New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-25

Lord pe-rv- " be t1e new JnoeE sec
retarv q state for Foreign Affairs. Is the eldest
so- and heir Of the Duke OF Northumberland. and
member q his family. James " smithson was
the founder o. the great Smithsonian INSTITUTION
sr washington. II may be remembered that IN the
deed % gift ~ which smithson legallzed MS Oe-
quest the following words occur;
The best blood OF England flows in my veins
On ny fathers side l an Northumberland on
my mothers side an related 70 kings But that
svaus not: my name shall live in the memory OF
nan when the titles Of the Northum beTlands and
Percys are extinct and forgotten
Strictly speaking there are no Peroys; az any
rate in England and Il any remain in existence
10 IL r. this country. The ducai mousse O Percy
which i1 times gone 10y had interIaarr-eo Win
TIE refining families % England, France. Bur-
erlndv and S1air. became extinct as far as the
male line III England was concerned IN the cary
part % The eighteenth century, when the Only
5surhter a the last Percy duke married the Duke
n Somerset CO the day. This Duke o. Somerset
N rr--n left only one daughter. and, While nls
5rkesrrr Of Somerset PASSED TO distant cousin,
al-vfck Castle and the immense Percy estates
were beoueathed TO this daughter. who narrle1
country town banker Of the name q Hugh Smith
eo- whose grandfather had been an apothecary-
rv-t-r n -he immense territorial influence which
F5-er S--fthson exercised controller o. the vast
Percy estates Prime Minister PIT was cnly 700
r775 70 listen % his demands for peerage un1eT
r5e STYLE Of Duke q Sorrhl1 and this being
Of course n exchange for = promise q MS po-iu-
os7 srrror- George II. however. raised serious
o,f,crions 10 sanctioniuE his Prime Minister'S re-
solve and when. a. length. he Yielded ne olo 50
with the cutting remark that although re co-l1
create Ern5treon a Duke % Northunoerland- ne
~-.1d never make him z gentleman.
The -at-onv1zic Of the Duke OF NoItEuTnoe-land
- -,-5s, fs +r.refc-e really Snithson, and he Is
ps--v merely by royal license There are. however,
authentic Pe-cvs still IN existence both IN thls
o--r-~v and also IN Belgium Some OF the works
on British and American gsnealogy make mention
% the American Percys. and insist that they are
z--s.-e5 as The descendants Of Henry Percy,
-oyree- sou CT the ninth Earl q Northumberland,
-7- 70 the dukedorn. but 10 the earloom OF Nor
rr1.-75srla-C. As however the honor would be q
h.--ar me since there could be no question q de-
rr-vi-r the present duke of the Percy estates.
there IS but Ittle incentive save FOR man Of con
siderable wealth 20 incur the enormous expense OF
--,se--.-i-g his claim 10 the earldom OF Northum-
1e-1--d before the Comuni,ee OF Privileges OF the
HONS. @ Lords IL is probably for the same rea-
son -f-- The branch OF the Percy family which stu
e---tsres in Belgium has failed 10 take any steps
toward The recovery % the family honors- The Bel
~-o- per-vs are descended from that seventh Earl
- N5--r1.r- berIand who incurred the anger ot
g-eer Efza.eth and sought refuge at Brussels.
and are stiu in possession OF great quantity q
r,azu1ceut silver plate of the sixteenth century,
v-rich has engraved upon IL the arms % the earls
Of Northumberland.