New-York tribune., 1892-12-18
NORITJTY'S PRIVILEGES.
WANE OF TIE PREROGATlVES of Iiih
rr-ROpEAN ARISTOCRACY

,., hreb,rq the right Of immunity from
- -, ,ro,, trial by the ordinary police and
criminal tribunals which has hthcrto poeh en
:,.11 49,. ,ho bjqher dicnitarics Of the Legion OF
Honor by the Episcopacy and by cohSl"'I""c
,.ha, =, cvoltcd functonarics. such as Caoi-
NO, Minister'S Senators and Councillors OF H'a'e'
oor..,,u,cs another blow inflicted by democracy
rnor class privilege. The latter has p'eh 'I'c
rociplcnt Of many such onslau2hts d"tlhS 'nc
las, two decades and OILY few months d-o ''c
co,r,,r Government, deprived hy one stroke OF
The pcn. the melatizcd aristocracy OF tne E"p",
~ tbc exemption from taxation which 1t hau
,,r .h., limo considered ore OF ito most
cherished privileges
cl,se nriviorc NAV be described as the corner
s.ono Of The social cdlfcc of Europe Privilege
a,. ,b,, cc,.,in distinctions an1 certain I'M
munitcs are enjoyed by certain classes and orders
~ tho State Some Of these distinctions ana IN
,,uritios arc of social character, som" h@al'
some fiscal and Others. again, political VIZ"
tho solitary execution Of Russia which Is pursuing
= rotrocradc course in th" ma:tcr every country
in Furopo is moving in the direction OF com
reto ,holtion of recognized privilege. ana toWar"
optirn eouolitv between the varions cl'SSPH vi
thc popnlation or course fiscal. legal ana p'l'-
cal privileges are among the first to co. oc'i'e VI
. character which can be terminated by n'a's
Of government decree or lrgsla'iv" vot" ana III
some countries, such "a, for instance fra"c' r''u
Switzerland they have vanished altoqcthef' '"'
thc class privileges Of social natnrr ar" tlr
moro LASTING. and will continue 10 s"pSi''
thoneh in gradually diminishing Degree
~ long as the monarchcal system remains '"'
nrcdominant form Of government IN Lufop'. Ion
they owe their origin 70 the " oNh'alh "l i'""'
A. thr Crown il designated IN the pafl''c' VI
royal courts and indebted for III" S'r'"''"
or thoir vitality and endurance to hirth ana
ancestry Indeed. the latter are the W'h,'P''
constituent elements Of class privilege. when Il
almost entirely in the hands OF the h'i'u""S
aristocracv.
II is in Great Britain Germany. Anstro-liun-
cary and Spain that the aristocracy has Su'c''"""
in retaining the largest number OF lts o"-'lne
privileges Thus in each Of ties" coun'll' '"'
mobiles cnioy bv right Of birth and inheritance
seat in the rpp"r House Of the National I'"iS
loturc and voice in the administration o' '"'
affairs Of the Nation. In the Lower House :"
Parliament each LEGISLATOR represents "'nN'l'"-
cncy. consisting often of many tens OF th"n''n"'
Of elections and possessed OF enormous "''"''
The hereditary Legislator in tie Upper House rep
rcseuts no one hut hims,lf. no Interests hN' Il'9
own, and thus il j. that sin2lc noh" peer NAV
lv virtue of his class privilege ">ercr" A. p'''".
a voice in the shaping OF the na'l"nol lo"'H' '''
find his recommendations carrying ~" s'Hr
weight. rs thosr Of large and prosperous Town
or district All immuniiics from taxation hav"
now been abolished. and til" mobiles are no" ''i'''
upon 10 nav their government impo-t- In the
same manner a. any other citizen. The ars'"'-
racy. however retains certain number of lr-a'
nrivil.cc. Thus in non" of the states st
enumerated can peer De called upon e. +'r'c
- = iurer Both in Germany AMI ~ ''r'lf
Britain hr is dispensed from taking Ill" oail wn''
~ = Juror Both in Germany and IN treat
merely gives his word Of louor That T. hrid
fuIly as binding ~ tie Hihr oath of an ordinary
citizen Until 1s7s the mcdiati7"d nohI'p "i
Germany were not amcnabl 70 Tie ordinary III
bunals Of the land, oven when cnsae'l in i"t'l
dispute. with poopl. who did not belong = thrir
class. and even Ia this dav any linti~h lr'r can
il charged with IA crime any offence against Tie
laws OF the land claim o. be tried by tn" il"u1
Of Lords Formerly. too. i" used, II convicted oi
murder 10 possess the privilege Of being suspended
10 the pallows by means Of a rope Of six in@cad
Of ordinary, common hemp.
The privileges Of social character possessed
by the hereditary aTs'ocracy Of thrs" ionr Eu-
ropcan countries consist Of u degree of pr",cdrucc
officially recognized hy State and royalty. and
| the eutrcr to the cour; Of the latter Thus, IN
Austria ana b'IHlilA, u J. oHlA wv N'hh'h VIM
can show tuat there l. 10 plcbcinn strain IN tn'ir
blood for four or five generators back, who pos
sc,. the IoIachir.cit," or night to appear at
| court. This l. perhaps the most cherished pre-
rogativc Of the aristocmcy, and tie one Of which
| they are In" most JEALOUS. \ year ago til" Em-
pcror Of Austria gave reluctant consent 10 the
| appearance NJ court OF the wives Of the great
officers Of State. Of priyy Councillors aud OF
generals of division, even If they did not happen
| 10 possess the requisite number Of noblllary quar-
| tcrngs But it expressly stipulated that
their IloiIachgicit' would only last during
the period Of office and oi active service OF
| their husbands In fact, the~" ladic, are
| thoroughly made to understand that they are
| merely tolerated temporarily, and at all court
| functions they form group apart the ladies'
who possess the "utrcc 10 court by right Of in
hcriancc holding rigidly alooi from them Among
other social rights OF the Austrian and Hun
! garan aristocracy Of birth are tho-r Of hold
| Ing certain ttular aud honoriGc Offices in con-
ncction with the imperial court Thus, any
subject Of the Emperor of Au-tro-lunaary who
is able 70 show an ancestry ficc from all pie
| bcian strain for five generations back both
on the patcrna and maternal ride. has a risht
| 70 parchment bearing the soyercign's signa-
turc and granting lnm the purely honorary
title Of Imperial Chamberlain as well as tho
privilege Of wearing blue ro.ctte with a cold
| key, nanltcd by couple OF gold buttons on the
| left hip of his uniform, or court dress lin thc
same way the ladies' who posses, the rcuni
site number Of quurerngs 10 appear M court
rccciVc' not a. favor, but as right. the
Austrian decoration. entitled the stern Krcuz..'
or star Cross the Grand Mistress Of which
is the Empress. II is worn on the left breast. ard
is pretty jewel, much handsom"r, in fact, than
most of the other feminine orders Of Euron,
| It's wcarrrs likewise receive the honorary ti,Io
Of "PalastIdmc," or Lady Of the Palace" " to th.
! Empress
At Tie Cour' of Berlin similar s.riotoe.s prc-