River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-07-02
COLLEGES OF MOBILES.
Assemblages of Arlstocrats OF Varying In
fuence In Continental Countries.

Assemblsges of Aristocrats OF Varying In
huence In Continental Countries.
The congress held at Berlin of the
mobiles of Germany for the discussion
of questions which have arisen with re-
gard to the practice of dueling serves to
call attention to the fact that conven-
tions and colleges of mobiles exist in
every continental country of Europe ex-
oepting France, Italy and Switzerland.
the latter, in spite of its being a repub-
lie, possessing a large number of ex
tremely patrician families.
In Austria and Russia the colleges are
regularly constituted bodies and repre-
scented as such in the legislatures,
provincial as well as imperial, by dele
gates, while each province has its so
called marshal If the nobility. who is
the president of the local college of
mobiles. Inasmuch as most of these are
landowners 1t is easy to appreciate
their Importance and till 80 years ego
they constituted pretty much the only
bodies in the empire that could in any
way be described as parliamentary.
In Russia there is likewise, for each
VI tic l-uiOptdh piofihScS, Ill oSSShipiy
of mobiles presided over by marshal,
which constitutes practically the only
legislative diet in the district. At any
rate, it is the only representative body
that possesses the right as such to adj
dress the czar, and whatever sentiments
of independence exist in Russia are to
be found in these colleges of mobiles.
Thus one of the first petitions that the
present cgar received after his ascen-
sion to the throne was an appeal from
the colleges of mobiles that he would un.
der no circumstances surrender even
the slightest vestige of his autocratie
power. These colleges constituted for
a long time an insuperable obstacle to
the liberation of the serfs by Emperor
Alexander III. They have repeatedly
petitioned the crown against the aboli'
tion of the knout. and few months ago
one of these colleges created sensa-
tion by entreating the car to make
a distinction between the mobiles of his
own making and those who are indebt
ed for their rank to their inheritance
of course in favor of the latter.
In Spain the so-called college of no
bility represents the interests not oil
the thousand and one parvenu dukes.
marquises and counts, but merely those
of the "Grandezza," dignity which is
possessed by not more than 800 aris-
tocrats of the bluest blood, many OF
them untitled. IL was but the other
day that this college came to the fore
to protest against the concession Of
the proud and ancient titles of duke of
Monteleone and duke of Terranova to a
couple of individuals of questionable
antecedents and of plebeian birth, who
were publicly shown during the course
of an acrimonious debate in the cortcs
to have secured their titles in return
for the distribution of some of their
vast wealth among the members of \
dishonest ring composed of certain
high officials in the department of for
eign affairs and in the royal household.
In Germany and in Scandinavia, as
also in Holland, Belgium and Portugal,
the colleges OF MOBILES are little better
than mere clubs, which receive no par
ticular recognition from the govern.
ment and which are merely banded to
gether for the preservation and care OF
the interests of their order.-N. Y. Trib-
une.