THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL FAMILY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3737, 23 September 1886, Page 3

THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL FAMILY.

« Tho Czar, owing to tho rapidly multiplying power of tho Russian Imperial family (writes the Paris correspondent of the Daily 2feirx) has judged well to copy our Henry VIII. m restricting the Imperial quality of its members. Ho only allows the title of Grand Duke, and Grand Duchess, and Imperial nighnesa to tho sons, daughters, brothers, sister?, and grandchildren of the late and actual sovereign. Thu3 the great nephews and nciccs of the Into Czar will sink into mere serene liighnostes, and be only princes or princesses. Imperial quality, unless for capacity to succeed to the throne, will be exhausted m the second generation from a Czar. Tho apanagea and pensions of the whole reigning family are to be cut down. They wero indeed scandalously great. The Empress has enjoyed for her separate yearly allowance GOO, OOO roubles. As ovory payment made by the Exchequer to a member of the sovoreign house is m gold, this would represent a total of £120,000 Bterlinß. If she becomes a widow she will bo entitled to go on receiving it as long (is she resides m Russia, but only half as much m the event of her going to reside abroad. The Ccsarowich's ponsion has been 300,000 roubles. Henceforth it is to bo 10\000 roubles, but when ho has a separate establishment he is to receivo a civil list to cover its expenses. Tho stato incomes of other members of tho family, aro seriously curtailed. It is moreover arranged that the daughters and granddaughters of Czars are only to receive a dowry of a million of roubles each pnid down, and no life annuity. Those having annuities are to lose them. The great-grand-daughters of sovereigns will bo entitled to a dowry of 100,000 roubles each, and the other princesses, who aro only highnesses, to 30,000 roubles. According to this new family statute, all tho members of the Imperial family, save the heir to the throve, will be free to marry persons who are not of tho orthodox Greek religion. 'I here havo been two infractions of late yeara on tho old rule, m virtueof which tho whole of the reigning house should be orthodox. Neither tho Princess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, now the Grand Duchess Vladmir, nor tho Princess Elizabeth of llp?se, now the Grand Duchess Sergius, abandoned the Lutheran creed to qualify for admission into tho Imperial family.