Arizona republican., 1899-06-12
EXEMPTION FROM
 TAXATION ABROAD

In view of the discussion that is in progress with regard to the efforts of
 William Waldorf Astor, Bradley Mar
 tin, and other self-expatriated Ameri-
 cans to secure exemption from their | obligations as American citizens to- 1 ward the revenues Of their native land
 it may be of interest to give 2 brief
 glance at the cases in which exemption of this kind are granted by the govern ments of the old world.
 In former times not only reigning
 monarclls and the members of their families, but likewise all the great feu-
 dal nob1es were exempted from taxa tion, as were also the property cf the
 church and of the religious orders,
 taxation being, in afet. restricted to 1 the masses. This, of course, was due i to the fact that in the origin taxes were levied solely for the maintenance 1 Of the rulers. Nowadays taxes are i levied for the benefit of the people, constituting a sort of contribution for the common veal On this ground it. ! is argued that kings, emperCrs, and sovereigns cf minor rank, as well as i the members of their family, should show their patriotism and their fellow feeling for their countrymen by a vol untary surrender of the medieval and
 altogether illogical exemption from taxation which a number of them now enjoy.
 For some time past the German newspapers, and likewise those of Bel gium, Holland, Denmark and Sweden have been pressing this surrender up-
 on the respective sOvereigns of these countries. ana It was but the other day
 that the guardians and the parish councils of the various Lcndon metro l politan districts in which royal pal aces are situated instituted legal pro-
 ceedtngs before the supreme court, de-
 manding that the royal family should either pay the regular parish rates for these palaces CT e.se, like the prince
 of Wales, who is wise in his genera ticn, they should make liberal con- tribution to the parish funds in lieu thereof. The legal proceedings were , unsuccessful. The judges promptly threw the matter out of court on the ground that the exemption from taxa 1ion enjoyed by the royal family was covered by statute. This exemption extends even to the remote relatives Of the sovereign. 1 can remember that when short time before the death of the late duchess of Teck, her German husband, a mere nobleman, was sued in the county court at Rich mond for failing to pay the dog tax, or to provide licenses for his numerous canine pets, the magistrates, after con- sulting with their secretary of state for the home department, informed the parish authorities that the duke, as T member Of the reigning family, was exempt from everything in the shape of taxation.
 Naturally this is somewhat hard for the people to accept. In England each petty servant of the state, each bank clerk, salesman, in fact, every citizen whose salary or income amounts to $500 year, is obliged to pay per centage thereof to the income tax col lectors-that is to say, an income of $500 a year is docked tc the extent Of S15 annualIy-and this in addition to all other ordinary rates and taxes Queen Vicsoria, however, with her civil list of nearly S4,OO0000 and her private income of about as much more | Is not called upon to pay Q single penny income tax, or indeed any other kind Of impost, and not only her children and grandchildren. but even such distant relatives as the princess Of HoheDlohe and the countesses Of 1 Gleichen, who derive incomes from English sources, enjoy the same privi- leges.
 In Germany and Austria the reign ing houses possess either as crown ar as private property a considerable moiety of the land, both arabic and | forest, which as such escapes all taxa ton. naturally rendering the impcsts l cn the petty holdings of the peasantry and small farmers far more onerous The same may be said of Russia. In Spaln and Portugal the thrones are SC shaky that with commendable pru- dence royal persOnages have abstained from investing their savings in real l estate. having instead thereof sent | them out of the country for safe kee3- | ing. King Humbert lives up to every l cent Of his income, und has scarcely | any opportunity to save it, seeing the 1 many calls that are made uuon his | revenue, both with regard to his vel | untary settlement of his fathers enor- | nous debts and the necessity which is | constantly arising to put his hand into | his pocket to save from dishonor and i even 1nfaIny the names of these states menw no were conspicuously associat- | ed with Victor Emmanuel in the crea- ton of United Ita4y. He at any rate | h6hcS SOOu use OI HIS money, and 0 | one can held him responsible for the | present popular movement against the | exemption from taxation of royal per SOnages.
 
 Until few years ago immunity | from taxation was likewise enjoyed by | the mediatized houses cf the continen- | tai aristocracy, that is to say. those | whose names figure in Part II of the | Alman2ch dc Getha The heads of | these houses, some of them dukes and princes, such as for instance the Ho- l heniohes, others merely marquisess CT |