The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-27
hf La 'MARaUIsE DE FoNTENOY.
" iNH GEORGES grant. three weeks
N ago OF free pardon to Earl


! y ING GEORGES grant. three ,veeh,
N ago. Of a free pardon TO Earl
Russeii. OF the bigamy OF which
| ne was convicted by the House OF
horos' AFTER trial by his peers in
i'Vi. calls for some explanation. Fol-
! LORD Russell was sentenced at the
'i'ne'oi ms convection to u term of i'm
pTisohneht. in Holloway Jail. and mos,
people would have taken II for granted
that the serving out of tho sentence
practically purged the earl OF all other
penal consequences of the crime
| conviction of felony however, chr
Ies Win II all sorts of civic disabili-
lies In after life. and a man who has
zone time can, under ordinary cir
substances. never hope To- receive any
elective office. IT even interferes with
,me man practice at The bar. II he
happens to be a member thereof ana
10 nave escaped the customary dis
parment on conviction. 1t does not.
however. prevent a peer from occupy
ing MS seat In the House of Lords ana
casting what may sometimes be de-
termining vote. in matters OF Imperial
! or'ance' Ihus. we have for the last
nine or ten years witnessed the strange
spectacle OF Earl Russell voting and
speaking In tho House of Lords. yet
barred from any county council and
from the most ordinary forms of pub
TIC once and service. on the ground
oil MS having been convicted Of felony.
King Georges pardon which wa.
granted at the instance Of Winston
Churchtil in his capacity as Secretary
Tor the Home Department. has the Of
!ect or w!p!ng out all the consequences
OF the conviction and OF restoring TO
Lord Russell every one OF those civic
rights and preroSntiyes which he would
nave until now enjoyed had he not
peen regarded as Il felon who had done
ti'he' The royal message containing
the pardon was communicated 10 m.
nauo1fa. legislature through the clark
OF Pu,-'.ment. The b!gamy for which
Lord Russell was punished. was per-
petrated in this country. He secured
divorce from his nrst wife. Mabel
scott, ut Carson. Nevada. and was
ihereupon married. at Reno. few days
afterwards To Marion or Stollie. tho
divorced wife OF George John Somer-
vile, OF Somerville, Aberdeen. and
daughter OF George Cooke. OF Cumber-
nauld. This divorce was regarded as
Invalid, by the English courts. on the
ground that the earl's legal domicile
IN Nevada was not bona fde, and in
consequence thereof Mabel. Countess
Russell. obtained a decree of divorce
from the English courts in her favor.
on the ground OF her husbands biga-
my IN marrying Mrs. Somervillc ana
also caused his prosecution his triai
in the House Of Lords, and his con
viction for bigamy. which is II felony
Lord Chelsea, who was gazet,ed a.
bankrupt last year. eventually sccur-
ing his discharge through his father.
the Earl of Cadosan, coming forward
and paying his liabilities, amounting
10 some $4,000. In fun. has once more
been Judiciaily proclaimed nsolvcnt
this time with a load OF debt amount
ing the $4,000 and with assets about
$1,000 The creditors stand very lit
tie chance OF getting anything this
time. For as far back as in 1893.
succeeding TO the great woalth ana
vast estates of the Earldom OF Cado-
gan appeared Somewhat remote, owing
TO the fact that his elder brother
Henry, and the latter's son Edward
were still alive, he sold his reversionary
rights to the family property. to his
father for the sum OF $4,000 down
OF which he was in great need at tho
time. His eldest brother Albert who
bore the title of Niscount Chelsea died
in 1878: his second brother. also known
as Lord Chelsea. died in 1905. his widow
being now the wife of Admiral Sir
Hedworth Lambton; and his second
brothers young son, also known as
Viscount Chelsea. dying just a year
ago. Gerald Is therefore the fourth
OF the descendants of the Earl OF
Cadogan whom the latter has lived
TO see bear the title OF Viscount Chel-
sea.
Owing TO the sale of his revers!onary
interest to his father, Viscount Chel-
sea will inherit little or nothing from
him on succeeding TO the earldom:
nothing at any rate that his creditors
can touch; and the great property of
the family. which comprises the ground
ownership of all the once Stun but
now fashionable London district of
Chelsea. will be vested In the hands
of trustees. for the benefit OF his son. |