266 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



derations, however, the Court al- 

 loted the sum of 200l. per annum, 

 in addiiion to the simi of 200l. 

 per annum pin- money. 



The Princess of Arembcrg. — 

 Paris, Tribunal of the First Resort. 

 — Department of the Seine, Janu- 

 ary 10. — To-day was he:iid a 

 claim for maintenance by the 

 Princess of Aremberg, against her 

 husband, while at the same time 

 she is pioset uting the nullity of 

 their marriage before the Tribu- 

 nals. Tlie circumstances were 

 tliese: 



On tlie 1st February 1S03, the 

 Prince of Aremberg contracted 

 mairiage with Mademoiselle Ste- 

 phanie Tascher, niece of Na- 

 poleon's first wife. In the con- 

 tract of marriage. Napoleon set- 

 tled a do\vry of one million for 

 the benelit of the futuie wife, un- 

 der condition tliat this sum should 

 be employed in the [mrchase of a 

 hotel, wliich should not be hekl 

 in cotrimon, but be always the 

 personal property of the Princess 

 of Aremberg. On the formally 

 expressed wish of ihe Princess, 

 I owever, who would have a ]ia- 

 lace and not an ordinary hotel, 

 1,()9G,C)00 fiancs was \tsted in 

 the purcliase, repairs, and furnish- 

 ing of the fine hotel of Bouillon. 

 The portion of this hotel let at 

 present produces only 10,000 

 francs, being scarcely enough to 

 keep it in i'e|)air, and pay the or- 

 dinary and estraovdinaty taxes. 



For several months past, the 

 Prince of Aremberg has in vain 

 employed persuasion in the first 

 instance, and then the means pre- 

 scribed by law, to compel his wife 

 to live with him, not in his ^;tates, 

 but in the conjugal domicile j the 



latter has constantly eluded this, 

 and on the 4th of October last, 

 entered a claim of nullity of mar- 

 riage, thus to obtain the pretext 

 of demanding a maintenance fi'om 

 her husband. 



M. Bonnet, Counsel for the 

 Piince, opposed the claim on the 

 ground, that the conjugal tie still 

 subsisted ; and the attempt made 

 by the Princess to dissolve it, hai!, 

 as yet, no result before the tribu- 

 nals, because the whole of her 

 dowry was absor i.ed in the un- 

 productive purchase which her 

 husband had been compelleil to 

 make J and because, besides, the 

 respective situation of the two 

 parties was now altered. At the 

 period when the claimant had the 

 title of Sovereign Princess, and 

 figured at a superb court, she 

 had annually 240,000 francs at 

 hei- disposal 5 but now that she 

 had entered the ordinary class of 

 society, the 3h',000 francs of pin- 

 money which siie claimed was out 

 of propoition witl\ her rank in 

 life, as well as with the present 

 fortune of her husband. The 

 Princess of Aremberg had in her 

 ]!OSses^ion moveables of great va- 

 lue, plate, diamonds, and a con- 

 siderable kitclicn furniture fLat- 

 ferie de cuisinej. Her Im^band 

 consents to leave her, as judicial 

 guardian, pait of tlie kitchen fur- 

 niture foiuid in the cellars, and 

 which is therefore useless to the 

 Princess ; 2. Her stale carriage, 

 of whicli she can. make use j 

 3. The diamonds, estimated at 

 231,000 francs, with the excep- 

 tion of .Tiiich tis the Courts nmy 

 deem necessary foi- ber use. 



M. Tripier contended, in reply, 

 that even the total loss of the 

 dowi'y could not exempt the hus- 

 band 



