The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-04-22
LIBERIA,s GREAT La SUIT.
The Contest Over the Charitable VIII OF tho
Ek-Pre.idcnt OF the Republic.

MoNRov1A, Doc %, 1876 Few countries are
favored with a trucr example OF chr stan
pntr otsm than WAS furnished to Liberia u ~"
case OF the lato most worthy eA-Presidcit, j.
Payne Robert in whose mansion. under the
superior and ladylike supervision ~ y excel
lent widow, we have found u resting place from
the heat OF the African sun during many days.
He WIS eyer on tho alert To- dO something. IS.
prcially for the being Of the ahorignrs of
this country. Far out from MpnrOvin. ana
distance from the NJ .surado RIVER. is place
known as Pamwncs Town. a large mum.
this point on their way to and from the
coast and he conceived the idea Oi going him.
self aud sitting in the path rs the natycs rall
il and for some months Of each year talking 10
these passing companies about civilization and
Christ the author and iln,sh"r OI CIVILIZATION.
Whit good he might have done had b. been
permitted 10 carry out his plnnl But II was
ordered otherwise, and we tell the story IA II has
Just now been told To us. us showing the sp.rit
great interest in the people Of this republic hv
the provisions of his last will and testament.
which. unfortunately II Just n?w being con IN.
heirs. who is greatly d dissatisfied with it,
The vii IL most carefully drawn. as much 40
IA any document VIZ ever saw. and we have
seen some Of the abcst documents eyer drawn
by Horace. Binncy and mcn. of his stamp OF
mind and legal acquisition. We are not sure
that we re all all the items Oi the demise eNat-
~, but as we remember. he leaves his wife GER
tain lots and ais mansion in Monrovn and Ger
was p1ss"ss"r Of a coffee larmn on the north end
Of Cape M'~urado OF lO2 acres, and. II we recall
rightly. anot her one b"siies. He was also pos
=. ssOr of 10000 in United States bonds.
He secures TO his wife certain rOme from
these during her life. and gives certain pro-
portions OF his estate and the yield of them
10 hls daughter. The 10000 of United states
bonds and the coffee farms he provides shall,
after his wiie's death. he set apart as perpetual
oundat ION for in reaH INK the educational iacili-
ties Of the country. He also specil"s how the
board Of management Of such trust property
shall be created by providing that the Board ~
Stewards of the Methodist Lpis opal Church in
the city OF Monrovia shall appoint given num-
ber OF trustees. who shall h3d this pr2prry
subject to the provisions oi this viii, and who
shall De accountable to the said Board Of Stew
ards Of the Church in Monrovia.
We shall not he able to traverse the case "a il
Is presented in the courts but may give rude
sketch of some ol the points raised 10y the attor-
ncys Of tho daughter. who socks To nvalidato
the will. First, rs We get IT, the plea il that
cx-Prcsidrnt Roberts died interstate. Second
that II was not possible for him. nor il II com
pose o property of which they may die pos
s.ssed 10y amy win whatsoever. because the Re
public vi Liberia has never enacted any statute
Of wills OF its own. nor has II adopted nor md,
cated any purpose to adopt. any such statute OF
wills; now nr heretofore in force ~ any other
country. Thirdly, that in the, drafting oil this
document. called his last Will ana testament.
Mr.. Roberts was the subject OF undue lu'nces
10y parties Interested and iourthly. that the
Will IL ut fault IN dennis ng the landed estate IN
trust to the stewards Of the Method 81 Eps opal
Church through trustees because this il willing
il to an Incorporated institution. and that IN
perprtuity which II IL objected is unwise AMI
unsafe for the commonwealth to do. especially
The defendants make the points in reply that
rs the bequest Is Tor charitable purpOs purely.
il is neither illegal nor unwse that II DE made
TO this corporation, even forever. They also
plead the precedent OF other wills which have
been admitted to probate. entailing property in
perpetuty. which. being contested. were con
nrnrd all within this republic. Tho chse COM
mands unusual att 'ntlOn. and the most cOinpe-
tent attorneys in the republic are employed ON
either side The popular feeling. however. pre-
pondn rates strongly IN favor OF the WILL on the
ground Of the str,ctest equity and prudence.
apart from tho benryolence. in which 1t neces-
surily feels great interest
The case was u'1 for some days. but in the
main the only points pres intsl at tins term
were on some legal te'hncalitl"s. in which
these Llberian lawyers have already won. in
some quarters an unenNiahle reputation Tor
skill, though We are not pr pared t. say that
such judgment IL Just NJ such amount Oi
money. not only for benevolent purposes. but
for any purpose. has ever been contested IN "A
Libcrian viii court and We doubt If any such
large est,te has ever b.en disposed OF 10y will
within the republic. Who can but hope that
without violation Of the strict equity Liberia
AN have TINS aid. when We recall that she has
An America Lbcrian population alone of say
$1,000 two-thlrds Of whom being children and
youth. would give 1900 children. Tor whom
there are now less than "a hundred : 'hOOls oi all
sorts in all parts Of the republic. and these Mt
tered and generally having IA feeble teaching