The Yale expositor., 1895-11-08

BrttlSn constitution or coue or Justice
which debars the afflicted from casting
their vote upon questions not merely
of national Importance, but which can
serve the welfare of 300,000,000 people
subject to Queen Victoria's rule. In
the house of lords it is sometimes a
single vote which decides the fate of
great issue. There is no doubt as 10
the legality of the vote. It was a mat
ter decided by parliament and con-
flrmed by the courts of law at the time
Of the passage of the Catholic enamel
patton bill, prior to the accession OF
Queen Victoria. II was reaflrmed by
the national legislature at the time
of the home rule bill, when Viscount
Hereford and the Earl of Wilton were
brought down from their respective
madhouses to vote against the grant
by England OF long-delayed justice to
Ireland.
Lord Hereford is the premier WIS.,
count of the realm, and like the Earl
of Wilton has only been crazy the last
ten years or so. Lord Hereford has
almost been forgotten by society and
by the public. 1t needed such an event
as the home rule debate in the house
OF peers TO drag forth his name from
oblivion. But that of Lord Wilton is
far more familiar, owing to the beauty
of his wife, to the popularity of his son
and TO the fact that he was formerly
one of the gayest and most entertain
ing members OF the English aristoc-
racy. He was especially fond of music
and of the stage, and for time toured
through the country under an assumed
name at the head of a troupe OF wan
dering Ministries.
Recollectons of all this, as we'll az
of the mental afliction of the present
Earl of Wilton, were revived the other
day by the marriage Of the latter'e
son, Viscount Grey de Wilton, to Hon.
Marietta Thellusson, youngest daughter
of Lord Rendesham, at which the
bridegroom's strikingly handsome
mother was present, but Of course not
his father.
Lord Grey de Wilton is the youngest
gentleman whose differences with Sir
Frederick Johnston, OF Mordaunt di-
vorce fame, engaged the attention OF
the London law courts a few years ago
At that time the fact was brought TO
light that the estates belonging to his
demented father, and to which he Is
heir, yield an income of 100000, the
wealth OF the family being mainly due
to the rapid growth of Manchester and
the consequent rise in the value Of land
around that city.
The new Viscountess Grey de Wilton
is a lineal descendant OF Old Peter
Thellusson, the Genevese banker. who
figured for q time as Swiss ambasSa-
dor at the court of King Louis XIV. OF
France, and subsequently established
himself in business in London. When
he died he left an extraordinary Will
directing that all OF his great property
should be tied up and invested at com
pound interest for a certain time for
the ultimate benefit of the eldest maze
descendant Of any OF his three sons.
Parliament, however, seeing that the
result of these testamentary disposi-
tions would be an enormous and use
less accumulation for an individual yet
unborn, stepped in on the ground that
such a will was contrary to public
policy. A special act was passed,
called to this day the ThellussOn act,
which renders it impossible for prop
erty to be tied up beyond the third
generation.
Lord Rendlesham, present chief Of
the Thellusson family, and the only
member of the British peerage who is
of Swiss origin, is steward OF the
Jockey club and one of the most popu-
lar a,l-round sportsmen in England.
He achieved distinction as shot, rs
a yachtsman and in the hunting field.