Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1909 — How Titles are Obtained. [ARTICLE]

How Titles are Obtained.

Although it costs money to be made a peer, no sum can actually buy a British title, as may be done in some tEuropean countries. Honors of this description are in the giving of the King—or, rather, His Majesty bestoys them on persons at_ the recommendation of the Prime Minister, who really has the final say in the matter. Titles are conferred either directly or indirectly. Directly when no third person recommends a candidate for royal recognition, and indirectly when a third person brings a candidate’s name forward, he having good and valid grounds for doing so. The former method, however, is the one which is usually adopted. It Is the duty of the Prime Minister to distinguish a name celebrated in politics, science, art or literature and to decide whether the merits of any given prominent person deserve recognition at the hands of the King. If, in the opinion of the Prime Minister, such a given person deserves elevation to titled rank, before the Minister takes any steps In the matter, the favored individual -4s apprised of the Prime Minister’s intention by a personal letter, in which is conveyed the degree or title it is proposed to confer upon him, subject to his approval. In four out of five cases the approval is given. The fifth person, who may have been offered a knighthood—or, perchance a baronetcy—refuses, because his refusal may increase chances of obtaining at a later day a higher title still—a peerage. Armed with the person’s approval, the Prime Minister now takes the next step—that is, obtaining His Majesty’s sanction, which Is rarely refused. It Is seldom that a plain “Mr.” blossoms straightforward into a “Lord*’ unless the circumstances are very unusual, such as the reason why a peerage was conferred on Mr. Morley recently, or honors conferred on successful generals In the field, as In the case of Wolseley, Roberts and Kitchener. As a general rule a plain ■'Mr." is transformed into “Slr”-r----tbat Is, knight or baronet—and one who Is already a "Sir" and has done some signal recognition finds his reward In his ultimate service to the state entitling him to royal elevation to the peerage.—Chicago News. The most expensive publication, with the least income in New York city, is the City Record, which will cost New York 11,174,500 this year.