The Irish standard., 1893-04-29

| Hispaniola his governorship was shorn of
its dignity in the fact that ali his DEGREES
were subject to the revision of council
| 1t was during his administration that
the islands of Cuba and Jamaica were
fully subjected and colonizad, and with
out bloodshed. In spite of Don Diego's
worth he was kept in constant hot water
at the Spanish court, and he was in o.
tendance pressing suit to recover certain
rights and royalties on the mainland of
Darien to which he was entitled when
the OLD king died and Charles ", his
grandson, ascended the throne of Spain,
the Low Countries and of the Indies.
It took four years more potent pleading
and hard work to fully establish Diego's
claims, but he was never given the COM
plete benefit of the tremendous wealth
which the so-called Indies n0w began to
pour into the Spanish treasury. He was
pushing one of his suits in Spain in 1926
when he died.
His widow, Dona Maria, on hsr return
with her family was cordially received,
the revenues of the family greatly aug
mented, and young Don Luiz, his son,
named admiral. AT the age of 20 the
grandson of the die coverer was commits.
stoned as captain general Of Hispaniola,
but without viceregal authority, and he
remained but short time in administra-
tion, preferring to return home and ac-
cept certain compromises offered by
Charles V. This sagacious monarch,
who filled SO large place in the history
OF the sixteenth century, foresaw the
colossal. income which their rightful
share in the revenues of the new world
would give the Columbus family. By
those arts which kings can use so we'll
the honeyed smile, the yelled threat, the
plea of state necessity and the offer of an
assured income as agais st splendid un-
certainties Luiz was beguiled into
g recession Of all bis family rights in the
islands and mainlands of the western
seas, only retaining the empty dignity of
admiral in memory Of his grandfather
In1ieu he received thetitledof the duke
of Veragua and marquis.of Jamaica, and
he commuted his claim. to full tlthe of
the yield of the Indies for IN annual
pension OF 100000 gold doub]oons, with
certaiu Spanish estates in realty.
The first duke of Veragua had no legi-
innate male issue, and was succeeded by
his nephew, Diego, who espoused his
cousin Philippa, daughter of the late
Don L,1iz. AS there were no male chill
dren born of the marriage, the direct
line of Columbus became extinct, except
in female succession. There now arose a
great lawsuit which excited keen inter-
terest throughout Europe, and it was
tried before that august body, the coun
Gil of the Indies. The case was in court
for about thirty years. Don Bartholo-
NEW and Don Diego, the brothers of
Christopher, aud Don Ferdinando, his
younger son, had apparently left no legi-
innate male. issue. By the will of the
great admiral, in case of such default,
and in bar of the female succession, the
entail was left to the nearest male rela-
tive of any collateral line who was born
in wedlock and could prove himself a
genuine Columbus.
Admiral Diego Columbus had left
three daughters, the first of whom took
the veil, the second, Juanna, marrying a
scion of the ducal house of Toledo, and
the third, Isabella, becoming the wife of
a Portuguese gentleman, though sub
ject of Spain, q member of the great
house of Braganza, Count Georgia
Gelves When the suit was finally set
tied in 1880, in favor of the female sue
cession, the entail fell to Don Nugro
'Gelves, the eldest living male descendant
# either of the two married sisters, be-
ing the grandson of Isabella. So he be-
came the third duke of Veragua, and
the family has continued in this line for
nearly 800 years. II is reasonable to
suppose that the present duke is far
more proud of the stock OF the h,nest
Genoese burgher, which he inherits
through the great discoverer of q new
world, than of the blue blood of the Al
vas and the Braganzss. Through the
same line of the distaff also come the
other descendants of Columbus who &C.
companies the duke of Veragua to the
United States. The long contested in
heritance suit employed the most emin-
ent advocates and jurists of Spain and
Italy, and from the great dignities and
wealth involved, it's connection with the
memories of Christopher Columbus and
the interest which it excited throughout
Europe il is entitled to forefront among
the causes velebres at law.
Mgr. Satolli has proved himself as
good 1inguist as he is an able and cru
dite churchman. He is now delivering
sermons and addresses in English. This
Il