Morning journal and courier., 1888-12-05
MORNING, DECEMBER 5, 1888.
that they do not expect to obey the laws as they exist,

that they do not expect to obey the laws as they exist,
 Jocob Mendorf died in Brooklyn, New York in 1885. He left two wills. By one drawn in 1888 he bequeathed all his property to his wife. By the other made shortly before his death he gave it all to Mrs. Schaumburg and revoked his former will. For several years before his death he had lived apart from his wife and had boarded with Mrs. Schaumburg, for whose care and attention he had frequent ly expressed his gratitude. The widow con- tested the probate of the second will and offered the one made in her favor. She as- sailed the second on the ground of undue influence. The Court of Appeals decides against her and upholds the later will. It
 finds there was no evidence of undue infiu- enes. The law is thus laid down: Even if his relations with Mrs. Schaumburg were meretricious, the law does not on that ac. count condemn a will made in her favor. Where such relations exist, all the circum- stances attending the execution of will which may be shown to have been induced thereby will be carefully scrutinized, but the right of competent testator to make any disposition of his property which pleases him, although it may be unjust and unnatur- al, will not be curtailed.
 Queen Victoria is rich woman. Her pri- vate estates extend over 37, ,372 acres, the an. Rual rental, even at the lately depreciated prices, being 20, ,733 pounds. This does not include Clarement, which in the year 1866 was granted to the queen for life, with the reyersion to the country. Some years ago her majesty, acting under the advice of Lord Sydney, purchased the property for the sum of 78,0 900 pounds, estimated at the time as being little over half it's market value. It is said to be worth to-day 150, 900 pounds. The queen also possesses property at Coburg, and the Princess Hohenlohe left her the Villa Hohenlohe at Baden, one of the best and most valuable residences in the place. As to personal property, there was the bequest of a quarter of million left to her majesty by Sir James Camden Neild. This will was proved in 1859, and at the compound inter- est upon which it has been nurtured the be- quest must now have reached magnificent proportions. Then there was the property left by the prince consort, estimated to have reached nearly 6e0,0o0 pounds, but as this will was never proved, and so escaped pro- bate duty, the exact amount is not known. These items are over and above the queens annual savings.
 It is doubtless the purpose of the Repub hcans in the senate to pass the revenue bill reported at the last session. It appears to be certain that it will not pass the house if the Speaker, MT. Mills and the other Democratic leaders can prevent it. The Worcester Spy makes this appropriate comment upon the matter: They insist upon the Mills bill or nothing. The president and those Demo- erats of the house are vociferous in their de- mands for reduction of the surplus revenue They know that it cannot now be reduced in their way, and they obstinatelY resist the only process that is practicable. It is ap- parent that a measure substantially identi- cal with the senate bill will be passed next winter, at the latest, and that all the advan- tages of revenue reduction will be accom- plished by 1t, and may be had year earlier if the Democratic leaders of the house will not interpoge formal and technical obstacles to prevent it. Nobody would expect them to vote for it, but simply to let the house vote for it without obstruction. Something of difference is due to the recent expression of the popular will. It is not only puerile, but almost criminal obstinacy to refuse what, according to their own declarations, the country needs and demands, because the people have deliberately recorded their pref erence to receive 1t in another form than that which Carlisle and Mills had offered.