New-York daily tribune., 1858-11-18
THE WILL OF TIE LATE WILLIAM JAY

The will il an elaborate and careful docuueut and
in s@veral particulars Characteristic ci It's author
Itcommences with these wo0is:
"I William Jay Of the 'o~a "t B4i'''d, Comfy "i
Wa.,cl,,,,r and State Of Ncs-loIk hnnhly aat
.hanLfullv acknowledging the rch, nlmerou; ani m
Ge.4rved' blessings | have received if7m Alnighty
God. and ioyiully embracing the hope % eyeIs'teg
Efe through faiih IN Jesus chTlst, NY L'F1 A',
Ssvior 10 make aud publish th. a. my last VII ani
,s.tsrent. IN manner aud form following, - W..
TIE trt ,e1uest l. Of the family papers
~ y;v. nv son al ny fathers papers n my POSSES
;or and likewise all my own lett r ana MS.
Tb. dr,t part Of this bequ.st j. in compliance witl
M i,s,rucnus of the .il OF BIS father Chci Justice
.Isv. bean,g date l>th Apd, ls' Also ir''' ie' "'
Woite Plaia.. Of which the following Is an extr'0'
Il give All my manuscript books anu papsl, 49,
Than such a. respect my own estate ar ,lr e''H "
o,bers Ia so sons Peter \. Jay and ma Jay
oiutv-ard net 70 b. dirief. On the death ., one o,
nv -Grs these manuscripts are 70 oeFhs -ose', auI
absolutely 70 the survivor ana adNse "rr h - IN
rim ,o r,xauue them aud TO destroy aH such as III
hi. iuGrerr should not be longer pre'erved ana 20
make q, sd. rate disposition ot the renainer D!
hi- a., will aud testament, or Otherwise
These manuscripts embrace tie oiiiial ani prVA'o
corre.pou nee of John Jay, during the twenty svrn
wears passed by hin in pablc life from i7i TO h re-
,r.ueut in IsnI. 4 comparatively small number OF
,t,rs selected from I'll, se ppprrs. W. r. puo''h'd ~
Judge Jav. They formed the second v"iuuc ot hs
fathers Il and writing- issued by the Mes'r' Harper
in 1888.
tn. rex. beqnest s Of certain pieces OF family silver
among them are an old silver cup aud cover wcn be-
L.ng,d to Jacobus Van Couriland, whose daish'er
WAS the mother Of John JAY aud whose will bore date
in l739.
Tie rest Of the plate excepting the pieces specified
is TO he divided equally amorg hls three dsuS"'e'''
II devise 10 liy con oil my real estate in the town
;,l, .t,. & nj & According
,o Mr. Bolton in his history of Westchestrr, the Jay
estate IVES part of the Van CORTLAND patent. and
Judge Jay was the only ce:cendan, OF Jacobus ian
Courtlaud who Owned foot Of the or sina patent IN
the town of Rediori.
After some special bcqu.s,s Of family relies and
few leeacies to his grandchildren, occurs the fol-
lowing
b. qneath to my son Thousand dollars in trust.
TO be applied by him al his discretion IN promoting the
safety and comfort of fugitive slaves
This bequest s probably the first OF the KIM in this
country and being in defiance Of the act OF Congress
commonly called the Fugitive Slave law, but which
has been declared unconstitutional and void by the
Supreme Court of Wisconsin may excite some remark
Iti- however. in perfect accordance with the pru'
cples and practice OF Judge Jay, exhibited dnnng
his lie In paper written few years since, tnst
was widely copied at the u.c of its appearance, en-
titled Auci nj aud Modern Politicians, in which he
drew parallel between the politicians Of Babylon IN
tb, time Of Daniel, AID the Wings aud Democrats
who were .or pronouncng tie Fugitive act a
" iinhliiy, he said;
"R.memLcr. that Daucls defiance of the Kings
decree r'ertonally puJiic. We owe It TO the re-
hrion we profess and to the Master We serve, To LET
our hatred and defiance Of this law be urreserved AMI
vi qIe stoned. Ii need be- LET IA 60 TO prison
rather than outrage the obligation OF humanity and
the preccp;s Of the Redccmcr.'
After some special devises, his entire resduary
estate real and personal, is divided equally among his
cldn and their representatives. snd particular in
sructon are given for the early partition OF the real
estate but before the expiration Of six months from
the time his death. Tie Dckie property, on the
corner Of Broadway and Canal street AID one lot ad
joining, 10 Broadway, excepted from this instruc-
ton for early sale, but it includes the other lots on
Broadway, Walker and Canal streets adjoining those
u the Banyu and Ann Jay estates, which were some
two wears since sold at auction by Judge Jay acting
as their executor This property il referred to by
Judge IIOffa an in the Appendix to his Treatise on
the Corporation a. part of the ancient Calck Hook
ard Fresh Winter Pond, and as having come into the
possession OF the Jay family by inheritance from John
! jaw Peter Jay and Jacobus Van Courtland.
Judge Joy bequeatbed an annuity of 5000 to the
Rev. Edward b. Boggs, long 50 he shall remain
his executors present to his nephew John c. Jay
piece OF pa e. of the value OF 1900, a mark OF his
esteem.
AT tue conclusion of the will, he provides against
any possible question respecting the rgbts Of the lnant
beirs arising to pcrpex his family in the settlement of
the estate by giving to the trustees full aud absolute
power to act for them in all causes whatsoever. In
gard 10 fees and commission he desires that may
be received by his executors, remarkng that he h.s
always regarded it as right and proper, general
rule, and tending to promote family harmony aud
affection that near relatives should not exact or re-
ceve pay for services rendered to and for each other
beyond actual disbursements, except very peculiar
ca.es. lie remarks tha, be has himself, through life,
adhered strictly to this rule, and adds:
! Il am sure my executors will cheerfully comply
with this desire, which express mainly for The pur-
pose of tstying 10 my children my sense 0f the great
importance ii their gratuitou di-carge Of kind offices
for each otl er."
The closing passages ere as follows:
"2j. In making the foregoing disposition of Diy
property, have acted after much deiberation AMI
with desire to do what is ils and proper
hope aud believe that this disposition will be sails
( factory my dear children. Ifeel conf
deIt, sId thank God have reason 70 feel confident
that questions relative to the settlement If my
eate viii be permitted 10 interrupt their harmony or
cause The slightest alienation among them.
"AnI now may Almighty God, through Jesus Christ,
bes- my dear children and my childrens children;
and tia, they may secure His blessing give them
my parting advice ever h. remember the utter worth
essness If the thipgs Of time compared with thos" of
eternity and constantly 10 seek from their Maker
grace 10 know and to do his will undeterre ufiu-
fuenced by the preudices, the opinions and the hos
tihty Of sinful world. Amen"
Appended to the will is memorandum OF belnests
which the testator declares although informal he is
will be discharged by his executors, and his views
be acceded to by his children: