New-York tribune., 1901-02-03
TIE BRITISH CIVIL LIST
SOURCE OF THE REVENUES or rttt,
CROWN-SOME FIGURES ON THE
COST OF MONARCHY.

maintenance Of the new King and oueen i'm n
style befitting the dignity and grandeur Of the
Bfltlsh Empire. For the arrangement made by
Queen Victoria with the House Of Commons at
the time Of her accession to the throne. accord
ing to the terms Of which the amount Of her
civil list was fixed at about S200o0oo a year.
was only for the duration of her reign and was
terminated with her death
There is no point in connection with the Eng
hsh royal family concerning which a greater
amount Of misconccption prevails Than this sub
ject Of the civil list. \ widespread belief exists
10 the effect that the s2Hu000e a year paid TO
Queen Victoria throughout her reign OF more
than six decades in the nature of a salary
for her services as sovereign. just as sI0uoO per
annum is paid 10y the United States Treasury t.
the President of the Republic. This impression
has been industriOusly spread and strengthened
by the ultra radical element in the United King
dom, which is never tired Of expatiating on the
costliness of the monarchy, and of holding up
the members OF the royal family 10 obloquy and
contempt as needy pensioners the bounty of
the British taxpayer
Nothing be further from the truth than
these charges. The princes and princesses of the
blood are in no sense pensioners of the National
Treasury. Nor is the monarchy a burden upon
the revenues Of the United Kingdom. The SOY
ereign possesses by right of inheritance i'm
mense amount of valuable property, known
Crown property. This Grown property cannot
be let by the sovereign for any period beyond
the length Of his reign, just the owner Of an
entailed country place cannot lease it or other
wise dispose OF il for any term beyond that Of
his own life, save with the legal consent OF his
immediate heirs. Following the example OF her
uncle, King William ~. Queen Victoria, at the
outset Of her reign. made arrangement with
Parliament, and with the Treasury, whereby in
return for her surrender TO tire State of the ma
jor portion Of the Crown property for the dura
ton Of her life she received undertaking
from the nation 70 furnish her with cyl list
Of S20ooo0o year and 10 provide adequate 4
allowances for the princes and princesscs Of the
royal house. 1t was not the queen or her family
who had the best Of this bargain. hut tn, State /
ilat is TO say. the taxpayers Owing TO the /
careful management and extraordinary devcl- 4
oTment cf the Crown property. together with the
amazing growth in value Of building land in tn
last sixty years, the Treasury, during the
greater part of The Queens reign. has managed
10 net profits of s:iraolm and during ,he last
quarter Of a century profits OF over Sl,O0OOm a
year from the proceeds Of the Crown property,
after an the expenses Of its management the
ciA list Of the Queen and the allowances Of the
roya! princes and princesses had been deducted.
So instead of Queen Victoria and her family
having been a source Of expense TO the national
eNcliequer il is probable that they have bene-
tited the State to the extent Of at least $50
tHptpD; that is To say, they have relieved the
taxpayer from that amount OF fiscal burden,
thanks 10 the bargain INCLUDED 10y Queen Vic
toria with Parliament sxty-four years ago.
FUNDS FOR THE QUEENS CHILDREN.
The allowances subsequently asked Of PaIlia-
ne MT iy the Queen for her children, in accord
ance with this arrangement, were exceedingly
modest The eldest child of the Queen. her
daughter Victoria, the widowed Empress
Frederick Of Germany, received AN allowance
for her life OF S4oou9 per annum. King Ed
ward while still the Prince Of Wales, MAS Obliged
1, content himself until his children grew up
with an allowance Of S2uo!uoo which, on the
marriage Of his son and of two Of his daughters
Was increased 10y another sl1'Itr~ a year, for
an. PURPOSE Of enabling him To make provision
therefron for them. King Edward sailor
trother Alfred received like his younger broth
.r Arthur Duke Of Connaught, Sl2J00" yeii
f3ui on AlfGed's succeeding Ia the German throne
e SaN.-t oi,urg-CiOtha H. rellnquishcd the major
lart of has English allowance, which Was re-
auced 10 S.otao a year. The three younger
daughters Of the lat Queen have each s3ieb a
war in addition To fhe SlJnlDno down which
t.,.v received at the time of marriage. Similar
arnuitics Of s:1efan are granted To the widows
.c King Edwards brothers the Dukes Of