New-York tribune., 1907-12-25

TO the Orthodox Greek Rite, which is the national
ehuFch OF Bulgaria. Indeed. Prince Ferdinand is
To-Day TO ali intents and purposes in a of
MINOR accommodation. and he is known TO be so
nuch embittered by his treatment the part OF
'he vatican that he has been reported to have been
on several occasions on the eve of abandonment of
roman Catholicism for some other denomination.
his two little daughters have thus far been
brought up Catholics
CHILD CAUSES CABINET CRISIS AT MADRID.
At Madrid a royal child has become the involun-
tary cause of what threatens to develop into full
hedged ministerial crisis and probable wreck of
the CABINET The controversy which has arisen
and which is being discussed with a good deal of
bitterness and animosty in political official and
court circles relates to the question to the
nulty TO be paid by the national treasury to the
seven-year-od Infant Alfonso nephew of the
King. and who until the birth of the latter's son
The boy is the only of King Alfonso's sister,
Dona Mercedes. who died three years ago as Prin-
cess Of Asturias. and whose widowed husband,
Prince Charles of Bourbon married the other day,
en- secondeS noces. Princess Louise OF Orleans at
Wood Norton, in England. Strictly speaking. none
of the scions of the reigning house of Spain has
any claim the treasury for allowances save
those who infants and infantas by birth; that
is TO say the children of the King and Queen of
Spain and the children of the Prince of Asturias.
The other members of the reigning family may,
may not. be created infants and infantas by
royal patent and as an act of grace. But this
does not give them any right to annuity or to
share the civil list Now, little Prince Alfonso
is infant by decree. and not by birth. precisely
in the same way his father, Prince Charles of
Bourbon.
It may be remembered that the present King
was not born until several months after the death
of his father. Alfonso XII and in the interval his
eldest sister, the late Dofa Mercedes, occupied
he 2par6 6pyt- n her
on his advent into the world. She thereupon was
invested. his next heir. with the dignity OF
Princess of AstUrias. which she held until her
death. On her abandoning the throne, in 1886. the
Cortes enacted a law not only endowing her as
Princess of Asturias, with an allowance from the
treasury of $4,000 a year, but likewise decreeing
that princess who had held the title of Princess
of Asturias should enjoy that income for the re
nainder of her life. having in view the possbil-
fly that some day the then baby King might marry
and have son who would become Prince OF As
turias thus compelling the princess TO surrender
the dignity.
When Doha Mercedes died her income ceased.
Her husband and her children continued to make
their home in the royal palace with King Alfonso
and his mother. Queen Cristina. and therefore no
necessity arose for demanding any extra allowance
Nor it considered wise to invest the little boy
with the title of Prince # Asturias, In view or
the fact that the Kings marriage was already on
the tapis. and it regarded as preferable TO
wait and see whether the sovereigns union would
be blessed with any children before taking any
steps in the matter. Consequently little Prince AL
fonso proclaimed. not Prince OF Asturfas. but
merely Infant. heir TO the throne.
Now that the King has married and has son Of
his own the Infant Alfonso has only lost his
status heir presumptive, but has also been
forced. along with his sister, his father and the
latter's French bride, to seek home in lieu
Of the -oyal palace, and they are moving into a
very fine mansion which has been recently COM
oleted near the entrance of the Prado. This has
led to question being raised as to the annuity
Of the Infant.
At court it is urged that. the boy having occupied
the position of heir presumptive from the time or
his mothers death October. 1904 until the birth
Of King Alfonso's son, last June. he should be re-
ga rded entitled to an annuity of $4,000 a year
for the remainder of his days, in accordance with
the spirit though not the letter Of the law of 1885,
enacted in favor of his mother. 1t Is argued that
Il this is withheld should any rate be entitled
to the annuity $4,000 accorded by the terms of
the constitution the children of the sovereign an
Of the Princess of the Asturias-that Is to say. TO
the princes and princesses who Infants and In
fanas by right of birth-seeing that his mother was
Princess of the Asturias. The Cabinet Is divided
about the matter. and regrets tnat the question has
been raised, while the opposition, the press ana pop
lIar sentiment are against the grant of any allow
ance on the ground that the young prince is not an
infant bv birth but by patent that he is a son
either of the King II Prince of the Asturas,
and that moreover his mother, Donan Mercedes left
very large estate TO be shared between his sister
and himself added 10 which he will benefit largely
under the will of his grandmother Queen Cristina
as hefress of late Duke Albert of Austria
has an immense private fortune So that there is
10 real need of making any application TO the al
ready heavily burdened Spanish treasury.
The beneficaries Of the civil list of Spain con
sist Of the King and Queen. the Queen mother tho
nfanta Maria Therese only surviving sister of the
King married TO Prince Ferdinand Of Bavaria, and
he three sisters of the late King, the Infantas |
F1ulalie 'Paz and Isabella. The latter former
Princess of the Asturaa gets $50 900 year, and the
,ther Infantas $4,000.
MARQUIsE DE FoNTENoY.