New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-18


houses Of the old aristocracy. particularlv in
Brittany and In Provence. whose names and
honors are perfectly authentic having been
handed down from father 10 son without any
break since medieval times and which more
over. have kept their genealogical trees singu-
larly free from anything in the nature OF q
rnessl,iance. on the other hand no objection IS
offered nowadays by the French authorities TO
the assumption OF titles and the consequence
Is that the banks Of the Seine literally swarm
with barons. counts. marquesses and even
dukes and princes. whose titles are derived from
no government or monarch but have merely
been donned by the wearers, much in the same
way the crow in the fable when it decked
itself cut in peacock's plumes. There is literally
no limit 10 the thousands Of these titles borne
n France without any warrant or excuse save
that OF cheek. and, providing these soi-disant
mobiles have A certain amount OF money. do not
atte1npt 10 cheat their trades-nen and are lib
e-al and not TOO discriminating in the hospitality
which they dispense the world-at any rate
that particular portion thereof in which they
rnove-will be ready. A rule, 10 humor them
by addressing them by the titles and also by the
names which they may happen 10 have usurped.
For. unfortunately. grand old names are fire.
cuentlv assumed in the same way as titles, and
with just little right, and one finds nowadays
people moving in the smartest Partisan society
adorned with names that were rendered Illus
trious in the wars OF the Crusades and for the
adoption Of which the bearers have excuse
save their own assertion that in remote times
one of their ancestors married daughter Of
the great house IN question. II IS unnecessary
fo- ne TO add that in France neither nobiliary
tides nor family names descend through the
female line and IN the rare cases where an
exception 10 this strict rule has been granted
II has invariably been through specific act Of
grace on the part Of the sovereign of France.
In England there are to-day hundreds Of people
following the most humble callings, such as
those Of village cobbler and town crier. cabman,
etc who can show an unbroken descent from
the Tudor kings and queens OF England Their
descent IS perfectly legitimate. and was set
forth IN extremely erudite volume Of genoa
logical research published IN London a couple
Of years ago But IL is IN each case descent
through the female line. and the people IN
France who assume an historic name on the sole
ground that il has belonged by birth 10 one Of
their ancestresses in oIden days have no more
right 10 do so than would the village cobbIer
The town crier and the hacknan mentioned
above 10 style themselves King Of England.
Frances government has frequently been
urged 10 take some step 70 prevent this whole
sale and tndiscrinlinate assumption Of nobiliary
tites and OF historic names by not merely en-
forcing the laws bearing upon the subject which
have been in existence since monarchical days,
but also by insttUting measures similar 10 those
devised in recent years by Italy and by Spain.
whore government commissions have Instituted
n one province after another a searching in
vestigation into the patents Of those using titles
giving Official sanction IN cases only where the
family papers are above question and the heavy
tax has been paid, and issuing prohibitions from
the further employment OF nobiliary distinctions
- ell instances where they have been borne with
OFT proper warrant. Indeed, il has been pointed
ont 70 the French Treasury that the latter could
Derive e very large revenue by the imposition
o. q big tax upon the OF titles. In Spain.
unless the lawful heir TO title is able TO pay
the tax thereon Qf he has inherited several
tiles Re IS required 70 pay a separate tax
each of thern). he is not allowed 10 assume the
dignity or dignities IN question. and they re-
main II allegiance until he has turned over the
inpost 10 the treasury. or UNTIL after his death.
the funds are furnished by his lawful heir. By
rigorous enforcement OF these laws Spain has
not only cut down from many thousands to
few hundreds the number of it's titled arIstoc-
racy, but has likewise added a by no means in
considerable sum TO its annual revenues.
France. however. has been reluctant 10 take
any such step. and has shown herself equally
ds!nclined 10 accede &c the proposal TO abolish
and forbid the use OF titles, as is the case IN
Greece. Rumania, Servia and Bulgaria, coun-
tries where the employment OF q handle 10 ones
name constitutes statutory offence. In fact,
when any one finds a Greek. Runanian. Ser
Wan or a Bulgarian using q nobdnary title it
may be al once assumed that II is altogether
bogus or else that II has been conferred by some
foreign power. and that. not having received the
sanction ot the bearers gOvernment-being
used. indeed by him IA defiance OF his country's
law &c all int md
The French government takes the ground that
by taking titles IL would give their maintenance
2 fresh recognition and renewed Official sane
ton not IN keeping with republican doctrines or
Institutions
With regard 10 the abolition Of titles and
statutory prohibition Of their use. there sew
ersI objections thereto that are put forward by
the leading French statesmen OF the day. Thus
they argue that the abstention OF the govern
neut from all Interference with the indiscrirn-
mate Usurpations Of historic names and titles OF
nobility tends TO strengthen the position OF the
republic At heart there are no more devoted
pa--issns OF the republic and no more de-
terrnlned opponents Of any uonarchica1 restora-
ton than al these spurious mobiles and name
robbers. who realize that one Of the very hrst
ntngs which any emperor or king would De
compelled 70 DO when placed the throne OF
France would be 10 enforce the old laws still IN
repealed which wero enacted IN naonarchica1
times for the special purpose Of preventing
usu-pation OF these kinds. for one Of the most
cherished and useful prerogatives Of monarchy
s. the power 20 grant titles and hereditary
honors and naturally this privilege becomes of
no account and entirely useless II titles can be
obtained elsewhere than from the fountain Of
such honors. namely. the crown. OF course for
fleSe f1SeuNO-uObleg affect