New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-11
SUCCESSION TO THE THRONE
THE THREE SYSTEMS THAT RULE IN
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES


WHY THE EMPRESS FREDERICK WILL NOT Sue
GELD QUEEN VICTORIA. AND THE EN-
PEEOR WILLIAM HAS NO SHOW OF
RIGHT-THE sALIc LAW AND
THE RUSSIAN SYSTEM.
So much doubt and ignorance appear to pre-
vail with regard to the laws governing the sue
cessIon to the throne Of Great Britain. people
being at loss to understand why, IL Queen
Victoria succeeded to the crown In preference to
her Gathers younger brother Ernest, her own
eldest daughter, the widowed Empress Fred
crick nhould not possess rights superior to those
Of the Prince Of Wales, who is year younger
tAa1 Her German Majesty. that few words Of
explanation upon the subject may possibly be Of
interest to the readers of The Tribune.
There three systems Of succession that are
In force among the civilized Powers Of Europe
namely. the Salc, the Russian, and what is
known the COgnate or CASTLE system 1t Is
the latter that prevails in Spain. Portugal, and
above all, in Great Britain. According to its
terms, male heirs in the same degree Of relation
to the sovereign exclude females without any
regard to priority Of birth. Thus though the
son Of a sovereign may be younger than the
daughter, the son succeeds. one Instance In point
being that furnished by Spain. where the little
of them. indeed having actually reigned though.
Of course not governedD as Queen during the
six months that interviewed between his fathers
death and his own birth. And In England. when
Queen Victoria Is gathered to her fathers. 1t
will be the Prince Of Wales who will succeed to
the crown in lieu of his eldest sister. the wild
owed Empress Frederick. But il the sovereign
leaves daughter, and a brother or nephew.
then. according to the Cognate system. 1t is the
daughter who succeeds, as being in closer de-
gree of relationship.
Thus, when King George Nv. his pro'her'
King William ", and his other brother the
Duke Of York died without leaving any surviv-
ing issue king Georges daughter Charlotte nav
ing died before him, dying in childbirth, ana her
infant being stillborn), the next in line Oh sue
cesson to the throne was their younger Drother
fourth son Of King George Ill. who bore the ut'e
Of Duke of Kent. The latter died before either
King George Nv or King William Nv. but he left
a daughter. Alexandria Victoria, the present
Queen of England and Empress Of India whose
rights to the crown under the Cognate or CASTLE
svstem Of succession were superior to those OF
either her fathers younger brothers. the Dukes
of Cumberland and Of Sussex. lnasmuch. now
ever as the Cognate system was restricted 10
Great Britain. whereas the Sac law prevailed in
Hanover which until the present reign was oy-
nastically united to England. Victoria was de-
barred from the succession to the German King
dom of her uncle and predecessor. King william
Nv. and the Crown of Hanover fell. In conse-
ouence to her fathers younger brother' Duke
Ernest Of Cumberland.
A YOUNGER BROTHER WOULD HAVE sue
CEEDED.
Rut had Queen Victoria by any chance mad
younger brother 1t is the latter instead OF her-
self who would have succeeded to the throne Oh
ENGLAND. and to the Crown Of Hanover as well.
IN lien of his uncle the Duke Of Cumberland Ac-
cordine to this Cognate system the little daugh-
ter of the Duke Of York, who was born Few
weeks ago, would ir case Of the death OF her TWO
elder brothers have rights to the throne prior 10
those of her fathers three sisters, the Duchess
of Fife. Princess Victoria Of Wales and Princess
Charles Of Denmark. The rights OF the Duchess
OF Fife and of her two little girls, VINO are mere
commoners in the eyes Of the law, are superior
10 those of Princess Charles of Denmark, and the
latter. in turn stands nearer In the line OF sue
cession to the throne than do Queen Victoria's
second or third sons the Duke Of Edinburgh
Coburg. or the Duke Of Connaught.
The question has frequently been asked
whether the priority OF the Prince OF wales 10
his eldest sister the widowed Empress FREEZER
,ck was not due to some act Of remuneration
that sbe had made of her rights OF succession at
tho time when she married the Prussian Prince
who died as Emperor Frederick OF Germany. IN
ren,v thereto it should be said that acts of re-
punciation of this kind are unknown IN the
roigninp house of Great Britain. and that there
IS only one single circumstance tha' can III an
date the claims Of an English prince or princess
Of