New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-29
HOW TITLES ARE SOLD.
Methods of Acquiring Nobiliary
Honors in the old World.

A-,e-ica NJ q bona fde title OF duke, which he de-
shss as q ''tItre mobaire.'' might lead to mis- |
,b.rs ss no such thing in Europe a ''titre mo-
hsIisire" that Is to say, title of nobility which
can he transferred by its owner to a stranger by
sale as an ordinary piece OF property. 1t is all
,he more necessary to point out this since THE
Evening POST in its editorial comments the let
tar though indulging in banter at the expense of
the writer, does not cast any doubt upon the bona
nde character Of the transaction proposed. upon
the ability OF n. Enoch TO make good his offer.
II may therefore be well to state clearly that
there is to-day only one government in the world
which sells titles of nobility, namely, the tiny
thousand-year-old republic of San Marino which
employs the money thus obtained in maintaining
the finest hospital, founding asylum and home Tor
the disabled and aged in all Italy, the principle of
this government being that human vanity should
pay for the relief Of human suffering. But these
titles, which range from dukedoms down 10 hered-
itary knighthOods sold only by the government
and once acquired be redisposed Of by their
purchaser
PAPAL DUREDOMs.
From the Vatican IT is possible to obtain titles
Of duke, prince, marquis, count and baron in re-
turn for the payment Of large fees, ranging from
e 908 10 S90c01 providing the candidate for these
nobiliary honors is strongly recommended for them
by his diocesan and by the principal ecclesiastical
authorities Of his native land. The rule which re-
oulres that a candidate for nobiliary honors from
the Vatican shall be a man OF unblemshed charac-
for his generosity 10 the Church and to the poor
Is pretty generally observed.
There IS one American citizen who has a PapaI
tttIe Of duke namely Joseph Loubat OF New
York and Paris. There are several American
PspaI rnarquises. princes, but quite large
number OF counts. may add that these PapaI
titles cannot be transferred by their owners to
any third party by either gift or sale. Some OF
them are non-hereditary and become extinct with
the death Of their holders Those that heredi-
tsry descend only in the male line direct. and not
through the women-cannot therefore, be alienat-
cd from the family of the original grantee
SPANISH HoNoRs BY MARRIAGE.
II Spain titles Of duke. marquis. count and baron
be acquired not by purchase. but through
marrying the heiress of some title. In Spain hon
of this kind descend through the women. If.
for instance. duke dies leaving sons, but
daughter IL is not his younger brother who in
herits the dukedom, but the daughter. She be-
comes a duchess in her own right, and when
rngrries her husband. matter whether a Span
lard a foreigner, becomes ipso facto duke.
taking her dead fathers title. In this way
eral Americans have acquired Spanish marQui-
safes and titles of count There are princes in
Spain.
The sovereign Of any rnonarchicaI country is apt
10 reward acts of munihcent philanthropy by
means Of titles. Thus, the Emperor of Austria
conferred the rank of Baron only upon the late
IL de Hirsch, but ALSO upon his two heirs. the
young de Forests lin spite of their illegitimate
by the great Jewish inancier TO the relief of his
fellow creatures in Austria Hungary and abroad.
Numerous other instances could be cited not alone
on the Continent, but also in England. In which
philanthropy has been thus rewarded. Indeed. in
Of the list of honoTs published the
sion Of King Edwards birthday last year. IT
lntimated in almost every case that the baronetcy
the knighthood conferred recognition by
the Crown OF good works.
ONLY ONE CASTLE coNFERs A TITLE
As have pointed out in these letters more than
once there is only castle and estate in all Eu
rope the ownership of which carries with TT a
noblliary title namely. the ancient Castle of Arun-
De-, which. dating in part from the reign OF Alfred
the Great is to-day owned by England's Premier
Peer. the Duke Of Norfolk. AS proprietor Of the
castle in question. the duke is Earl Arundel and
he TO obtain the consent of his heirs to the
breaking of the entail and to sell Arundel Castle,
say TO William Waldorf Aston, then the latter. by
means of its acquisition. would become ipso facto
Earl of Arundel. with q seat s such in the House
of Lords. But this IS the only of the kind in
Europe and it is unique the assertions to the
effect that the French chateau of Valencay carries
with it the title of Duke being preposterous and
unfounded.
FRENCH NOBILIARY DIGNITIES.
with regard to French titles. not only can they
not be aiienated by adoption by sale, but they
cannot even be transmitted through the female line
except by a special act of grace on the part of
the Crown. which, we all know. has ceased to
exist since 1870 that is to say, since thirty-hve
years ago The. old laws enacted during the reigns
of the first Napoleon, OF Louis XVIII. Charles X
and Louis Philippe, and rea1firmed and amended by
the government of the Third Empire still remain
IN existence and restrict the inheritance Of nobary
titles pTimogeniture. that is to say the male
line direct. prohibiting and rendering it a misde
rnssnor for any to nobiliary title to
which he is entitled by birth and inheritance,
or else If granted by q foreign monarch. expressly
authorized and sanctioned by the French govern
ment-
A Frenchman can, If he has no heirs of his
blood adopt a stranger and bequeath TO him
HIS name. But he cannot bequeath 10 him any
nobillary title which he possesses. The laws the
subject however more honored in the breach
than In the observance, and there a number of
instances in which titles have been unlawfuly
sumed on the strength Of adoption and are IL
legally borne by men who have ties OF blood
with the legitimate owner thereof, q in point
being that of man known as Saint Maurice, who.
on being adopted by the last authentic Marquis Of
Montcalm assumed his name during the latters
lifetime and after his death the title of marquis
IN conjunction Herewith.
There are several French dukes to-day who are
chiidess and without any heirs. notably the Due
de Tarente, grandson CT Napoleon's famous Mar
shall Macdonald. who few years ago was divorced
from an elderly lady, who practically controls the
omnibus monopoly in Paris. He is not in afiuent
circumstances. and. having brothers or paternal
linces-that is say brothers of his father-being.
IN fact the only male Macdonald Of the celebrated
raarshaPs family. he has perfect right TO legally
edopt any man whom he chooses, and 70 bequeath
a him the name of Macdonald. which his adopted
son would then be legally entitled to use. He can
NOT however by any manner OF means bequeath or
transfer through adoption or In any other way MS
title OF Duke of Tarente, and any one VINO Is TOOL
ISM enough 10 pay money for the acquisition or
French dukedom. either through getting adopted
or through a mere transfer, will be buying gold
fr4cl ~