The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-07
.Whlch IS Tic most nncient lnbyrInth,
FALLIERES DOES NOT
WANT PARDON POWER

By la MARouIsE DE FoNTENOY.
~ RESIDENT FALLIERES is taking
- steps TO relieve himself rs soon
AS possible Of his prerogative o {
clemency in the case of capital
oHcnses. He entertalns the same OBJ
lection as his predecessors at the Ely
as 10 whether convicted. murderer,
should be sent 10 the guillotine or have
lis life spared. And it is asserted that
~. Faillieres. who is not In the best
OF health, is i'll FOR days after being
called upon to decide whether a man
should eNpiate his crime on the scat.
fold or by life -imprisonment
t is probable that the wishes of the
chief magistrate OF tho republic will
be complied with, and that the prob
tha wha' sel9n to
Will be left to the supreme court OF
appeal This will be much more salts
factory to the public For since the
gnillotinc has resumed It's much need
ed activity, 1t has been found that the
sentences that have been committed
have been those whieh assuredly
tie President prompted probably hy
his ministers. has been influenced by
considerations of political expedlency
rather than Of justice IN the matter
Thus. cvil-doers with particularly bcs-
tial murders. or series OF murders, with
long record of crime TO their credit ),
have had their death sentences com
mnted, whereas men who have single
murder proved against them. a murder
perhaps committed In moment of
passion. or temporary liberation, ana
whose life has otherwise been hGnor-
able. have been sent to the scafold
merely because they belonged to the
better classes OF society. Moreover,
every priest convicted Of murder has
been executed. even when there were
eNtcnuating circumstances, and doubts
as to his guilt, IS in the case OF the
dd not e dsrs % spafe The
life of a member OF the clergy In
fact, the worst murderers escape. ac-
cording 10 the present system, while
would commend to cleinency are gull
lottncd from motives which can only be
denounced as political. :.
Tho Battle of the Spurs has resulted
in the. victory OF Lord Grey dc Ruthyn
and Of lord Loudoun, each OF whom Is
gold spurs comprised in the rcsalia at
the coronation OF King George. Lord
L.oudoun bore them alone at tho coro-
nation Of Edward VII He and his wife
Castle, In honor Of the coming of age
OF his nephew and heir, Reginald Raw
don Hastings, who last fall completed
ford. II was at Loudoun Castle that
the treaty of union between England
land ireland was signed, at the begin
a great yew tree. just outside the
windows OF the breakfast room. and
among the many treasures OF art and
history preserved at the castle Is the
actual pen used to sign this treaty,
which. II Prime Minister Asquith has
his way, is on the eve OF being re-
pealed.
Lord I1oudoun Inherited his earldom
from his mother who was peercss
In her own right She married Charles
Frederick Clifton, OF Clifton in Ian
caster, who assumed by act or Parlia-
ment, the surname and arms Of Ahney
Hastings. In compliance with the con-
ditions of the will of Sir Charles Az
ncy Hastings an uncle OF the late Lady
I.oudoun, and who had bequeathed to
her and to her husband his estates
The late Lady Loudoun. who possessed
the Baronics Of Tarrinzean, OF Mauch-
line. OF Hungerford, of De aIoleyns, of
Hastings dc Hastings. and of Botreal,x
the latter dating from February 1867
In her own right, died in 1874 where
upon her eldest son succeeded to her
| carldom and to her many baronies
while his father remained a commoner
as plain Mr.. Abncy Hastings tor am
other SIX years, when he was raised
to the peerage. on the nomination or
Lord Reaconsfeld. as Lord Downing
ton
Lord bennington was rather &c
| centric man, with very artistic tastes.
and became furiously angry with his
| eldest son, the present Lord Iouaoun
| and with his eldest daughter the f,rst
wife OF the present Duke OF Norfolk
when they became converts to tho Ro-
| man Catholic Church Some ycnrs lat
l however TOwd Don min ~, bir,e,1r