18 S.C. Eq. 99 | S.C. Ct. App. | 1844
This is case in which I take great pleasure in reversing my own judgment, and it is perhaps fortunate that the decision has been delayed until the subject has undergone so thorough an investigation as it has done in the cases of Sarah Tayne’s will, determined in the Circuit Court of the United States for Pennsylvania, by Mr. Justice Baldwyn, and in that of Vidal vs. Gerard's Executors, in the Supreme Court of the United States, 2 Howard, 127. The extent of learning and laborious research with which those cases were examined would make it matter of affectation to go over the same ground and comment on the same authorities. It will be sufficient to state briefly their results.
The former case seems to be precisely in point. Among various bequests which were in question, it will be sufficient to mention several made to different yearly or monthly meetings of friends, unincorporated societies; to vest funds and pay the proceeds, in one instance, “as an annual subscription into yearly meeting stock,” and in another, “towards the relief of the poor members belonging thereunto.” These bequests were held to be good, and the fund directed to be paid to the individuals who respectively composed the several societies. In the case of Vidal vs. Gerard’s executors, the devise was to the Mayor, Aldermen and Citizens of the city of Philadelphia, in trust to erect a College and make various improvements in the City. This may seem not precisely in point, as the devise was to a corporation, capable of taking in succession. But the whole subject was considered, and the opinion of the court was plainly intended to overrule the case of the Baptist Association vs. Hart’s executors. The very able argument of Mr. Binney,, and the
I understand these principles to be settled by the decisions refered to. If there be a bequest to a society, by that name, the individuals composing it, who may be identified by evidence, take as natural persons, in the same manner as if each had been particularly named; and that if it be upon a lawful, trust, they will be compelled to execute it. There was some difficulty in England, from the circumstance that a gift of land, made in such terms, gave only a life estate, for want of words of inheritance, But with us, where no words of inheritance are necessary, I do not perceive why a society by that name should not take the fee. I suppose that such an estate would not come within our Act of 1791,
It is decided that devises to charitable uses will be established and enforced, when similar devises for other purposes would be void for yagueness or uncertainty. By Very elaborate research it is shown that such charitable uses were familiar to the law
It appears very satisfactorily that, supposing the jurisdiction not to have existed before the statute 43 Eliz. it has grown up since, and become so firmly established as to be authoritative with us, and this not by virtue of the Chancellor’s authority in administering the King’s prerogative, but 'of his own proper chancery jurisdiction. The statute only authorized a proceeding by commission directed to the ordinary and his officers, and gives the chancellor only appellate jurisdiction. But many cases are found of an original proceeding by bill, and where the Chancellor set aside the judgment of the commissioners, as being beyond their jurisdiction, or gave relief by virtue of his proper and original jurisdiction. That the jurisdiction is not depend-ant on the statute is very variously illustrated. The statute provides only for twenty one sorts of charitable uses, while forty six are recognized by the cases as capable of being enforced. Many uses, as in favor of towns, colleges, <fec., are expressly excepted out of the statute, but the jurisdiction of chancery to administer them has never been doubted. There were various English statutes prior to the 43 Eliz. providing for the execution of charitable uses, when the societies which administered them had become extinct. Mr. Justice Story refers to the opinions and decisions of Sir John Leach, Sir Joseph
There can be no doubt that a trust for the support of religion is a charitable use ; and with us, where all sects of the Christian religion stand upon an equal footing, there can be no question with respect to a superstitious use.
In the argument of the present case, decisions were quoted, from nine of the States of the Union, establishing such charitable uses. Contrary decisions have been made in Virginia and Maryland, and they are supposed to have been made in conformity to the decision in the Baptist Association vs. Hards executors. As the State of Virginia had actually repealed the statute 43 Eliz. on which charitable uses were supposed to depend, it might seem to have repudiated such uses.
There seem to be several distinct kinds of charitable uses, requiring a different method of proceeding. First, there is what is called a charity at large, where there is a gift simply to purposes of charity, without the appointment of any trustee. This sort of use I do not understand to have ever appertained to the jurisdiction of the Ghancellor as a Court of Equity, but to have been enforced by him under the authority of the King’s sign manual and by virtue of the prerogative. I do not think that it would be within the jurisdiction of this court to set up such a charity as this, and devise a scheme for carrying it out. It would probably appertain to the Legislature, on which most of the royal prerogative has devolved, such as the granting of charters and franchises, (fee. Another instance is, where trustees are appointed, but the objects are so vague and indefinite, that if the gift were to any other purpose than charity, the court must declare the trust void for uncertainty; as in the instance of Morice vs. The Bishop of Durham, 9 Ves. 399, where the trust was to such objects of benevolance and liberality as the Bishop of Durham should approve. To a bill for setting up a charitable use of this sort, I think the Attorney General ought to be a party, to aid the court in devising the specific scheme for carrying it out. The third class comes under the general rules applicable to all trusts whatever, whether for charitable or any other purposes.
Admitting the individuals composing the congregation of the Liberty Methodist Church to be capable of taking in trust, yet it is manifest that they are entirely unsuitable for exercising it. Our courts have, I believe, gone further than most courts of chancery elsewhere, in changing trustees as the exigency of cases may require. An individual, or a limited number of individuals, are better adapted to carry out the views of the testator. I think the congregation, however, ought to be permitted to select their own trustees, and I believe it is competent for us to give such direction.
It is therefore ordered and decreed, that the circuit decree be reversed, that the congregation of Liberty Methodist Church in Marion district be at liberty to elect a trustee or trustees (not exceeding three in number) at any time before the next sitting of the Court of Chancery for the said district, and that, upon such election being made and certified to the satisfaction of the commissioner, he report upon the fitness of such appointment, or that if the said congregation shall fail to elect, he report upon a suitable person to be appointed trustee, and whether such trustee or trustees ought to give security for the faithful discharge of his or their trusts; that if any vacancy of the office of trustee shall hereafter occur, it may in like manner be filled by election, subject to the confirmation of the court. And it is further ordered, that upon the appointment of such trustee or trustees the defendant, Joseph A. Jolly, account before the commissioner, and pay and deliver over to the said trustee or trustees all the estate, real and personal, and the issues and profits thereof, which was of the testator John Burnet deceased, and which came into the hands of the said defendant, to be held by him or them in trust to appropriate the issues and profits of the estate paid and delivered over, to the uses and purposes which the Methodist Conference to which the said Liberty Church is attached, maja-deen! most advantageous for said Church, more especially for
5 Sta't. 162.