The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-16
ROUSE DE

Di LA MAItQuIsE DE FONTENOi.
n rOTii1NG definite will ever be
mi known concerning the Tesla
I'm mentary dispositions CT edward
VII. 1'he Courts of Probate
have nc power over the VIII of the
sovereign, nor is there II legal ma
eilnery py which probate can be
means OF as~ccrtaining It's contents.
Even 80 great a gossip as Charles Gre.
VILE. author of the famous Memoirs
was unable to obtain any information
regarding tho Wills of George ". and
William W., despite his being the sec
rotary and CHIEF clerk OF their Privy
Council.
Only one royal English Will has ever
been made public. 1T WAS that OF
position OF the crown, rather than to
his private property. After his mar
riage with Lady Jane Seymour he
secured an act OF Parliament authorIz-
ing him to dispose of the crown. either
by letters patent "or by his last Will.
made in writing, and signed under his
hand, TO such person or persons in
possession or remainder, and after such
order or condition as he should judge
expedient." The Will was made and
deposited in the registry OF the Prerog-
alive Court OF the a~rclbishopric Of
Canterbury, and It's provisions, devils
ing the crown. in default of issue
of his chlldren-Edward, Mary and
- W ~ - - 49, 49,
younger sister. are fully set cut in
Fuller's "Church History Of britain
IN 1900. Prime Minister Pitt Sc
cured the enactment by Parliament OF
a measure known as the private prop.
erty of sovereign act, authorizing the
King, his heirs and SUCCESSORS. by
any instrument under his or their
royal sign manual, attested by Two
witnesses, or by his or their last
will and testament in writing, duly
signed by him, and attested by Wit
nesses," to give or devise any lands.
property, etc, purchased out OF moneys
issued and applied for the use OF the
privy purse or with moneys not
appropriated to any public service
Section 10 of his act declares that
all moneys for the prtvy purse. or not
effects. which shall not come TO His
Majesty in right of the crown, shall
be deemed personal estate, and subject
10 disposition BY his wiz in writing.
still another clause of the same ACT
dispenses with the necessity of pub
LEGATION of the terms of the VIII.
To what extent the provisions of
the will of a monarch receive exccu-
lion depends largely upon the good
Will of his successor. and 1t is a matter
of historic record that when. after
the demise of George l., the Arch
bishop of Canterbury handed TO his
son. George H., the deceased monarch's
Will. by the terms of which he had
L Gi' y WV" - - S~ss
sultana, the Duchess of Kendall. and
to other equally favoritcs.
the new King consigned II TO the
names. 1t is only within the last
two years that through the unearthinS
of some documents in the British Mu-
scum information was obtained (sub-
s%equently s~ubstantiated by official rec
ords III Germany that the King had
not destroyed his fathers will until
he had submitted ii to his ministers
of the crown, in England and in Han
over, and had obtained their approval
of its destruction, as a shameful and
altogether ~disBraceful cal
culated to injurc the dynasty.
Other rulers are understood to have
acted in much the same way when
confronted by analogous testamentarv
dispositions on the part of their pre-
decessors on the throne, and those
who suffer thereby have virtually no
means of redress.
1t is only now and then that n little
daylight is let by chance into the
mystery OF royal Wills, as, for instance,
when unsuccessful attempts We're made
by the revenue officials in England to
ltax certain moneys which Alexander
III., and also Alexander H., had left
on deposit in London banks. Indeed,
lmost OF the immense fortune which
Alexander II. left to his morganatic
wife, Princess Yourieffska, and her
children, was bequeatlled In this
Fashion, that is to say after being de-
posted in London, In order to pre-
vent any attempt by his successor
alexander ILL.,, TO withhold the proper
ty from her.