The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-24
ny La MARaUIsE ne royTENOY.

ny LA SAIsaUIsE DE FoNTENOY.
T,RANCE'S. Keeper OF the Great Seal
II and Minister Ct Justice, speak
Ing In the name of the French
government. has Just, IN response
TO nm inquiry on the part OF Charles
l,,eboucq, deputy OF the Seine, made
clear the position Of the present
Of mobility. about which there appears
TO be so much misrepresentation.
It Is mistake to believe that these
titles have been abolished. On the
contrary. those which are authentic.
in the male line direct, as provided
by French law. are not only recog-
niZed. but safeguarded by the republic.
But they have to be registered by the
par,ment of Justice. either on the sue
Ecession of a lawful heir or on the
revival of an old title which has been
In allowance. Tho Keeper OF the Great
the event OF fun and convincing doc
3umentary proof being furnished or the
existence OF the title, by means of
the original letters patent creating
It. or else. when these patents have
been lost. by other official documentary
evidence, furnishing testimony that
they have existed. The Department OF
Justice Is extremely particular about
these registrations. and there Is no
such fayoritism as existed in the reign
of King Louis Philippe and OF Ma
-poleon III.
The government OF the republic has
of course never bestowed any titles
of nobility. and during its entire ex-
istence of forty years, has only con-
scented, with much reluctance, 10 reg
lister half-a-dozen conferred by Plus
TX, between 1870 and 1878. All the
other titles conferred upon French
citizens by the Vatican: by the, King
King of Portugal and by petty German
rulers. have received no sanction. and
are invalid In the eyes OF French law.
i 1t Is only titles bestowed by the.
Bourbon rulers of France prior and
1888 and those created by the first and
third Napoleon. as. well as those OF
foreign origin. which have been Of
dozen Papal titles granted by Plus IN.
which on duo registration by the
Keeper of the Great Seal. have legal
value In France. and they alone can
be used by their holders in connection
with any official documents, such as
the record OF births, marriages. deaths.
etc. A man who uses in an Official
or public document in France n title
of nobility not registered by the Dc
diable to prosecution for felony. Vhe
public officer who mentions In n doc
ument the title. without being certain
or or It's due registration. is also sub
jcct to dismissal, and to more drastic
penalties. while the document in ques-
ton becomes invalid.
d. The Keeper OF the Great Seal in
his reply in the Chamber of Deputies
to the inquiry of Representative Lee
boucq, further pledged himself to
apply from henceforth, with much
more severity than heretofore, the
laws contained in Article $50 OF the
Penal Code, furnishing the use of un-
authorized titles. In conclusion, 1t
must be thoroughly understood, first
OF all. that the laws OF the days Of
the Terror abolishing nobiliary titles,
were repealed during the reign OF tho
no abolition since then OF French
titles Of nobility; secondly, that their
descent Is strictly restricted to the
male line direct. that they cannot be
inherited through the distaff side OF
the house.