A KING’S RANSOM.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 31 August 1929, Page 11

A KING’S RANSOM.

A SURVIVING SQUABBLE. OEVEN hundred and thir.ty-four years ago England raised IdO.OOO silver marks for the liberation of King Richard Cocnr de (Lion fro.m captivity 1n Austria. The money was paid, and with it a wall was ibuilt as a defence for Venna. That wall stood until 70 years ago; it was then torn down to make the Inner Ring which is such a feature of Vienna’s charm and beauty. At the time the city council claimed the ground on (which the wall had stood. The Imperial Government, how. ever, said: “Xo; this wall was built with money .paid to the Emperor. The ground is his. ’ ’

The (dispute (says a contributor to) the London “Daily 'Chronicle”') went | 'on and -on, and it -continues. The !Re-I publican Government takes up the same attitude as did the Empire. Ttj claims the right to deal with what i remains of King Richard’s ransom, j once scraped together by his poor Eng- 1 lish subjects and handed over- to the! Austrian Emperor. It was a real ! “capital levy” that England underwent to raise its monarch’s ransom, j Everyone had to forfeit onefourth of] his possessions. The monasteries had , to contribute a year’s wool from the) backs of the sheep they bred. From many churches were taken silver vessels an.d ornaments to be coined into i marks.