New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-31

| TO the satisfaction Of the Royal Depart
ment of Heraldry (Consulta Reale He
radical in Rome. and to its sister in
stitution at Madrid. the relatively heavy
fees, In the shape Of stamp duties. have
to be paid for the succession OF each sep
arate title. Thus If Spanish grandee,
such as. for instance. the Duke OF Alba,
inherits couple Of dozen titles OF duke,
marquis. count. etc. all OF them more OF
less historic, he has to pay the fuii
amount Of stamp duty on each one OF
them or allow il to lapse. THESE
duties are sufficiently heavy to deter any
one from applying for permission to use
a title of his forebesrs unless he has sur
ficient means to maintain II with dig
nifty.
That is not all. moreover, for after the
dues have been paid II remains for the
sovereign. as the fountain OF honor to
grant the patent authorizing the heir to
assume the family titles. If King Victor
Emmanuel or Alfonso XIII choose to
withhold their consent and their sig
nature to the patent on the ground that
the person mentioned therein is, in their
opinion or in that OF their constitutions!
advisers, unworthy of the honors con-
cerned. they become dormant. he has to
d. without them, and has no redress.
II is doubtful indeed. whether he would
even he able TO get the money back
which he had paid for fees
Thanks TO these radical measures,
Italian and Spanish titles have dimin-
ished in number literally by the thou
sands. No Italian or Spanish title can
be borne or used without its present
owner having received a patent ad per-
sonam from the crown. How great has
been the decrease of titles is, perhaps.
best shown by the fact that, whereas
formerly there were hundreds OF dukes
in Spain. there are to-day perhaps some
threescore. all told. the number dimin-
shing all the time. and that the 3,po
marquesses OF the reigns of Queen Isa-
bella and of Alfonso XII now amount
to about 100. the result being That
whereas formerly Italian and Spanish
titles were often a subject of ridicule,
owing to their profusion, they now en-
icy consideration as real distinction.
Queen Victoria attempted sixty years
age TO introduce the system Of life
peerages in Great Britain. but she was
PREVENTED rom carrying out her inten-
ton by the opposition of the House or
Lords II was not until quarter OF
q century later that law was passed
authorizing the crown TO bestow life
reerages on eminent judges whose adj
vice and services were needed for judi
cial purposes by the House of Lords
which is the supreme tribunal OF the
United Kingdom and Ireland. These
peerages endow their holder with all
the rights and prerogatives OF peers OF
the realm. save that Of transmitting the
peerage to their frst-born, and as
case in point I may recall that OF the
late Lord Russell Of Killowen. who died
as Lord Chief Justice Of England, al
though an Irishman to the finger tips
and Roman Catholic. His eldest sur
viving son and heir has not inherited
his fathers title or peerage and as the
Hon. Charles Russell Is favoraply
known almost as well on this side OF
the Atlantic as in Great Britain and
Ireland For the present however, life
ueorages are restricted In England TO
Judges who hold or who have held the
position Of justices OF the High Court
Of Appeal. II Parliament were Wiling
that the crown should extend the sys-
tenn TO all new creations of peers, many
Of the objections TO the House OF Lords
az now constituted would disappear.
EX-ATTACHE.