THE MARTYRDOM OF KING CHARLES I.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXI, Issue 6505, 14 March 1896, Page 4

THE MARTYRDOM OF KING CHARLES I.

The anniversary of the execution of King Charles the First was celebrated by the members of the various sections of the "Legitimist" party in London on" the 30th January. The statue of the King in Trafalgar-square was the scene of many extraordinary incidents during the early hours of this morning. Notwithstanding the recent Government order, and the extra police on duty near the monument, a number of attempts were made during the night to place upon the statue wreaths containing inscriptions which had not been submitted to the Office of Works. Shortly after 3 o'clock in the morning an elderly gentleman drove up in a cab to the corner of Northumberland-avenue and crossed to the centre of the square. After pacing up and down in front of the statue for some minutes, he went on his knees before the figure of King Charles and offered up a prayer aloud. Four other gentlemen approached the statue a few minutes later, and the party were proceeding to attach a wreath of white roses to a wire encircling the masonry, when they were stopped by the police. They strongly protested against the interference, but ultimately left the square. A small crowd of persons commenced to gather round the statue by 4 o'clock, when an extraordinary scene occurred. Being refused permission to place flowers and inscriptions upon the monument, they uncovered and repeated the collect from the old Book of Common Prayer, which commences : " Blessed Lord . . . . we magnify Thy name for Thine abundant grace bestowed upon our martyred Sovereign," in an unostentatious manner, dispersing after the offering up of prayer by one of their number. Beyond a few casual visitors at odd intervals, nothing further transpired until 9 o'clock, when the wreaths which had been lodged at the office of the Commissioner of Works overnight were brought by officials and placed on the base of the statue. By this time a large crowd had assembled, and despite the rawness of the morning, the majority of the onlookers uncovered as the floral tributes were placed in position. These were of the most artistic and costly description. Chief among them was a superb wreath of white arums, and lilies of the valley interspersed with " Stewart" roses and sprays of maidenhair fern, from the Order of the " White Rose," and containing the inscription "Remember." Another from the president of the Legitimist Club, bore the words "To the Blessed Memory of the White King." A cross of red carnations was inscribed '• From a devoted adherent of the Stewart cause." A " Chevalier of the order of St. Catherine" sent' a circle of white roses with the motto "The King from God, the Law from the King." From the Order of St. Germain (English jbraneh) a beautiful wreath of white blooms was forwarded, to which was attached the leaend "Faithful unto death." The White Cockade Jacobite Club also contributed a magnificent floral emblem with the words "Carolus Rex Carolus," and another bouquet bore the words of the King : "I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible crown." The Foreign Branch of the Order of St. Germain indulged in a French inscription which ran as follows : " L'Angleterre a souillee ses glorieuses annales de trois crimes prinoipaux ; elle a tue Jeanne d'Are, Marie Stuart, at Charles I." The Scottish branch of the same organisation was represented by a wreath inscribed " Seismbach gu Bas" (" Faithful unto Death."

THE STRANGE STORY OF A CLAIM FOR L 3,000,000. Ifc is stated in the Times that a claim for L 3,000,000 is about to be pressed by the representatives of the late Sir Stephen Shairp against the Government. This curious claim arises from the French war in the early years of the century, when the French seized property belonging to the present claimant's ancestors. It is alleged that, although adequate funds were paid over to the British Government after the war, considerable portions of the indemnity never reached the hands of the persons entitled to them. After the conclusion of hostilities it was arranged that the sequestration laid upon the property of the subjects of the high contracting parties should be taken off, and commissioners were appointed to examine claims arising out of such sequestration and illegal confiscation. The Commission sat in Paris, and it seems that its work was done hurriedly, for when it closed several claims were unsettled. After the lapse of a period of nearly twenty years, and as the result of strong agitation, the Commission was reopened, but even then claims do not seem to have been disposed of. Sir Stephen Shairp was Consul-General for Russia, and Charge d' Affaires at St. Petersburg, and property belonging to the firm of which he was a partner, of the value of about LIOO.OOO, was seized by the enemy during the war, and when the Commission was appointed the firm, of course, claimed for the confiscation. To prepare the necessary affidavits and go through the other requisite forms both at home and in Russia occupied a sreat deal of time, and when all preparations were completed the Commission had closed its doors and returned to London with a very large sum of money in hand. The new Commission did not open till 1833, by which time Sir Stephen Shairp, worn out with efforts to recover his property, had died. His duly-certified claim was in the hands of the commissioners, but his son, an officer in the Royal Navy, was unaware of the fact, and knowing little, J if anything, of the circumstances, while entirely unfamiliar with business, could not prepare fresh affidavits and remake the claim. Thus the Commission, with the claim already "in its possession, took no steps, and the money due to the firm of Shairps was never paid to them. Later the whole of the papers of the twb Commissions were handed over to the custody of the Public Record Office, and it was discovered that the unsatisfied claim was amongst them. Ihe Government, however, have declined to allow representatives of the original sufferers to have access to the papers* whilst they have never taken any steps to set the matter right. At- compound interest LIOO,OOO amounts in 80 years to about three millions, but it is unknown whether the full amount will be claimed.