New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-11

have been so widely circulated both In this coun-
try as well as in Europe to the effect that Emper-
or William considers his claims to the throne OF
England stronger than those Of his uncle, the
Prince Of Wales and that he proposes to push
them for all that they are worth when his grand
mother. Queen Victoria, is laid to rest oeside her
husband in the superb mausoleum at Frogmore'
beneath the walls of Windsor Castle
THE RUSSIAN SYSTEM.
What Is known as the Russian system OF sue
cesson, which prevails not only In the MuscoVhe
Empire, but also in Holland. Greece, Bavaria
and Wiirtemberg. merits. just at the present "o
ment, as much explanation as the English law
Of succession, since the recent birth of second
daughter In lieu of the son so ardentiy awai'eo
by the young Car and Czarina has served to re-
vive the discussion concerning what would occur
at st. Petersburg were anything untoward to
happen to Gar Nicholas. The so-called nus
sian system" provides that all possible male
heirs to the throne should take precedence over
the princesses of the regnng house. and that no
d-duchess should come to the throne uii.i
the complete extinction of the male line. only
then could the rights Of the two daughters or the
present Emperor be taken into consideration
and thew would naturally come before all otner
grand duchesses. since the succession by prin-
cesses is regulated by the degree Of the proxim-
itv of their relationship to the Emperor who has
reigned last.
Wore Gar Nicholas to die without leaving
son his brother George who now holds the title
and receives The revenues of CZarewltch "ou'u
come to the throne, which he would not Keep
long since he is afflicted with consumption
which has now reached an acute stage NeA'
would come his youngest brother. the seventeen
vear-old Grand duke Michael the favorite OF MS
father. and the only human being in all HusS'a
who yentured to chaff and ridicule MN anu W
play FRANKS at the expense OF the late au'oc'a
After him would come Grand-duKe Sersius' WIN
is married to sister Of the present C"arih'' anu
Is therefore a grandson-in-law OF queen VIC
toria True, Sergius has an elder Dro'he'' '"e
Grand duke Vladimir. who has number Vi
children But by the statutes OF the Imperial
house of Romanof Vladimir. although next
brother to the late Car. is debarred from 'he
succession. as are also his children, because
bic ,v;fe q sistcr of the Grand-duke OF Mecklen-
hung Scbwerin (who committed suicide the other
day at Cannes) absolutely refused TO aDahuoh
tho Lutheran faith in which she had been reared
and to become a convert to the Russian Church
She is the only foreign Princess wedded 10 d
Russian Prince of the blood VINO mas Sho"h
such obstinacy, an obstnacy which it is difficult
TO ascribe to religious grounds. seeing that she
is of all her Muscovite knswOmen the most
FAST in her speech and behavior. being re-
sponsible more than any one else for the intro
duction into the salons Of the great world at St
Petersburg Of the roulette table as an indis-
pensabe article of furniture
A SPIRITUAL AUTOCRAT.
The reason for this statute excluding her hus-
hand from the succession is not difficult to ex-
Main. The Car, 1t must be remembered, is not
only the temporal but also the spiritual autocrat
OF the Russian people. TO whom he stands. from
a religious point of view. in precisely the same
postion as Pope Leo does toward the Roman
Catholics 1t would obviously, therefore. be i'm
proper for a potentate occupying the highest
ecclesiastical and spiritual office OF the Empire,
a digntary whose sacerdotal powers are such
that he can communicate not as mere layman,
but as priest, to be married to a hereto, and
TO have his sons and daughters reared and edu-
Gated by her, and subject to her influence.
Therefore, Vladimir. his wife and his numer-
Gus children have no rights to the throne whatso-
ever. Grand duke Sergius and his lovely wife are
childless; next to them. therefore. in the line