The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20
Princess Louise and Countess De
Lonyay Harshly Treated by
His Majesty.
DEVELOPMENTS AT TRIAL
Suits Brought at Brussels by Cred
itors Against the Princess and
Her Sister.
OF THE LATE QUEEN
Read by Counsel in Court-Emily
Crawford's Review of the
Famous Case.

Special Correspondence OF the journal
PARIS, March FL wonder whether the
trial now going on at Brussels before the
civil tribunal should be spoken of as 'une
affaire scandaIeuse," and if so, on whom
the scandal should reflect. The suitors are
different creditors of the Princess Louise
Duchess Philip of SaXe-Coburg, nee Prin-
cess Louise of Begium) and the Countess
De Lonyay (also nee Stephanie of Belgium
and widow of the Austrian Crown Prince
Rudolph They claim that the will OF the
late Queen of the Belgians is of no legal
consequence because made under a mar
riage settlement which did not exist I'm
law. Belgian or Austrian. Admitting this
view the King and Queen would come UNI
der the provisions of the code of Belgium
dealing with the regime de la communauite,
or equal proprietary rights to the estate of
one or the other in their lifetime, but only
of the half of the survivor The other half
would go TO the heirs of the first to die.
The heirs of the late Queen are her three
daughters. The third, the Princess Cleman-
tine, who is still unmarried. or the young
est, makes no move in the matter.
Maitre Qawyer) Ninauve, pleading for
NJ. Hartog. the Paris jeweler, stated that
to him of 100000 francs, for jewels fur
nished, and that the debt had been allowed
by the tribunal of commerce of Vienna.
An arrangement with Prince Philip of
Saxe-Coburg following this judgment, NJ.
Hartog conserving not to demand payment
until the princess came into her part of the
paternal maternal fortune. But in 1891
King Leopold, after three unsuccessful at
tempts, induced the Belgian Chambers TO
pass a law to enable him under certain con-
ditions to settle the reversion of all his
estate on the kingdom of 'Belgium-a law
made in defiance of the civil code
AS to the fortune of the late Queen. her
heirs gould no more than she herself in her
lifetime lay their hands on it or say where
or how it had been invested. In conse-
quence of the steps taken by King Leopold
TO dlsinherit his daughters, NJ. Hartog took
proceedings to establish the regime or con-
ditions of settlement under which he and
the. late Queen were married.
MARRIAGE SETTLEMENT CLEAR.
Through counsel he joined issue with the
Countess Lonyay and asked the tribunal
to say whether the royal marriage settle
ment was according to the system of sep
ment. The advocates for both parties held
1t to be the latter. In the marriage articles
signed at Vienna they found the following
"All the points not regulated by the pres
ent treaty will be subject to the separation
regime or system established by the Bel
gian civil code actually in force" What
could be clearer? What, indeed?
But an act of the Legislature, perhaps in
1r,f.a
The. Court OF Cessation says not when such
an act Is not to repeal, but for some pri-
vate purpose TO defeat or evade law NJ
Janson called attention to different in
formalities i'm the marriage articles drawn
up at vienna. The presence is not men
toned of an aulic counciior, or a Belgian
notary to represent the King of the Bel
gians, the code strictly requires This
omission is in itself enough to nullifyNthe
marriage articles. Nor We're these articles
ratified before the marriage, as Belgian
law also requires. The royal wedding took
place Aug. 10 at Vienna, by proxy and al
the 22d of the same month at Brussels and
the ratification in the following September
three weeks later. This error nullifes in law
the settlement and the conditions of Joint
ownership come into force.
King Leopold, through Maitre Weiner
pleaded that the settlement concluded a.
Vienna on Aug g. 1853 should be regarded
as a political and international act. and
as such beyond the Jurisdiction of any law
court either of the kingdom of Belgium or
OF the empire of Austria. In answer 20 this
M Janson asked what there is in the Bel
gian code or constitution to place the King
above the civil law
The Kings person is inviolable and he is
politically irresponsible but outside of pol
tiles he can go in debt and be made to nav
by the seizure of his private property Since
Napoleon. as sovereign stood above the Law
in Belgium wave of revolution passed over
the country and its effects. are visible in
the status of the sovereign. Nor was Leo
pold King at the time of his marriage. But
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