Source: http://supreme.nolo.com/us/139/388/case.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 02:45:40+00:00

Document:
(1) That the decision in Johnson v. Waters was right as to the fraudulent character of the sale made in 1869, and that it be affirmed.
(2) That the act of sale and donation to M's daughter Julia, mentioned in Johnson v. Waters, was void as a donation, but valid as a sale to the extent of the consideration named therein, to-wit, the debt due to her for her share in the community property, aid the sum to be paid by her to the other heir.
(3) That any debt which may have been due from M. to either of his heirs on account of the community property was more than satisfied by their respectively receiving that portion of the property which was intended by him to be a satisfaction of it, and by the rents and revenues received since his death, and that such portion in aliquot parts should be held by them free from the other debts of the estate, but that the remaining portion should be sold to pay said debts.
(4) That, being minors at the time they became heirs, they were, under the law of Louisiana, heirs with benefit of inventory, and not personally liable for the debts beyond the amount of the property which was not received in satisfaction of their own claim upon the community.
(5) That on equitable grounds they should have some allowance or consideration, beyond the use of the property, for improvements which they had placed upon it and for restoration of its condition after floods and other devastations.
that the respective interests of the heirs be increased as indicated in the opinion.
(7) That there is nothing in the sections of the Civil Code of Louisiana, referred to in the opinion, which conflicts with these equitable conclusions.
ordered and the said Oliver became purchaser of the different tracts constituting the community lands, for the sum of $362,201.80, one-half of which, after deducting an amount adjudged to said Oliver for improvements, was due to the heirs of his said wife, amounting to the sum of $134,991.40. There were two heirs, namely Julia, the daughter of Oliver J. Morgan and his said wife, who had married, first, one Keene, by whom she had several children, and secondly Oliver T. Morgan, by whom she had a daughter; the other heir was Oliver H. Kellam, Jr., a grandson of Ann Morgan, deceased, another daughter of said Oliver J. Morgan and his wife, who had married one Kellam, by whom she had a son Oliver (then deceased), who was the father of said Oliver H. Kellam, Jr. These two heirs, therefore, Julia Morgan, the daughter, and Oliver H. Kellam, Jr., the great-grandson, were each entitled to one-half of the said sum of $134,991.40, making due to each the sum of $67,495.70. In the adjudication of sale by the sheriff, it was expressed that Julia Morgan was present and by authority of her then husband, Oliver T. Morgan, requested that the amount due her should be left in the hands of her father, and it was also expressed in the act that the amount due to the minor, Oliver H. Kellam, Jr., was left in the hands of Oliver J. Morgan, his grandfather, to be paid to his tutrix and mother, Mrs. Melinda Kellam, when demanded.
this appearer, as well that purchased by him at the sale aforesaid as all his other lands, so as to give to the said Julia Morgan, wife of said Oliver T. Morgan, three-fourths of his landed estate, and to the said Oliver H. Kellam one-fourth, in the event that said Oliver H. Kellam survives this appearer, after paying each of said heirs in lands according to the estimates put upon the portions which may be conveyed to each, this appearer makes this act of sale and donation unto the said Julia Morgan of the following lands, and for the amounts of the estimated value beyond the extinguishment of the debt aforesaid, to-wit ($67,495.70), this act is a donation of the lands hereinafter described unto the said Julia Morgan and her heirs forever: [Then follows a description of the several properties transferred. The act then proceeds:] The estimated amount of the lands hereby conveyed and donated exceeds the amount of the debt due the said Julia Morgan to the amount of two hundred and thirty-six thousand seven hundred and fifty-eight dollars and 52/100 ($236,758.52). To the extent that it exceeds three-fourths of the estimated value of the entire landed estate of this appearer after the extinguishment of the debt aforesaid, she is to pay over to the minor, Oliver H. Kellam, in the event that he survives this appearer, to-wit, the sum of nine thousand five hundred and thirty-[three] dollars and seventy-two cents, it taking this amount to make up one-fourth of the lands, upon the estimate now made, intended for the said Oliver H. Kellam, in extinguishment of the debt due him, and beyond this payment of the debt, it being intended that he should have the estimated value of one-fourth of the land of this appearer, it being the intention of this appearer that the said Julia Morgan shall have beyond the portion that she would inherit as an heir all the portion that this appearer could dispose of, so that his other grandchildren may get ultimately, as near as may be, a portion equal to that which may fall to the said Oliver H. Kellam as a 'forced heir' to this appearer."
