The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-11-08 00:00:00

THE BRUNSWICK BEQUEST.

The following lettir I. by a Carmine
at lienevA, under date November 3:—

of the Standard

When it became known that the late Duke of Brune
wick had bequeathed all his fortune to the city of
Geneva, the geod people who are about to be benefited
by the legacy formed most exaggerated ideas of the
value of the gift. While ecarcely any one set it down
as under twenty.five million francs, or a million of
pounde steeling. common rumour fixed it as
high as five times that sum, and not • few optimists
multiplied the figure by ten. The Administrative
Council, in whote hands lay the adjustment of every-
thing connected with the bequest, have now, how•
ever, set the matter at rent; and, in • report
just presented to the Municipal Council, they give
the snm total of their inventory as over £150,(90,
besides the property in America and Germany, which
has not yet Lien valued. The rep net is divided into
three sectione. The first treats of the means adopted
to execute the wishes of the late duke, and to take
care of the interests of the city. The only point of in-
tersest in this part of the report Is • slight mention of
the maueolento to be erected in memory of the deceased
nob!. man. \Wile no eying to ti etoselvee tine choke
of the eke, the authorities will leave the construction
of the monument entirely to the executors, Mr. Smith
of Lenin, and V. Chertinliet, of Geneve, to b th of
whom a I i,lic•.ro; litnei.t 14 v hi for the si,istance they
have given tine council. The second section of the re-
port gives the re,ult of tie inventory, and of the in-
quiries made as to the duke's property in other
countries ; and in the Wed are Riven some general sug-
gestion. with reformce to the divpoeition of the large
sum available.

Die different items of the estate are given as fob
low :—Vouchers for investments in Russian, Turkish,
Egyptian. and Chilton loan., and those of the Argsn.
tine Republic, 18,613,C00/. ; bank notee and gold,
83,2761. ; horses and carriages, 18.435'. ; personal ef-
fects, 1,4531.; and diamondo and jewellery, 1,854,281 f.
This gives a total of 20,571,0481. ; but from that euin
mnstle deducted the legacy of one million francs to
Mr. Smith, and almost an equal amount due to the
same gentleman for advances wade by him to the duke.
The &meta from the above sourced., then are reduced to
18,600,5001. The property in Paris ha e been valued at
500,0001., which will bring the total to about £760,000.
There are, besides, 5,000 uniforms, which the late
duke has had in his poesession for the last forty-two
years. These are now stored at Boulogne, and will
be aid as soon as possible. There remains, then, only
the American and German property to be estimated.
The duke inverted some time ago £75,000 in United
States railway bonds, but the original company was un-
able to- complete the lines, and it was taken up bye new
company, who offer to pay the bondholders 50 per cent,
"As to the property in Germany," 'says the report,
" it is impossible to enter into details on the subject.
Claim. and requests for information have been made
on behalf of the Duchy of Brunsvriok ; and when an
agreement has been come to into that essentially
litigious affair, the Manic' al Council sell be at once
informed of it. When the estate has been fully rea-
lised it is probable that the city of Geneva will have
million pounds at its disp
The expenditure of the newly-acquired wealth forms
the subject of the third part of the report. It is first
proposed t) reduce the municipal debt, which amounts
at prevent to 7,000,000 L, then to build, at a cost of
800,0001., a new theatre and opera house, • work which
has been long contemplated, as the prese t building is
an actual disgrace to the city. Then it is suggested
to appropriate a million francs to further school ex-
tension ; a couple of millions to the demolition of
houses in the ancient quarters of the town; three
millions towards repaving the streets, whiih certainly
are not in keeping with the fine hotels and warehouses
which have been recently erected ; and & further sum
towards clearing away the houses on the island, which
have long been an eyesore. Tnere are further sug-
gestions for improving the cemeteries and public
buildings ornamenting the promenades, restoring the
fine old cathedral of St. Pierre, and adding to the col-
lection of paintings and sculpture in the htftpne Rath,
and also to the Public Library and the Museum of
Natural History. Of course there are m erely suggestion e,
f. r the council had been only authorised to f. imu'ate
their opinions on the subject, but it is likely that many,
If not all of them, wid be carried out. In the dieceseino
which followed the reading.' the report in the Muni-
cipal Council, a proposition WIN made for the erection
of a grand public memorial of " the two great facts of
our century for the history of humanity, the Conven-
tion of Geneva for the succour of the wounded and the
..40sbasna Arbitration." Some of the more matter-of-
fact members, however, threw cold water on that pro-
posal, and seemed to feel that bsnevolent institutions
well,' be more suitable objects cf outlay. The matter
will be discussed again, and there is no doubt that the
duke's bequest will enable the authorities to make
many manifest improvements in this favourite resting-
place of Continental travellery