The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-03
r;s Letter in the New York Tri-
hI1ne Jl1Iv On

paris Letter in the New York Tri-
bune, July 20.
The principles of the protocol, which,
with notifications introduced by Ma
noleon 1, have been handed down from
the days of Louis XIV are not always
consistent with a republican regime.
An incident connected with the inves-
titure of President Loubet with the
order of the Golden Fleece has elicit
ed considerable comment from ad-
vanced Liberals and Socialists and
shows that royal ceremonies often in
volve royal tips. For having sent a.
state carriage to the Spanish Embassy
in the Boulevard de Courcelles to con-
vey the Spanish Special Ambassador to
the Elysee Palace and back, a distance
altogether of about a thousand yards.
the clerical department of the Elysee
Palace, without the knowledge of Pres
ident Loubet, demanded, according to
established usage, a tip of $120 from
the Duke of Sesto, the special ambas-
sador sent by the King of Spain to
confer the Golden Fleece upon Pres
ident Loubet. The Duke of Sesto paid
the $120, but required a receipt. The
matter came to the ears OF President
Loubet, who was highly indignant
and was taken UP by the newspapers
and so thoroughly discussed that
tips" in the Presidents household
have been absolutely prohibited, and
the "Rappel," a journal founded by
Victor Hugo and Auguste Vacquerie.
recorded the fact with the editorial re-
Election that public opinion in France
would be satisfied to learn that in the
matter of tips the Athenian simplicity
of the White House at Washington
had been adopted at the residence of
the chief magistrate of the French res
public rather than the pontifical GUS
toms that prevail at the Vatican at
Rome"
The official investigation of the sub
ject of state tips shows that it is
a well established custom prevailing
at all the European courts that an
ambassador or head of a mission, when
received with full-fedged ceremonial
and pomp by head of state, should
make a present to the coachman and
assistants intrusted with the duty of
going to fetch him. This has hitherto
been considered quite as obligatory as
it is for guest who has passed a
few days at a country or town house
to give upon his departure substantial
tips to the butler. The great tips"
which are regarded as Official" and
which no diplomatist can avoid, are
the "bonnes mains" to the coachman,
footmen, Positions and outriders who
conduct the state carriage which con-
Veys the ambassador to the palace of
the sovereign or chief magistrate of
the nation. In the olden days in
France it was the sovereign who as
sumed this Tip" and the amount was
charged to the civil list. Napoleon III,
every time that a state carriage went
to fetch a foreign ambassador and
bring him to the Tuileries, used to give
a Tip" to his piquer, oA stud groom,
of thirty gold 20-franc pieces, or ma
poleons," as they were then called, or
louis" as they are now spoken of
in Partisan sporting circles.
The custom was continued by Mar
shall MacMahon, who paid the tradi-
tional "bonnes mains out of his pri-
waite funds, and felt the Elysees Pal
ace minus half of his family fortune,
that had been absorbed by state cere-
monial. Marshal MacMahon was the
last French ruler who conformed to
this custom, much to the discons olation
of the official upper servants, and as
the usage had by force of time be-
come a law of the protocole' the gid
ed fiunkies felt justified in applying
to the foreign ambassadors for their
substantial qualification on the ground
that "as the custom inaugurated by
mains" from the royal bounty had
been abrogated by the President of the
French Republic, the practice that ex-