Laws of Succession.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 26, 26 June 1902, Page 18

Laws of Succession.

There is a charming variety in the laws which regulate the Buccf Hsion to the throne in the various countries of Europe. Three different pynttms prevail. The most widely-accepted of these is (1) what is known as the Salio Law, under which ' women's rights ' are bo cjmplttcly ignored that the dear creatures are rigidly excluded from the succession. The old Franki«h Irw excluded females from succeeding to what were called Salio lands. But, says a writer on the subject. ' it was but a doubtful analogy that led the rule of succession to Salic lands to bo extended to the French crown, and it seemß to have been only in the fourteenth century that the exclusion of females from the throne became an established principle. The accession of Philip the Long was probably the first occasion on which it received public sanction, and the fact that Edward 111. rested his claim on female succession doubtless led to that instance being regarded as an unquestionable precedent ' The Salic Law is in force in Belgium, Sweden, and Norway, Italy, Denmark, and Germany. Then there is (2) the German-Dutch system, under which males in all degrees of relationship take precedence of females, the throne passing to the female line only in case of the extinction of all the males, however remote. This is the rule in Holland — from which it takes its name — Russia, and some of ihe minor German States. Th'j third system (3) obtains in Grea^ Britain. Under it females are excluded when there are males in the same degree of relationship but take precedence of male ß whose degree of relationship ia not so close as their own. Thus an elder daughter of the ruling Sovereign gives way to all her yonnger brothers and their issue, but takes precedence of a male cousin or a nephew. This system is the rule in Spain and Portugal as well as in England.