THE IMPERIAL FAMILY OF RUSSIA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2225, 12 October 1886, Page 3

THE IMPERIAL FAMILY OF RUSSIA.

v „. — ■ — •"" — " — , ' 'Under the presidency of the Grand Duke Vladimir a special commission was ! appointed last year at St. Petersburg to inquire into ttie laws and privileges of the Russian Imperial family, with a view of certain alterations being made. The results of this, inquiry are now promulgated; under sanction of the Emperor, in the form of a jevisiou of the statutes of the reigninj^family, which were established by. the Emperor Paul, and dePQsite'd on| the altar of the Cathedral of the Assumption at Mos.oow. < Some very important changes are made, chiefly inthe restriction of the'lmperial title, 1 and a reduction, of ,tb!e Imperial incomes from the State.' All members of the Imperial family after the Czar himself —of 'whom, as Autocrat and supreme tHead.oi the Family, nothing is stated— have their' present allowances cut down by two thirds. The following isa summary of the new statutes*, which , occupy tw;o pages' of the official Gazette. The forty^ four Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses at present 'composing- the Imperial family may be divided into two groupi. The titles "Grand Duke," •» Grand Duchess," aud "Imperial Highness," will henceforth only be bor,ne by the sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and grandchildren irv tfts male Hdo of the Czar or df former Emperors, forming Jihe fira,t group. The'second group comprises all the descendents of" grandchildren in the maleplinye, wjurwill in; fujture be. styled, by the, diminished address of "Princels and Prindesses of the Imperial 'Bloo^' and Svietfott, which, is/ equivalent, tp Serene Highness, with the exception of the eldest son of each grandson, who will be entitled, in (addition to the, title of " Prince of tho Blood," to that of " Highness." Allrthifee-bf tKe first group will, as hitherto, receive all the Imperial orders 1 and faecoraiio-ns' at baptism, except the Orders of St. Vladimir and St. $ co fg ce v 1 . wftile ' those, of the secpnd cstegory will only receive them afe optional r gifts from/ the Emperor. The incbnies v o~f the members' of the Imperial family (not including their private revenues) are derived * from ' the State. The Empress^ whose annual allowance^has been'6oo,ool) roubles^' will now hav*e only 200,000r. In case -of 'widowhood her Majesty will receive the same amount as a pension, and, if residing abroad, only half that sum. Instead of 300,000r. a year, the Heir Apparent is to receive only 100, OOOr.^ besides palace expenses. The wife of the Heir Apparent is to have 50,000r, a year, and if a widow, 100.000r.j or 50,000r. if residing out of Russia! Children of the Heir Apparent receive 20,000r. a year up to their majority. The Heir Apparent attains his majority at the age of sixteen, the rest at twenty-one. The Grand Dukes are to receive 33,000r. annually, instead of, as formerly, 100.000r,, until they come of age. Daughters and granddaughters of the Emperor will receive 1,000,000r. dowry from the State, great-granddaughters, and great-great-granddaughters 100,000r., and the rest 30,000r. Each son of the Emperor at his majority will receive an appanage of the yearly value of 150,000i\, 1,000,000r. for the erection of a palace, and when married ,?00,000r. a year, with 40,000r. a year for his wife, and 35,000r. for tho expenses of his palace. Each of the Emperor's grandsons at twenty*one receives 150,000r. a year, 600,000 in one sum for a palace, .rihl 20.000r. a.year for his. wife. The Emperors great grand- rson's will receive each 30,C00r. a year, and also at twenty-one an entailed estate worth 100,000r. a year. The Heir Apparent and his oldest son are obliged to marry princesses of the Orthodox Russian faith. AH the others 1 may marry ladies of other religions. The. members of the Imperial family already possesses twenty-eight large palaces in St. Petersburg and its district, five or six at Moscow, and several more throughout the. interior and in the. Crimea.