The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-22
DECLARES ROYALTY
IS IMMORAL
Bitter Attack Made on Reign
ing Family in British House
of Commons
CHARGE THAT THRONE
SHELTERS PARASITES
Heated Debate Results from
Kings Request for Large
Yearly Allowance from
Parliament.

LONDON, July 22.--After an acri-
monious debate. which the royal fam
lily was dubbed Immortal by a La
borite, the House of Commons this
afternoon granted the King and the
members OF the royal family civil
list of ss,10s.7oo yearly
A motion made by George Barnes,
the Labor leader, TO reduce the civil
list by ss50,ooo was voted down by
206 TO &c.
Kier Hardie moved 20 init from the
list provision for ali the Kings chill
dren, with the exception OF the young
Prince of Wales, and TO provide for
the Queen Mary only in the event she
survives King George.
Hardie's motion to exclude the chill
dren was defeated 207 to 90.
A severe attack upon the royal
family was made by Barnes, who was
speaking In opposition to the pas
sage of the civil list---the money paid
the King and members of the royal
family by the nation.
Barnes declared he would oppose
10 the end the granting OF the In
creased civil list unless the king and
the Prince of Wales, would agree 10
surrender into the public treasury the
revenue now received by them from
the duchies of Lancaster and Corn
wall. where they own immense land
ed properties which bring in large
revenues.
The royal income is excessive and
tho expenses OF the royal household
is honeycombed with abuses" he said.
'fnasmuch AZ X conceais a nest OF
parasites who are fattentng upon the
nation under the shadow OF the
throne"
Royal Income.
The civil list asked by the king and
members of the royal family this
year, amounts to ss.1os,so0. The
revenue from the ducny or Cornwall
amounted in 1908 TO $4i4.2so. willis
tses.70o, was received from the
duchy of Lancaster. since 1905, how
ever, there has been a material in
crease In the revenues in these two
duchies.
Ex-Premier Baifour. leader OF the
conservatives. replied. He said that
the root of Barnes objections seem
q to be that the royal family was over
expensive for the nation.
"Not over-expensfve; over i'm
moral
The audacity OF the remark. seemed
20 daxe Balfour for an instant. and
he could only reply that he did not
know that the laborttes deemed
royalty to be immoral.
Laborite Jowett explained that the
speaker must have meant that the ex-
penses fthe royal family were i'm
moral. not the members.
Proper Support.
Baifour added that unless Eng
land was able to- support q monarchy
property, II would be far better for
the kingdom to alter the system OF
governing now in vogue and md an
other which would have the single
merit OF cheapness. But he added,
It would be impossible to conduct
England as an empire as cheaply as
America ID conducted under presi-
dent and besides he did not think an
English presidency would be much
cheaper than the present kingdom.
Sir Charles Dixie. chairman OF the
lroyal commission for housing the
working classes. supporting the atti-
tude OF the Laborites to the extent of
declaring that the crown lands In
Cornwall and Lancaster needed the
most rigid management. under the
supervision OF government authori-
ties.
Gibson Bowles, the military writer
and authority. grew even more social
tstic. averrtng that the crown lands
in Lancaster and Cornwall never be-
longer to the members OF the royal
family in their private capacity, and
consequently ought to be surrendered
10 the Kingdom, that the revenue
might go into the state treasury. in
stead OF into the privy purse OF the
king, and the Prince of Wales.
IL, however 1t was decided to allow
the king and his son to retain these
rich crown lands. and their income.
Bowies declared. It. was manifestly
improper to allow the ruler to escape
the provisions OF the income tax un-
der which every other Englishman
has to pay his share OF the expenses
OF the state.