The respondents deny the jurisdiction of this court to entertain the suit, or to pass any order on the subject, and insist that, under the indenture in this case, Mrs. Banuelos, although a feme covert, has the sole and exclusive power of appointment of a trustee, over which a court of equity can have no control. _
In the first place, without going at much length into a consideration of the elaborate argument, and the numerous authorities cited, in the present case, the court are of opinion that they have jurisdiction in equity.
The equity jurisdiction, by Rev. Sts. c. 81, § 8, in cases of trusts, is given in very large and general terms, of “ all suits and proceedings (when the parties have not a plain, adequate and complete remedy at the common law) for enforcing and regulating the execution of trusts, whether the trusts relate to real or personal estate.”
The appointment and removal of a trustee, the right of the trustee to resign, or of the cestui que trust to require a resignation and transfer, are questions, and often very important questions, amongst many others which might be suggested, arising sometimes upon the law and rules of equity, affecting the respective rights and powers of trustee and cestui que trust, and sometimes on the construction of particular instruments, creating and limiting their powers and duties; and these often give
And it is no answer to say, that in some of these cases a power is vested in the judge of probate; for instance, by Rev. Sts. c. 69, to appoint and remove trustees, where trusts are created by a will; and so to appoint, when no trustee is named in the will, by St. 1845, c. 158. The .power of the judge of probate to appoint and remove in case of testamentary trustees, as given by Rev. Sts. c. 69, was afterwards extended to trusts created by deed, by St. 1843, c. 19. But supposing that, by a strict examination of these statutes, it should appear that the probate court would have jurisdiction to remove a trustee on the application of the cestui que trust, or to, allow him to resign on his own, and to direct all necessary and suitable conveyances and discharges, it would, we think, confer a concurrent jurisdiction only, and not an exclusive one, on that court, and, of course, would not supersede the jurisdiction of this. When a jurisdiction has been given in general terms to a higher court, and afterwards jurisdiction is given in particular cases, embraced in the more general one before given, to another court, without express words of exclusion or limitation, it does not take away the jurisdiction already conferred.
Coming then to the main question in the ease, the court consider it a question of construction upon the terms of the original instrument. At the time that instrument was executed, Mary Adeline Thorndike, the settler, was the sole owner of the property, with the entire jus disponendi, the unlimited power of disposal, without control, and was of age to act with full effect, and not only unmarried, but apparently without any particular marriage then in prospect.
With this general power and control over the property, she might make any disposition she thought fit, by way of trust or otherwise, not repugnant to the rules of law. By the terms of the conveyance and the trusts declared, she reserved, with one
But as the conveyance was made by Bourne to Bowditch, as the new trustee, nominated by said Mary Adeline, after her marriage, with the concurrence and approbation of her husband, it was within the exception, and, of course, is to be governed by the other trusts of the deed, and is not to be construed as coming under the unlimited power to revoke and declare new trusts, as expressed in the clause above cited, being the fifth of the enumerated trusts. Besides ; the instrument of conveyance to Bowditch purports on its face to convey the same property held by Bourne, and on the same trusts and with the same powers, and no others.
Some of the trusts, and also the supplementary indenture, relate solely to the care and management of the property, and are immaterial here. The others are, to pay over the income to her separate use, on her receipt, whether married or single; to dispose of the property itself, as she may, by her will, whether married or single, appoint, and in default of such appointment to her heirs. The trustee is to pay all charges and expenses, incident to the care and management of the trust property, to receive a compensation for his services, and be responsible for his own wilful default only. " .
Then comes the clause on which the question depends, “ Said trustee may resign the trust at pleasure, and said Mary Adeline may also at pleasure decide to select a new trustee, and in either case she shall nominate a new trustee in writing, and said Ezra shall, as soon as may be, transfer and convey all the
But when we say, that she had a power at her pleasure to appoint, we do not mean to say, that this was an arbitrary power, to appoint a person unfit or unsuitable to execute such a trust; as a minor, an idiot, a pauper, or person incapable of performing the duties. It must be a person of full age, sufficient mental and legal capacity, and in all respects capable
Whether the nomination of her husband by Mrs. Banuelos would, on account of that conjugal relation, have been so incompatible with the scope and purpose of the whole instrument, as would constitute a valid objection to his appointment; or whether the fact, if it^was so, that Mr. Enriquez was a foreigner, having no domicil in the United States, and was an alien not naturalized, would have been a valid objection to him; had she persisted in either of these nominations, and required the opinion of the court thereon, we have no occasion to decide, be cause both nominations have been revoked and withdrawn. As the nomination of Mr. Ripley has since been made, to which there is no exception, there can be no hesitation, on the part of the court, in confirming that nomination, and directing that the petitioner make the necessary transfers and payments to Mr. Ripley as such trustee, and that thereupon the petitioner be exonerated and discharged from further responsibility.
In regard to the question of jurisdiction, which, in the events that have occurred pending the suit, seems to be the only one of any importance, we might have added, that the jurisdiction of the court, to entertain a suit respecting the regulation of these trusts, does not depend on the consideration whether Mrs. Banuelos- had or had not the exclusive power to nominate a new trustee, or whether after coverture, this was to be done by herself, as her own separate act, or with the assent or concurrence of her husband. If a question could be raised about it, the different parties might take opposing views of such question, it would then be a controversy involving great interests and im
jDecree confirming the appointment of Mr. Ripley, directing the necessary transfers and acquittances, with costs for the petitioner, payable out of the fund.
