Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-07-23

~ ARLTAMENT will be asked In
- the course OF the next few days
10 pass the civil list, and In
consideration Of tho sum thus
voted the king viii promise to forego
n thousand and one royal perquisites.
1t is almost wholly commercial trans
action The ancient privileges OF the
crown win be surrendered during the
kings reign, or rather viii be allowed
TO remain In allegiance 50 long as the
civil list Is sanctioned, but while they
are merged in the national income In
accordance with mutual arrangement
by which the sovereign receives "a
definite amount from the state annually
for his personal expenditure, IL ~ De
yOnd dispute mat the statute by which
the compact Is arrived at carefully COM
fines the surrender of rights to the lite-
time OF the monarch. Hence, II the
King elected to prefer the casual ana
uncertain process OF replenishing tne
crown Golfers by the operation Of royal
perquisites Instead OF troubling parlia-
ment, he could constituuonHuy COM
nand myriad OF ancient customs for
the purpose OF supplying his financial
necessities, which would make the YER
satillty Of modern chancellor OF the
oxchequer appear commonplace
Excepting during periods Of unusually
heavy calls on the royal purse, King
George would not deem It really neCes-
sary to 80 beyond the immemoTlal right
claiming all gold and silver mines. not
only on his own land, but upon any Of
his subjects lands within his domin-
ions. This special privilege Is traceable
20 an apprehenslve ancestor whose
imagination triumphed over his logic.
He contended that there was a consid-
cradle element Of danger in permitting
"a subject TO become too formidable by
vcstng In him so immense a treasure
as "A mine of gold or silver. Moreover.
81 mines containing baser metals also
contained gold and silver the entire
mine belonged to the king, because gold
and silver, being the nobler and more
valuable metals. necessarily attracted
the less refined elements. and as the
subject cannot hold property Jointly
with the king the royal right was UNI
assailably correct.
AS the British empire last year pro-
duced about $4,000. 900 In gold and sill
yer. the exercise OF the ancient right
would perhaps suffice, but N any doubt
should creep into the calculation there
arc other contributory sources which
might be tapped.
Every tenant OF a knights fee IL
required 20 attend the king for 40
DAYS each year but the obligation be-
came irksome. and pecuniary satisfac-
ton was substituted. Hence the royal
household became a repository for al
most every kind OF merchandise con-
tributed by obedient subjects. All
ships which carried wine TO England
had TO yield up two tuns TO the kings
butler for replenishing the royal wine
cellar Although these gifts have long
since been compounded, few still sur
vive.
Incidentally, the king In entitled TO
receive q pair OF white doves, pound
~ cummin seed. n pair OF scarlet hose,
and silver needle from his tailor, and
on the principle that every little helps
they might not be deemed less un-
worthy than half a whale, n whole
sturgeon. or a swan with two hicks"
The swan has always been a royal
favorite. and mo person other than
the son OF king could have mark
or game OF swans excepting he held
freehold land 10 the value OF five shil-
lings. And n any person not having |
lands Of tho said value shall have any |
such swans. II shall be lawful for any |
of the kings subjects. having land OF !