The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-11
THE CITY TRUSTS.
Their Origin and History.
Some Account Of the Girard Estate, the
Franklin Legacy, the Fuel, Bou-
dinot, and other Funds held
in Trust by the City.

On the 18th day of June, 1869, an act which
had passed both branches of the Legislature
was approved and aligned by Governor Geary.
This act was supplement to the act OF iDcor-
poratlon of the city of Philadelphia, and created
board called the Directors of City Trusts. The
act provides that all duties, rights, and powers
OF the city of Philadelphia concerning all pro-
perty and estate whatever, dedicated to charita-
BILE uses or trusts, the charge or administra-
tion of which are now or shall here
after become invested In or confded to
the city of Philadelphia, shall be discharged by
the said city through the instrumentality of
board composed of fifteen persons, including the
Mayor of the city and the Presidents of the two
branches of Councils, and twelve other citizens,
TO be called Directors of the City Trusts, who
shall exercise and discharge all the duties and
powers of said city, however acquired, concern
ing any such property appropriated TO charitable
uses, as well as the control and management OF
the persons of any orphans or others the objects
of such charity to the extent that the same
have been or hereafter may be, by statute law
or otherwise, vested in or delegated to the said
city or the officers thereof. aa s5srci
The members of this board have been APP
pointed by board of appointment, consisting
of the judges of the Supreme Court, the Dis
trict Court and the Philadelphia County Court
of Common Pleaa.
In pursuance with this act, the following
gentlemen have been appointed members of the
board:--William Welsh, Edward King, Henry
M, Phillips, William B. Mann Alexander Biddie,
Charles H. T. Coils, James Campbell, James l..
Claghorn j. Gillpgham Fell, Gustavus s. Ben
SOD, j. ii. Nichener, and George H. Stuart. To
these added, by virtue of their several Offices
Mayor Fox and Presidents Wagner and CattelT
of Common and Select Councils.
Considerable litigation has taken place upon
the estionsinvolved in the passage OF the act.s
The authorities of the city contended that II was
unconstitutional on the ground that Ii interfered
with the provisions of Girard's will, the Girard
trust being the most important of those affected
by the act. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
however, decided adversely to the city, where
upon an appeal was ordered to the Supreme
Court of the United States. Pending the appeal
to that court Councils have passed o rssolu-
tion deciding not to interpose any factious op-
| position to the operations of the new board and
have for the present placed the board in pos
session of all the trust properties now held by
the city. The question of the constitntiOnality
of the act will be settled finally at some future
time. baa ln1-, lqat. ssa alg U5 - +.
hl The Glrard Estate. ~. ie I'll.
This large estate Is the most important of
those now under the care of the Directors of
City Trusts. The conditions and the various
items of this trust are given below, as shown by
the win of Stephen Girard. 'oq aa5 t e
The sum Of ten thousand dollars is bequeathet
to the Mayor, Aldermen and citizens of Phila-
delphia, in trust. The income of this amount
s to be used to purchase fuel and distribute the
same annually amongst poor white house,
keepers and roomkeepers of good character re-
sidinv In tho citv of phiIadalnhfa
The rest of the estate is given in trust 10 the
| Mayor, Aldermen, and citizens of Philadelphia
for the following purposes ,,is,,,. [
| Two millions to erect q college building and to
endow the same as place for the babitation and
education of orphan children. .d oi saw ~ Ep
| The income Of FIVE thousand dollars for the
Improvement of the eastern front Of the city and
| The income of the remainder was to be APP
piled to the further improvement of the college,
| TO the establishment OF proper police force.
| and to the improvement of city property and Of
| the general appearance of the city. iaa e
| The whole of this residue of the estate was
| bequeathed to the corporation In trust for the
| purposes mentioned, except three hundred thou
| sand dollars which was to DO paid to the Com
| should be passed by the Legislature enabling
| Philadelphia to improve Delaware avenue.
! The testator prescribed many regulations for
| the government OF the trustees In the manage
| ment of the estate, but many of the details were
| left TO the Mayor, Aldermen, and citizens of
| Philadelphia and their successors The testatOr
also provided that II tho devisee should knowing
| ly and willingly violate any ofthe conditions
mentioned in the will, then the remainder and
| the accumulation of the estate should go to the
| Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, except the
rents and profits OF his real estate in the city and
county of Philadelphia, which he declared
should forever be applied to the maintenance
OF the college; and he further provided that the
| Commonwealth should apply such forfeited
| estate to the purpose of internal navigation. If
| this request was not complied with, then the
remaining estate not including the rents and
profits of the real estate, should go to the United
States of America, to be eapplied for the purposes
| of internal navigation. ears
The necessary law was approved March 81,
1882, which enabled the city to carry ont the
| provisions of the will concerning Delaware
| avenue The Legislature having thus complied
with the condition, the bequest of three thousand
4 dollars was subsequently paid to the Treasurer
| of the Commonwealth. e.f ~.
The present proportions of the estate are
| familiar to every resident of Philadelphia. The
following is the assessed value OF the real estate
belonging to the trust:--
Ghard College. $30O,O O0e
Real estate in city, exclusive of the College $50
Coal lands in Schuylkill aud Columbia l..
o'o'oo0
Total assessed value. ................. ...p 49t,5t5
loans belonging to the trust on the ist OF Janu-
| Appropriated for Improvement Of east 80 ~
tern front OF the city, etc.:-- ~
| United States Ten-forties, per cent?. sL900OO
| Philadelphia per cent. loan. n.....,f.'... I,900V0
| Philadelphia per cent loan. zoe, ,6O0DOg
| Philadelphia per cent, sempolary in- ii l-.lt q
1 ...s - .