The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-25
THE NEW BRITISH RULER
Traits and Prospects of Edward,
King and Emperor.
His Throne Seemingly secure-The
Civil List md His Old Debts-His
Relation 70 Army and Church-A
Friendly View of His Character
and "a French Cynic's Estimate.

ed. The cheerful temper, the easy deter
| mination to get the most out of all the
engagements going. the entire absence OF
arrogance. which were the most obvious
characteristics of the Prince of Wales.
are the qualities most appreciated by Lon
doners. In his public appearances as rul-
gastions that he is other than a genial
man of sixty and man of the world.
Yet the presence of a King and his
court about the capital of the British En-
| pire brings an atmosphere as yet I'M
F! dOubtedly strange The very phrases in
which their movements are recorded sug-
gest more the times of Pepys' Diary or
| Thackeray's -Four Georges" than any Sc
| quel to the reign of Queen Victoria.
This week he went In person to Parlia-
ment to read the Kings speech-a politi-
cal document drafted for him by the Cabi-
! net of the party in power for the time
| being. He read it with ease and assur-
ance, in the rather noticeably cultural &C
| cents that remain to mark his German ex-
| traction, notwithstanding years of speech
making at loyal social gatherings of Eng
| lishmen. If he had a share in choosing
| the subject matter of the speech-which
! he had not-you may depend upon it he
would have followed the line of least re-
| sistance and have got the Duke of Devon
shire TO set down something safe and
statesmanlike. His imperial nephew of
Germany, to whom all Englishmen take
their hats off now, started his reign with
an international commission on labor and
was humored by other Powers which sent
learned professors of economics as dele
gates to Berlin 1t is understood that the
most important outcome of this gather
ing is that William himself comedies row
that the millennium is not one of the
many things that he can command into
his immediate imperial presence. King
Edward is of neither the age nor the
temperament to take time by the fore
lock. but neither it is certain, will he
stand in the way of events anywhere.
II is tolerably certain that events will
not deal hardly with his person or his Of
fee in the next few years, whatever may
befall his country. There were times when
a prolonged ordeal of reverses, expendi-
ture. and disappointment would have pro-
yoked popular resentment against mon
archy, from an instinct of venting wrath
on the nearest conspicuous object that
served no apparent use. But the British
democracy has OutgroBn that stage Mere
iconOciasm is no longer a popular bait
with demagOgues.
The stump orators who not many years
ago rolled off their objurgations against all
things that are to herds OF enthusiastic
groundlings are now nearly extinct from
lack of approving hearers. In Hyde Park
where once the police and the crowds used
TO come to blows over the right of free
speech on Sundays the revolutionists now
saw the air in vain. and know the police
only to demand their protection against
occasional clods of turf, the tributes of
unconvinced wayfarers. 1t is not other
wise among the thinking sections of
society. The bitterly hostile theories and
principles of government which overthrow
thrones century ago have no part in the
present political philosophy OF Great Brit
ain.
The personal expenditure OF the occu-
pant OF the throne, the members of the
royal family and the officers and ladies' OF
the royal household is secured by Parlia- |
ment voting what is called the civil list. /
1t has no relation 10 the votes for nation
al military purposes or any of the func- |
lions Of government. Formerly the Grown /
was a large owner OF private landed prop
erty, chiefly through the forfeiture OF the T
estates of rebellious subjects and the seiz- (
ure Of church lands during the religious /
strfes OF the Tudors and Stuarts.
There is a saying drawn from the great /
times Of Elizabeth Anne and Victoria /
that When women reign. men rule; when .
men reign, women rule" 1t Is some en-
dorsement OF this that during the reign
of the Georges, the personal possessions
of the Crown hardly prospered better than
In the reckless days of Charles H. and
James II. 1t came TO be question OF
this property. which threaten
ed to be dissipated entirely, into a fixed
income in money, the landed property con-
cerned being administered by Gov
department
George III was the first sovereign to
his life interest in the crown
lands to the nation, In return for which
he received fixed civil list of esOO,OOO
increased to e900.00J) He
also enjoyed a considerable income de-
rived from some minor sources OF reye-
lue which were not included in the bar
gain. Yet, notwithstanding, Parliament
Turing this reign had to pay off debts on
he civil list amounting in the whole to
c 3 1898 coo.
This arrangement was continued on the
accession of George ". when the Scotch
md Irish land revenues were first sur
'endered and again on the accession OF
William ". who received civil list of
e51O 600. of which e1lO,OG0 was appro-
,riated to the privy purse OF the King
md Queen.
hat of any of his relatives. AS the Queens g..
,ldest son he became Field Marshal, as a
natter OF course, and now is head OF the
rmy in virtue OF prescriptive hereditary
tile. But he has never pretended to be
working soldier like the Duke of Cam
fridge or the Duke OF Connaught. 1t is
lot by the assertion OF small mindedness. :
avoritism or incompetence on his part
hat the British army remains stuck in the
African slough of despond paralyzed as a
lighting machine. Should the ineptitude
1 its staff officers and the wilfui blind
ess OF its directors at home pass the .
limits OF popular endurance the machine
tself may get torn to pieces. but In look
ng for the primary causes OF its collapse
t IS practically certain that nothing will be
raced to any action OF the Prince OF Wales.
His chief sin was probably that he dis
ked even more than the British officer
imself, to wear a military uniform except
n ceremonial occasions, and if he had
weakness for titled mediocrities as officers
( his military household what Is TO be
aid Of Lord Roberts himself. whose head 4
Uarters staff in Africa. excepting the
anlor responsible, working members, was
He'd up with Young dukes and earls and -
leir sons? Nor. II it comes to finding =
Ugh appointments for his younger reia- |
YES, should Edward VII neglect to notice
lat his own Prime Minister calmly filled
nportant Offices with his son. his son-in-
wv, ard two of his nephews, without party
'yalty and discipline being shaken much.
King Edward is probably better liked
ersonally in France than any other Eu
lpean sovereign Certainly he has shown
lore sympathy with the French tenn
erament than ever his mother did. Yet | |
lie ANALYSIS to which he is now sui jsCted | 4