The Wichita daily eagle., 1903-08-30

HAS HER PENSIONERS
Great Britain'S Burden Is a
Heavy One.
MANY NON MILITARY
Descendants Profit by Their
ForefatherS' Deeds.

| 1.OnOQn. aug. ZJ.-1OHlIdIy " lHc sen
eraI opinion the United States is not
the only country that lavishes pensions
Russia, and various other countries give
pensions TO broken-down soldiers, and
in England there is whole host OF
military pensioners. Some of the
| latter receive huge sums in return for
no services at all. The present and fourti
Duke of Wellington, for instance, re-
ceives pension of e4,O9 year because
the first duke was great and success
ful general. The Iron Duke himself re-
| ceived about s400, 900 and no one will ven
ture to assert that that was more than
adequate to mark the nations gratitude
for services rendered." but since his
death considerably more than 100000 has
been paid to his heirs on account Of
the same services, in which they had, OF
| course. no part or influence whatever.
The present Lord Nelson is an estimable
peer of the realm and deserving of the
utmost degree of respect, but that there
is real just cause why he should receive
$4,000 a year from the British nations
purse in the form of a pension because
his father happened to be a nephew OF
the hero of Trafalgar is open to doubt.
Over 100000 has been paid to the first
Lord Nelson and his successors In the IL
tie, and so long as the peerage exists
a5, 900 a year will continue to go to the
holder of the title.
OF course in this case, there is ma
terial consideration" as lawyers say, for
he I,,lyx bo do he rro n with
King George was depriving his successors
of rights which were undoubtedly OF
great value as a source of income. But
the agreement saved succeeding dukes of
Richmond from a deal of trouble in levy
ing and enforcing the rate. for after that
they had nothing to do but to count the
money as it came in at the rate of about
fifty guineas day.
In the reign Of Charles II. an ancestor
of the Duke of Grafton had the peculiar
right of selecting for his own use as much
of the wines imported into certain dis
tricts of the kingdom as he wanted and
paying for it at his own valuation, which
was generally quite nominal. The right
descended to the late Duke of Grafton,
but early last century the generation who
abrogated il on condition that he and his
successors to the title should receive
pension of f6,S70 from the nations cof-
fers Thus, for about ninety-hve years
successive dukes of Grafton have been
regularly paid this very handsome annu-
ity and have received considerably more
than $500 for doing absolutely nothing.
The pension Of $4,000 to the dukes of
Marlborough has ceased. having been set
tied by the late duke some fifteen years
ago in consideration Of a lump sum OF
e107. 900 being paid him. But for more
than hundred years 1900 was regularly
paid by the nation to the men who were
merely descendants of the great duke.
Practically half million of money was
paid on account of the victor of Blenheim
to people with absolutely no claim upon
the nations gratitude.
But the biggest pension on the nations
paysheet is that paid to the Duke Of
Richmond, which amounts to e19o0O
year. a sum equal to the interest on q
huge fortune of eS0000 invested at per
cent This splendid pension was given
by George III. in 1870 to the Duke OF
Richmond in consideration of his forfeit
ing his right to levy tax of one shilling
ton on the coal exported from the Tyne.
which right had been made over the heads
of the Richmond family by Charles II.
Until two or three years ago the Duke
of Norfolk, one of England's richest
peers. too, was in receipt of a pension of
$40 year because an ancestor of his,
the Earl of Surrey. distinguished himself
al
Forty pounds is not much. certainly not
worth a rich mans acceptance; but this
trifing annual payment has run away
with e15.O0O plus a further $500 cash
down which the present duke accepted as
a settlement in full of the pension.
Lord Rodney receives a pension of e2.oo0
for being the lawful owner of that title,
which a certain gallant sailor made fa-
nous more than 40 years back by pulver
izing the Spanish fleet that was attacking
Gibraltar. Nearly a quarter of million
sterling has been paid the Rodney family
on account of their great ancestors PROV
ess, and the present peer of that name
alone has received e7s.oOO as his share of
this perpetual pension.
Three thousand pounds a year is paid
TO Viscount Hardinge because his fathers
father greatly distinguished himself in
India. In this way s170,0o0 has passed
from the treasury into the pockets of the
three Viscounts Hardinge Lord Nepier
of Magdala has received s2.O00 a year
since 1899. making e24OOo up to date, on
account of the first Lord Napiers magnih-
cent feats of military genius in Abyssinia.
particularly his attack on the Magdala
fort