New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-21
NEW PRESIDENTS PAY
France Treats Her Chief Magistrate
soith Considerable Liberaity.

France treats her Presidents with far greater
degree of berality than the United States accoros
TO its Executive. For. whereas the American Chlet
Magistrate has to remain content with a salary OF
$4,000 year and the possession of furnished
residence In the shape of the White House together
with some few allowances, Frances new President
NJ. Fallieres, elected Wednesday last, Will on
taking possession of his Office February Is enter
into the enjoyment OF salary of $4,000 with al
lowanoes amounting to almost much again
furnished palace of imposing dimensions in Paris
at the Elysee, three country seats maintained IN an
equally open handed manner by the State at ron
tainbleau Compiegne and RaInbouillet all three
of which former royal and imperial palaces Oh
altogether regal style and grandeur, and immense
richly stocked game preserves in various parts OF
the country. Besides this, he travels free every
where. superbly appointed railroad train re-
served FOR his particular use, use government
vessels as yachts, and has boxes at the Opera
and at all the theatres subventioned by the State
boxes which he himself or place at the
disposal OF his friends. AS the telegraphs are
in the hands of the government, he pays nothing
for the of the wires, has the right of drawing
upon the government studs and farms for horses
and cattle and upon the Garde Meuble for masni1i-
cent furniture and tapestries. Moreover he Is at
tended by a big staff of officials, who are paio
by the nation. Thus, he has a military and
civil household. just like regning sovereign, the
head OF a military household being invariably
general. with about e dozen officers OF the RANK
of lieutenant colonel in the army or captain OF
the navy. four Of whom always on duty Inc
head of the civil household is usually man with
the rank OF project, provincial governor, with
staff of about dozen officials of more or less I'M
portance under him; while M. Mollard, the prlh-
cpaI master OF ceremonies at the Elysee Palace
with the grade OF minister plenipotentiary' has
number Of we'll trained assistants. Most of these
military and civil officials blessed with wives
who constitute a sort of semi-of1cial court TOT
the Presidents better half. that is TO say of the
First Lady of the Land. and who on state ocCabohS
stand behind her at tho Elys6e entertainments
though there is no such thing as occupying a
place in the line" and helping Madame la Presi-
dente" to receive, as at the White House
Both the new President of France and his wire
are in q accustomed to all this pornp ana
ceremony For NJ. Falneres has for some years
past occupied the Office of President OF the senate
an office which is likewise invested with certain
amount of trappings and splendor, the palace OF
the Luxembourg, which is the official residence Oh
the presiding officer of the Senate being regarded
by many as finer than the E1ysee-
There was one digntty-or, I should rather say
two-enjoyed by Emile Loubet, and by all the
former Presidents OF the French Republic, when
will be withheld from NJ. Fallieres. namely, those
OF canon of the Lateran Basilica at Rome ana OIL
the ancient Cathedral Of Mans These canonr1es
were conferred centuries ago upon the rulers Oh
France and whenever the question Of deVlslng an
official costume for the President of the French he
public used to crop UP attention was always drawn
TO the fact that there was no need OF lnVen'ns
new dress since he was ex-offlcio enutled 10 tiie
ecclesiastical attire OF cathedral canon But Win
the disesablishment OF the state church IN france
which has now become accomplished fact, the
head NJ the French government has forfeited his
canonries and can no longer be regarded as pos
sessed of the rank of preIate of the Roman Cath
ole Church.
The President has no chaplains. Ecclesia stically
speaking the Elysee Palace belongs to the parish
of Madeleine and IN the event of the services OF a
priest being required TO shrive dying man at the
palace It is to the Church OF the Madeiel1e thaI
application would be made from the Blysee- Inc
palace contains q very handsome private chapel
which President Grevy wont to use for the
storage of his boots and shooting paraphernalla
His successor President Carnot. however, had 1t
restored and in his days it employed occasion
alIv for the nvestiture Of newly created cardinals
with the beretta by the chief Of state. President
Faure preferred to perform this ceremony in ono
Of the grand salons, and since then the private
chanel has remained unused. Nor will there be any
further opportunity to employ It again for the IN
vestiture of cardinals. since through the disestao
lishnent of the Church the Presidents OF france
have forfeited the prerogatve enjoyed by the rulers
of Austria, Spain. Portugal. Belgium ana Bavaria
of investing with the scarlet beretta any preiate OF
their own nationality who has been nominated TO
a seat In the Sacred College and raised TO the Dig
nifty Of a cardinal by the Pope.
One thing more about the President of France.
~, his election to office he becomes oficio the
Grand Master of the National Order Of the Legion
of Honor and in token thereof he will as soon as
he enters upon the duties of his Office receive from
the grand chancellor Of the order the so-caIed
Collar Of the Order. This is a gorgeous AFFAIR,
made of gold and enamel. and should be worn sus-
nended around the neck There are only two IN
existence Until quite short time ago 1t was not
known what had become of the second, whlch hau
disappeared at the time OF the overthrow OF the
first Emperor Napoleon, for whom both had been
made It was found Vienna among the crown
Jewels Of the House of Hapsburs, and seems TO
have been one Of the very few things which the
..Aielon"-that is TO say. Napoleon II. King OF
Rome and Duke Of Observation-Disclosures from his
father. the great Emperor Napoleon The young
nr,nce died II may be remembered. at Vienna IN
a sort of eNded captivity.