The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-28
TO EXTORT
MONEY FROM MARQUIS

have been called upon TO defend him
SELF against charges of being a fraud,
usurper, n forger. and even a MUIR
derer, by utterly. nameless and OBJ
scure adventures; that they should
have been able to Induce people to sub
scribe money, az a commercial venture
to establish thor charges. and should
have succeeded In purchas sing perjured
testimony OF exofTicials. French and
Spanish, is so inconceivable that Il
partakes rather of the nature OF one
Of the scnsa tional police novels of
Gaboriau than OF real. cold fact and
actual happening within the last de-
cade In Paris.
The gift OF the Grandezza come. 10
the old marquis from the King. not as
matter of right. but as an act of
grace. since in point of ancestry he
could lay no claim to the honor. for
which long line of noble ancestors
is usually supposed to be sine qua
non. The late marquis. his uncle. who
died at the age OF nearly ninety, had
been a man of relatively humble ORR
gin, who owed his title and also his
wealth TO the fact that he had won
the favor of King Ferdinand VII OF
Spain. and more especially that of the
latter's Neapolitan consort. Queen
Christina. acting as the keeper of their
privy purse.
There used to be n story current at
Madrid to the effect tina; IL he had
transferred his residence 10 Paris, In
relatively early life closing his beau
uful palace in Madrid. 1t was because
he had had occasion to XIII his wife
and his Cuban chef. under circum-
stances which, while he escaped nun
ishment under the terms of the un-
written law. nevertheless rendered his
continued stay in Madrid, or for the
Of In H.
polite The present marquis is his
nephew
Sir Gerard Lowther. who for the past
five years has been British ambassa-
dor At Constantinople, and whose rcsig-
nation OF that office has lately been
announced. is not the only member of
his family who is retiring from ac-
tive service. For his elder brother the
Right Hon. James William Lowther.
has intima;ed that he will decline re-
election to the House OF Commons and
to the speakership on the termination
OF the present Parliament. In his let
ter to his constituents he confidently
'gucsses" that this will take place
next year-perhaps earlier.
While Sir Gerard I.owther will have
10 be content with an ambassadorial
pension OF $4,000 n year. his brother
James. who has occupied the Office OF
Speaker since 1905. will receive, In ac-
oordance with time -honored custom,
pension OF s20,0e0 "A year for the re-
mainder of his days. together with
elevation to the House of Lords as a
Viscount of the United Kingdom
Although Tory In politcs-he has
been member of the House of Com
mons just thirty years-his tenure of
the speakershp. and previous thereto,
OF the office of chairman of committees.
has been characterized by so much i'm
same time dignity. that his retirement
Will be viewed with regret by all the
rival factions of the lower chamber
of the national legislature; the sorrow
of the Liberals being, however, miti-
gated by the fact that If they carry
the DAY once more a the next general
election. they will at length be able to
elect one OF their own political hue. In
lieu OF Conservative. to the speaker
ship. The latter carries with 1t
salary of s25.Oa0 year. n magnificent
ly furnished and stately official resi-
dence in the Palace OF Westminster
and all sorts Of valuable perquisites
and allowances: so that the post may
be really regarded as representing
fully $4,000 a year
Both Sir Gerard and the Speaker are
elder brothers of the Colonel Henry
Cecil Lowther, military secretary to
the Duke OF Connaught. Governor
General OF Canada. and members of
that ancient house of Lowther, in Cum
berland and Westmorland. OF which
the chief IS the Earl Of I.onsdale
Copyright, 1918, by the Brentwood
Company