No. 596.
Mr. Schuyler to Mr. Evarts.
Bucharest, September 17, 1880. (Received October 6.)
Sir: By the Roumanian constitution it is provided that in case the present prince shall have no male descendants the throne shall descend to his elder brother and his male descendants in regular line.
Prince Charles not having had any male children since his marriage eleven years ago, and his only daughter having died, it has seemed desirable to provide for the succession, and this has been one reason of the present journey of the prince in Germany. It seems now that Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern, the eldest brother of Prince Charles, together with his two elder sons, having given up their right of succession, it has been decided that his third son, Prince Charles Antoine, born September 1, 1868, shall be provisionally declared the heir to the crown.
It having been decided in 1870 that no prince of the family of Hohenzollern could accept a foreign crown without the consent of the Emperor of Germany, as head of the family, it was necessary to obtain his consent. This having been satisfactorily arranged, it is expected that on the return of the prince a public declaration will be made with regard to the succession.
The present liberal ministry believes that as the prince does not make any choice or adoption of a successor, but that as the succession follows the line marked out by the constitution, it will be unnecessary to ask any ratification, either by the chambers or by a popular vote. Some members of the opposition take ground against this, but their arguments seem to be very weak.
It is said that the young Prince Charles Antoine will be brought to Roumania and educated in the country. According to the constitution, not being the son of the reigning prince, he will not be obliged to adopt the orthodox religion.
I have, &c.,