New-York tribune., 1901-07-14
PART II.
FOURTEEN PAGES.
HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY.
TIE PROPOSED REVIVAL OF THE AN
GENT TITLE OF BRITISH EMPEROR
VAS AROUSED MUCH SPECULA-
TION AS TO THE NATURE
OF THE CHANGE.

sreignty over the whole British Empire has
,ren rise TO much speculation TO the nature
= ,he alteration that is contemplated. There
,a some who. recalling the somewhat odd title
- "Over Lord" used at Pretoria in proclaiming
rdward VII on his accession in January last
,,sefne that this awkward English rendering
- the German word "Oberherr' may be ex-
.s,ded from the Transvaal and the Orange
piver Colony TO the Dominion of Canada and
she Commonwealth of Australia. But ii is
doubtful whether either Of these two great self
governing and almost entirely independent por--
,,ons of the British Empire would relish being
assinilated in titular way 10 colonies that are
destined for years to come 70 be subject to the
control OF the Crown in its most absolute form
Private letters from London, where the project
announced by Mr. Chamberlain has been a SUBJ
,act of negotiation and discussion for some time
IN government, court and colonial circles indi-
cate that il has been finally determined to re-
yive the former title Of British Emperor.
Only those who in their studies have made a
speciality Of English history are aware that the
imperial title used by the rulers Of England
from early times down to the beginning OF the
reign of King James !. The sovereigns who
reigned over England prior to the Norman Con-
quest wont to style themselves Bret
walda" which is declared TO be the Anglo
70 the correctness Of this rendering being set
st rest by the existence in the British Museum
Of a Latin document bearing the signature Of
King Athelstane. in which he is described as
Rex (that is, King, and "Casere Totius
Britanuia," =" which means Caesar. or Emperor,
of All Britain. In another Latin State paper.
likewise preserved in the British Museum, his
immediate successor is designated as Rex eft
Basileus.' the latter being the Greek word for
emperor. The assumption of the imperial dig
nifty by these old Anglo-Saxon monarchs was
due TO the fact that they not only mon
archs Of their own particular kingdom, but also
the suzerains of all those other Kingdoms into
which England and Wales in those days
divided. And if King Edward to-day desires TO
revive his ancestors ancient title of emperor 1t
is because he is not only King OF England. Of
Scotland and OF Ireland. but also suzerain Of
the Dominion of Canada and of the Common
wealth OF Australia. which are to such an ex-
tent independent and autonomous that they are
able TO make commercial treaties with foreign
nations independently Of the mother country,
TO which they stand more in the relation Of
royal allies than of dependencies, the principal
bond OF union which unites them into COM
mon federation with Great Britain South At
rlca and India being dynastic.
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR, EMPEROR
In the British Museum there is likewise TO be
found an old Latin poem of the time of William
the Conqueror, which describes his transforma-
ton from Duke of Normandy into British En-
peror. Throughout the subsequent reigns down
10 that OF King Henry VIII the words Empire"
Imperial dignity" and Emperor were
SANITY used in official documents that are still
on file in the State Record Office.
The so-called Statute of Appeal" bearing the
date 1881 by which Henry VIII and his Pariia-
ment renounced the supremacy Of the Pope and
Rome says explicitly: This realm of England
is an Empire. governed by King, having the
Royal estate of Imperial Crown" and in an
other statute dealing with Irish affairs, King
Henry VIII is designated King and En-
peror Of the realm Of England and Of the Land
of Ireland" Queen Elizabeth on the occasion
OF her coronation was proclaimed Most worthy
Empress" Archbishop Heath Of Canterbury.
speaking of Queen Elijah rights to the
supremacy over the Church, describes her as
Aheing our sovereign and Empress; and
those who have made a careful study of Shake
speare's works will recall the fact that In those
oe his nlavs which deal with King Henry V and
King Henry VI the immortal bard" frequently
makes reference to the imperial crown, the
empire" the imperial State and the most
mighty Emperor"
For some reason or other King James and his
son King Charles J. allowed the title or En-
peror to drop and both King Charles III and his
brother and successor. King James II, were far
100 dependent. financially and otherwise, upon
King Louis Of France to render the reassump-
ton of The inperial title either polite or even
possible
Pressure was brought upon good Queen Anne
10 revive the imperial title borne by her an
cestors and in the British Museum several
~sndr ia
tanning arguments in support of these views
Anne however having lost ali her children, and
entertaining the most cordial dislike for that
distant Hanoverian cousin who was TO succeed
her, turned a deaf ear TO these proposals, and
gradually people grew 10 forget that there had
ever been such a thing as British Emperor
To what extent it passed out of remembrance
is shown by the fact that when Lord Beacons-
Held proclaimed Queen Victoria Empress OF India
neither he nor any one else apparently recalled
the fact that her predecessors on the throne had
been emperors and expresses. and it was uni
sersally taken for granted that the imperial dig
nifty which she had assumed was a brand new
one In fact the caricatures Of the day pre-
sented comparisons between the ancient kingly
crown Of England and the wholly new imperial
crown with which the Queen had become invest
60 as Empress of India and II is known that
~niie this venerable sovereign. sagacious In
other matters. showed an almost childish salts
iaction IN being promoted TO the rank OF En-
Wess she was keenly mortified by the newness
her imperial dignity. and by the fact that it
vas restricted TO the Indian portion Of her do
4 minions
TIE OLDEST EMPIRE IN EUROPE.
'rateful as she was 70 Disraeli for securing
sae passage of an act OF Parliament investing
her with the new imperial crown of india her