Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-01-19
pENsIoNEp ARIsTOcRATs.
Are Enricbcd by a Crate
full Country.

the nation to pay away tens of thou
sands of pounds in yearly pensions tc
men who have never so much Is raised
their hands to earn them, and only
claim them because some ancestor or
other, remote though interesting, de-
served we'll of his country, says an
English exchange.
The present and fourth duke of We'll
lington receives a pension Of $4,000 a
year direct from the government be-
cause the first duke was a great and
successful general. The Iron duke
himself received about e400, 900, and
no one will venture to assert that that
was more than adequate to mark the
nations gratitude "for services rem
dered," but since his death consider
able more than e 100, 900 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 esti-
mable peer of the realm and deserving
of the utmost degree of respect, but
that there is any real cause why he
| SLOblQ ICCClNC GO,OOO q yCdl " ~
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 6 700,0 900 has been
paid by the nation to the first Lord
Nelson and his successors in title, and
SO long as the peerage exists $4,000
a year will go to the holder OF the
title.
The pension of $4,000 to the dukes
of Marlborough has ceased, having
been settled by the late duke some Is
years ago in consideration of a lump
sum of 8107,00 being paid him. But
for more than 100 years $4,000 was
regularly paid by the nation to men
who were merely descendants of the
great duke. Practically half a million
of money was paid on account of the
victor of Blenheim to people with abso-
lutely no claim upon the nations graf
itude.
But the biggest pension on the ma
TONS pay sheet Is that paid to the
duke of Richmond, which amounts to
$4,000 a year, a sum equal to the
interest on a huge fortune of $780,
coo invested at 5 per cent. This splen-
did pension was given by George III.
In 1899 to the duke of Richmond in
consideration of his forfeiting his right
to levy a tax of one shilling a ton on
the coal exported from the Tyne, which
right had been made over to the heads
OF the Richmond family by Charles II.
OF course, in this case there is mate
rial consideration" as the lawyers say,
for the duke who made arrangements
with King George was depriving his
successors of rights which were I'M
doubtedly Of great yal6s as a source of
income. But the agreement saved sue
ceeding dukes of Richmond from a deal
of trouble in levying and enforcing the
rate, for after that they had nothing to
In at the rate of about so guineas a
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
districts OF the kingdom as he wanted
and paying for it at his own valuation,
which was generally quite nominal. The
right descended to the dukes of Grafton,
but early last century the gentleman
who was the head of the family at thai
period ~abrogated 1t on condition that
he and his successors to the title should
receive a pension of G6,870 from the
nations Golfers. Thus, for about 95
years successive dukes of Grafton have
regularly been paid this very hand
some annuity and have received con-
siderably more than G650,000 for do
ing absolutely nothing.
Until two or three years ago the duke
Of Norfolk-one of the richest peers,
too--was in receipt of a pension of $40
3 year, because an ancestor of his, the
earl of Surrey, distinguished himself
nearly 400 years ago on Flodden field.
Forty pounds is not much, certainly not
worth a rich mans acceptance; but this
trifing annual payment has run away
with E15.5 plus a further $500 cash
down, which the present duke accepted
as q settlement of the pension.
Lord Rodney receives a pension of
$4,000 for being the lawful owner Of
that title, which a certain gallant sailor
made famous more than 120tyears back
by pulverizing the Spanish fleet that
was attacking Gibraltar. Nearly a
quarter of a million sterling has been
paid the Rodney family on account of
their great ancestors prowess, and the
present peer of that name alone has re-
eeived e7S,000 as his share of this per-
petual pension.
Three thousand pounds q year is paid
to Viscount Hardinge because his ia
theirs father greatly distinguished him
sell in India. In this way e170,0 600 has
passed from the treasury into the peck.
cts of the three Viscounts Hardinge
Lord Napier, of Magdala. has received
$4,000 a year since 1890, making G24,-
900 up to date, on account OF the first
Lord Napier's magnificent feats OF mill
ltary genius in Abyssinia, particularly
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