Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-18
The Isle of Man.

1T is an astonishing fact that! though the
Isle of Man is at no great distance from
ieither England, Scotland or Ireland, very
little was known of Il except I'm the most
general way until Hall Caine began to
make the world acquainted with 1t through
his fascinating novels The time is past
wnen the average Englishman will tell
you In answer to your ques tons that the
Island is noted for its tailless cats. 1t is
true that there is an indigenous breed Of
cats without tails, but II seems hardly fair
that this circumstance should have caused
the island to be regarded in a humorous
light instead OF IT. the interesting one of
its history and traditions.
The island is only thirty-three miles long
by twelve miles broad and Is a remarkable
survival OF feudal days In the very centre
of the British Isles. In the first period of
It's history il was stronghold of the
Druids, and when the Britons were driven
into the west of England 1t formed part of
the Welsh Kingdom. 1t was seized by the
Vikings-early in the tenth century and in
1886 was bought from Scotland by Norway
for the sum of 5000 marks. 1t was seized
by the English in 1888 and the Earl Of
Salisbury was granted complete royal
right over this tiny domain. Soon after It
was sold to Sir William lie Scrope, whose
deed Of purchase states that he bought OF
William Montecute, Earl OF Salisbury the
Isle of Man. with the title of King and the
right of being crowned with a crown OF
gold. The owner, like many mobiles of his
time, soon after came to the scaffold and
then the island passed successfully to the
Earl of Northumberland and Sir John de
Stanley, the latter of whom passed II down
to a long line of descendants. For three
hundred years the history Of the Stanleys
was connected with the Isle of Man until
1t passed to the Duke of Athoi. In l765 the
British Parliament obtained proprietary
rights, and in 1926. by the payment OF E4l6,-
OOO-a large sum for the size OF the Island
obtained complete possession.
Until 1866 the government of the Isle OF
Man was more or less of an oligarchy.
There are three estates, the Governor the
Council and the House of Keys, or Par
lament, which together constitute what
is known as the Court of Tynwald. The
Council consists of the Bishop OF Sodor
and Man. the Attorney General, the Re-
'ceiver General. the two Deemsters or Chief
Justices, made familiar to the public by
the writings OF Hall Game; the Clerk of the
Rolls. Water Bailiff. Archdeacon, and two
Wears General. There are twenty-four
Keys and till 1866 they held ONCE by the
unique method of filling vacancies by the
self-election of others. When the second
reform agitation was sweeping through
England In 1866 this was changed. Hither-
TO on the death OF Key two nominal tons
were made, of whom the Governor selected
one, for the filling OF the vacant post.
Since then the house has become represen-
tative and the members OF the House OF
Keys are elected for the period Of seven
years.
The Bishop of the Isle of Man, called
the Bishop of Sodor and Man, has a seat
in the House of Lords. without the privi-
lege of a vote. The establishment OF the
bishopric is lost in the mist OF antiquity
II is supposed to have been established by
Pope Gregory ~. In the ninth century.
The name "Sodor" Is of forgotten derivs-
ton, though it Is supposed TO belong 10
a time when the Hebrides were In the
possession OF the Norsemen and divided
INTO Nodor and Sodor-that Is. North and
South. The language OF the ManXmen Is
Gaelic and is still spoken TO some sxtent.
The people have many of their primitive
ways and are little touched by the spiri,
J or customs of modern times. In many
ways they have changed but little from
teudal days when The Stanleys we-a
! the lords OF the island.