Sovereigns Who Owe Big1 Debts.

Southland Times, Issue 19553, 6 May 1905, Page 1 (Supplement)

Sovereigns Who Owe Big 1 Debts.

Every year the Sovereign of Groat Britain receives from an Italian firm of bunkers named Altruzzi a bill for the payment of a debt of several millions. The bill is handed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who, with much formality, acknowledges its receipt, but adds that the claim “ does not appear to be in order," and nothing more is heard of .the matter for anjther year. ■ The firm of bankers in question claim to oethe lineal descendants of an Italian money onder named Alfruzzi, who accomodated Edward 111 with some hundreds of thousands of pounds ; shortly after this transaction the moneylender was driven out of Italy, and was never again hoard of.

In the early part of the reign of George IV., an Italian firm of bankers named Alfruzzi, wrote to that King, claiming to be entitled to receive payment of the debt in question, together with interest on the amount lent, bringing the claim up to several millions.

The claim is, of course, a purely formal one, but it is, nevertheless, made regularly every year. When the Peninsula war was brought to a conclusion a settlement was made allotting the burden of the huge debt incurred by the prolonged war in different amounts to each European nation. England, of course, bore the chief weight of the debt, and duly met her liabilities, but Spain became a very heavy defaulter. It was arranged that Spain should pay £20,000,000 to Austria in annual instalments of £5,000,000. Alas! but one instalment was ever paid, and this the Spanish Government borrowed from a Greek financier, who, in his turn, sold the debt to his own Government.

Every year the Spanish Sovereign gets a reminder from the Greek Government of this debt, but the reminder has long since come to be regarded as a purely formal one by the recipients of it, and it is never even acknowledged. England sends out two claims every year of a like character.

One is despatched to the Turkish Government, claiming £2,000,000, and another to the Prince of Montenegro for about half that amount.

The former claim is a little balance against Turkey since the Crimean war, but it was arranged long since that the claim should never be enforced.

The debt due by the Prince of Montenegro is, however, a more serious affair. It consists of a sum of money lent to the Prince at a time when his insolvency was on the the verge of taking place. For reasons of State, England has never enforced the repayment of the loan, but she may do so in the future. The aged King of Denmark is troubled two or three times in the year with dunning letters for very large sums of money. One of these letters comes regularly twice a year from a Berlin firm of bankers, who some years ago negotiated a loan for the Danish Government.

The loan was duly repaid, but the firm negotiating the loan subsequently claimed £50,000 as their commission on the transaction.

Their commission was, ns a matter of fact, covered by the amount repaid by the Danish Government, but in spite of this fact, the claim for £50,000 is sent twice a year to the Danish Sovereign, who, of course, takes no notice of it.

Another bill received every year by the same monarch comes from the French Government. This is, however, only for the insignificant sum of £250. Some years ago a Danish Government steamer named the Hurald ran into and badly damaged a French vessel off the West Coast of Africa.

A claim was at once put in by the French Government for damages, which were duly paid by the Danish Government, who, however, struck off a sum of £250 from the claim in connection with legal expenses. Every year since the Danish Sovereign receives a reminder that this sum is still due, but this reminder is not expected to receive serious attention. A Weird Story from Ireland. The London Mirror published a condensed three volume novel on the shape of the following :—Quite recently, at Waterford, a pretty and fascinating young lady, who was very popular in the town, fell ill, and died. Her death occasioned general jegret. She had many friends, and a large number followed her remains to the cemetery. The last rights were said, and all returned to their homes, saddened at the loss of one who had been so dear to them. An extraordinary sequel occurred. A peasant farmer, living in the vicinity of the cemetery, rose early next morning to go to his work. Hap-., pening to look over the wall of the cemetery, he was astonished to see a man on his knees beside the newly filled-in grave. The peasant watched and saw him feverishlyscrapping the earth with his hands, not looking aside for one moment. The onlooker remained with his eyes fixed on the strange sight. To his amazement, the mysterious visitor continued his gruesome task with unabated vigour until presently the coffin was laid bear. Then, with the aid of an iron implement, the man forcibly wrenched off the lid. The climax in the weird drama had been reached. Bending down over the open shell, the stranger who had so wantonly disregarded the sacredness of the spot gazed long and earnestly upon the face of the dead girl. Then, imprinting one passionate kiss upon her forehead, he raised himself and rejusted the lid, afterwards proceeding to fill in the earth over the coffin again. Meanwhile, however, the authorities had been informed of the occurrence, and police arrived and arrested the extraordinary intruder. He was taken to the police station and formally charged. In his possession was found a telegram, handed in at Waterford and delivered to him at Bristol, telling him of the death of the young lady. It appeared that on receipt of the news ho took his passage immediately for Waterford, and on arriving repaired to the graveyard. When arrested he said: "They thought they could prevent me seeing her, but they were mistaken." He wns taken before the magistrate; who committed him to an asylum.

What Coat Buttons Mean.

It is wonderful what a number of old customs we have let die out and yet retain the symbols of those customs to the present day. No one would think of purchasing a frock or tail coat without two buttons sewn on the back of it, and although these buttons are absolutely superfluous, few people ever trouble

themselves to inquire why they are put there. The buttons were originally used to button back the skirts of the long frock-coats formerly worn by gentlemen of fashion, and during the period that these were in vogue, corresponding buttonholes or loops were made at the corners of the skirts.