The sun., 1908-03-24
The Proposed Titles Of Nobility for
American Citizens.

loosely, no doubt was the suggestion
made in the House Of Representatives the
other day that inasmuch as foreign titles
Of nobility seem TO have considerable
commercial value in the eyes Of some
American women and their male rela-
tives it might be we'll TO keep the money
or a portion Of it at home by comforting
similar titles on American citizens. The
author Of the proposal was OF course
we'll aware that the eighth clause Of the
ninth section Of the first article Of our
Federal Constitution declares that mo
title of nobility shall be granted by the
United States Inasmuch, however, as
the United States Supreme Court, by
majority Of one, has decided that the
Constitution does not follow the flag into
our transmarine dependencies the pro-
hihiticn citAd would prove nc har 70
the creation Of titles in our insular pos
sessions and the bestowal Of them upon
such American citizens as chose to make
large investments Of capital therein.
Curiously enough, there is an exact
historical parallel for such proceeding,
although so far az We have noticed il
has not yet been mentioned
1t was a feature Of the Venetian
Republic throughout the greater part
Of its history that no Venetian in his
capacity Of citizen could hold a title Of
nobility. After the closing Of the Great
Council, by which and out Of which the
Doge and members Of the relatively
small executive councils were chosen,
the republic was ruled by an ohgarchy
consisting Of those persons who by
birth were eligible TO membership in that
body. The highest native honor there
fore open TO a Venetian patrician-neXt
TO that Of Doge-- was the title Of Coun-
cillor, the term "Magnifco,' by which d
magnate might be spoken Of colloquially,
being merely a descriptive adjective.
| In the course OF time, however, Venice
acquired certain transmarine insular and
mainland possessions which stood in
feudal relations 10 the republic. For
instance, after the fourth crusade had
been diverted from reconquest Of
Palestine to an attack upon a Christian
Power and the capture Of Constantinople,
il is well known that Venice received a
large fraction Of the Byzantine Empire,
including Negropont Eubea), the Morea
the Peloponessusl, Gambia Crete and
many other islands, to which, after the
death of the last king Of the house OF
Lusignan, Cyprus was added. BY and
bv, also, Venice became the mistress OF
territories in eastern Lombardy and on
the eastern coast Of the Adriatic.
As these outlying dominions were
bound by feudal ties TO the Seignory, OF
governing power Of Venice. the Venetian
citizens who we're deputed to administer
them were naturally permitted TO assume
feudal titles which defined their relation
10 the suzerain State and to their locaI
subordinates and subjects. Thus the titles
Of Prince, Duke, Marquis, Count and Lord
came into being, but they were applied
TO the holders exclusively in their feuda
and local capacities, When these mobiles
visited Venice il was as citizens, and
their foreign titles had no legal signif'
cancc within the precincts Of the Com
monwealth. II was in other words
adudged that the Venetian Constitution
which like our own prescribed title'
Of nobility, was not violated because
citizens were permitted to bear sucl