Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-10-18
FOREIGN NOTES
AND COMMENT

Two princesses of the blood in the
old world wear the habit of a nun and
follow the strict rule of the religious
orders with which they are affiliated.
One of them is the Russian grand
duchess. Nicholas Nicno1a-witch, wild
ow of the grand duke of that name.
She makes her home in a cell of one of
those underground converts which
constitute a feature of the to Russians
holy city of Hieff, and spends her time
in praying for the repose of the soul
OF her disreputable husband the most
evil OF the brothers of Emperor Alex
ander II, and who died in disgrace at
ter being banished from court by his
nephew, the late car, for colossal dis
honesty and by reason OF the scandal
OF his private life.
The other royal nun, who is equally
sad faced, and who likewise spends the
greater part of her time in praying for
the repose of the soul of q reprobate
husband, is Princess Clothilde Bona
parte, sister of King Humbert, and
around whose death bed at the gloomy
castle of Moncalieri are gathered her
children, the Bonapartist pretender,
Prince Victor Bonaparte; General
Prince Louis Bonaparte of the Russian
army, and the widowed Duchess Lett
tia of Aosta, who is not only the niece.
but likewise a sister-in-law Of King
Humbert- Princess CIothiIde is very
i'll, and the object of the family council
is to arrange for the necessary steps
for the presentation through the Italian
government of a demand upon the
French treasury for sum amounting
to $1,300000. At the time when King
Victor Emmanuel gave his barely 10
year-oId daughter in marriage to the
dissolute and elderly cousin of Napo-
leon III France bound itself by treaty
to pay to the princess sum of $40 OG0
a year for the remainder of her life.
This annuity was paid regularly until
1870. But from that time forth the
princess has not received a single cent
thereof Nor has she made application
for it until now. being content with her
civil list from the italian treasury as Il
princess of the reigning house of Italy
The French government may have had
a pretext for not fulfilling its treaty
obligations toward the princess as long
as her husband was alive although she
was separated from hirn), since he was
banished from French soil and out
lawed as a pretender to the French
throne. But this pretext ceased with
his death at Rome in 1891
Until now Princess Clothilde has
been reluctant to make any demand
upon the French government in respect
Of this annuity. But her children have
at length prevailed upon her that she
owes it to her family to calm her due
with the object of providing for their
ie-
fairly we'll off. having inherited the en-
tire fortune of his father; but his cid
est brother, who was disinherited, and
his sister, Duchess Letftia, are badly
off. The duchess is entirely dependent
upon the charity of King Humbert,
who takes advantage thereof to con-
troll her tendency to freshness in a
manner that is most CALLING to her,
while Prince Victor Bonaparte rubs
along as best he can at Brussels on a !
small allowance from Empress Eugene |
and the income of some money be-
queathed to him by an aged and rather
notorious female adnirer, to whom ms (
father referred when he declared that !
the means of subsistence Of his eldest
son were "inavoudables'' (indescrib- I
able) 1t is, therefore, evident that II /
the French treasury honors the de- |
mand of Prince Clothilde, the amount /
Iue her will be divided in equal shares !
between Duchess Letitia and her eldest /
brother. Prince Victor; that is to say, !
he exiled Bonapartist pretender to the (
French throne.
While it certainly will be CALLING FOR
he French government to pay over
such a large sum of money, the repub-
lie has practically 10 alternative in the
matter Time and again has 1t been
shown that treaties are in no sense OF
he word injuriously affected by the
downfall or disappearance of the gov
ernments which negotiated them, and
hat each new government or regime is <
pound by the International obligations n
contracted by its predecessors. Il
Thus, after the overthrow of the Or H
eanist dynasty in France by the reVo-
ution of 184S, the republican govern
nent for three years. and thereafter
he government of Emperor Napoleon
II for number of years more, con-
inued to pay to the widowed duchess
# Orleans, then in English exile, the
arge annuity assured to her by
realty between France and Meckien-
,urg Schwering at the time when she,
IS a princess of the reigning house OF
Iecklenburg, married the eldest son
nd heir of King Louis Philippe. Meth
r the second republic, nor yet Emperor
Napoleon, ever raised the slightest diff
iculty against the payment of this an
luity, although the eldest son of the
widowed duchess, namely the late
cunt of Paris, was a pretender to the
french throne at the time, and his
riends and adherents were conspiring
O overthrow first the republic and then
he empire.
In the same way the italian treasury
low finds itsalf compelled to pay an
nornous sum OF money 20 the widow
d queen Of Naples, representing the
otal of the annuity which the kingdom
f Naples bound itself by treaty with