OBJ
vious enough when IL was noted that tho
revenues said to bc renowned did not
include those OF tho duchy OF Lam
caster and tho duchy OF Cornwall.
Good-natured Pnrliamcnts and toll
Grant public opinion have countcnanccd the
absorption OF the revenue OF those duchies
by the sovereign and Prince OF WALES re-
spcctivcy. As to the prctcnce set up In
Lord BuTE's preamble that the rest OF the
crown lands also were of right vested In the
monarch, this was entirely UNDECIDED by the
House OF Commons committee which framed
the civil list Of Queen VICTORIA. No account
whatever was taken Of the annual income
nccruing from the crown lands and from the
hereditary taxes. but. on tho contrary. the
amount noted was based simply on con-
silrrton Of what had been the expenditure
of WILLIAM ". The principle may. there
fore. be regarded as impregnably establish
ed that English sovcreigns, ruling by
purely Parliamentary title. arc not entitled
to penny beyond what Parliament may
choose to vote them. Parliament Is at lib
crty to cut down the cost OF royalty as
much as II pleases. and 1t will undoubtedly
exercise the power whom the Radicals be-
como prcponderant. The day consequently
is close at hand when tho Queens collateral
relatives and the host Of parasites now
quartercd In the royal palaces will cease to
be fed from tho public crib. and when tho
whole fabric OF medieval pageantry will be
demolished.
When, however. the silly ceremony OF
court has been discarded and the English
sovereign has become simply the hereditary
flgurehead OF the nation. with q salary no
larger than that allotted to President CAR
NOT or say $25O.OOO. Mr. LABoUcHERE can
see no reason why the monarchy should not
endure for many a year. He asserts that
the mass OF Englishmen nre neither mo-
narchlcal nor republican; they would not toll
crate a monarch openly immoral. but all that
they would ask Of him would be an avoid
ance Of VIGOROUSLY bad behavior. II they
exact so little. this ia becaus, they look upon
monarchy. not as an immutnble principle.
but as a convenient cxpedlent. 1t is
a useful stop gap between the overthrow
OF one Ministry and the accession OF an
other. Moreover. English Radicals believe
that the real executive ought to emanate
directly from the legislature. and that
public liberties are much more freely and
necessarily exercised under a puppct SOW
ereign than under an executive like our
own. elected for a fixed term OF years dur
ing which he Is independent OF the lrgsla-
ture. That is why Mr.. LABoUcHERE thinks
that monarchy OF a thrifty. bourgeois type
Is likely to survive. In England. the de-
structon OF the House Of Lords and Of the
Established Church. and the transforma-
ton Of the House OF Commons through the
payment OF Its members from club Of
plutocrats into a truly popular assembly.
There is another surprising feature in
Mr.. LABoUCHERE's article. and that is his
denial OF the generally believed report that
the Queen has managed to save great deal
Of money out Of her civil list. He Is un-
Questionably competent to speak with
authority upon the subject; for two years
ago. when Lord SALISBURY proposed to
endow the Queens grandchildren. COM
mittee OF the House Of Commons was
appointed to consider the demand. and
under pledge OF secrecy was made
acquainted with the total value OF her
Majesty's investments. Mr.. LABoUCHERE
was O member Of that committee. and OF
course cannot violate the pledge He does
not consider. however. that he breaks conf
dcnce In saying that the amount OF the
Queens savings was surprisingly small.
IL IL