This estimate of the then value of the lands has never been questioned by any of the parties.
my intention thereby to give to her all that portion of my estate that I have a right to dispose of over and above the portions going to my forced heirs, and in the event of my said daughter Julia's dying before I do, then it is my will and I do hereby bequeath unto her children, Narcissa Keene, Alexander C. Keene, William B. Keene, Morgan Keene, and Julia H. Morgan, or such of them as may be living at my death, the said one-half of my entire estate as above, it being my will that my said daughter shall have, inclusive of her forced heirship, three-fourths of my entire estate, but in the event that should she die before I do, then it is my will and the express intention of this testament that those of her children who may be living at my death shall have the said three-fourths of my estate."
"through the management of agents and in other ways, considerable income was derived from the lands prior to the sale which took place in 1869. The crop of 1860 was over 2,500 bales of cotton, which must have produced at least $90,000 after General Morgan's death. The sum of $21,800 was recovered from the government for cotton collected under the superintendence of army officers in 1862. The defendant Buckner, being examined as a witness, states that"
"Montague had charge of and cultivated Melbourne and Wilton in the year 1863, and H. B. Tebbetts had charge of some of the places during 1864 and 1865. In 1866, H. B. Tebbetts rented Wilton and Melbourne. Don't think he took Albion. He was to pay ten dollars per acre rent for all the land that he cultivated. Tebbetts promised Matt. F. Johnson and witness to pay ten dollars per acre for such land as he should cultivate on Melbourne and Wilton in 1866. The most of the land was overflowed on Melbourne in 1866, and witness don't know how much land was cultivated. Wilton was not overflowed in 1866, to his knowledge. Witness states that Tebbetts paid him $3,000 for the rent of Melbourne in 1866. Don't know how much he paid Matt. F. Johnson for Wilton, but that the rent was coming to Matt. F. Johnson from Tebbetts, according to the contract. Matt. F. Johnson and Samuel L. Chambliss cultivated Wilton in 1867 together -- that is to say, a portion of the place. Charles Atkins cultivated a small portion of Melbourne in 1868 as witness' agent and manager. Very little was made on the place in 1868. Witness don't remember who cultivated Wilton and Albion in 1868."
heirs cease to occupy and enjoy his property, but always in separate parcels, Oliver T. Morgan and Matthew F. Johnson, for the heirs of Julia Morgan, occupying the Albion, Wilton, and two outlying plantations, and Buckner, for the Kellam heirs, occupying Melbourne. And this condition of things continued until the receiver in the Gay suit took possession of the property at the end of 1884. Oliver T. Morgan died in August, 1873, and from that time, or before, Matthew F. Johnson seems to have acted as the head of that branch of the family in behalf of his wife and as tutor of her sister, Julia H. Morgan. Henry Goodrich, nephew of Oliver J. Morgan, says that he took charge, as manager of Wilton and Albion plantations "in behalf of the heirs" in December, 1868, and continued in charge until about April, 1873, when he was succeeded by C. M. Tilford in behalf of the same parties. Tilford says that he became manager and agent of Wilton and Albion plantations for Matthew F. Johnson in February, 1873; that the contracts made by him with the laborers were in the name of "Matthew F. Johnson, tutor for the minor children of Julia Morgan," and that he continued agent for 1873, 1874, and 1875, when he was succeeded by J. W. Erwin. Erwin states that he came to take charge of the Wilton and Albion plantations in behalf of "Matthew F. Johnson, and the heirs of Julia Morgan," and had continued in charge until the time of giving his testimony. These witnesses were examined in March, 1878, and it is clear that if the character of executor or dative executor was ever assumed by Oliver T. Morgan or Matthew F. Johnson, it was a mere matter of form, and that they really possessed and managed the property for the heirs. The will was substantially and in effect carried out in this respect.
$9,530.72 payable by Julia) the value of that plantation at that time was abundantly equal to the amount due to Oliver H. Kellam, Jr. ($67,495.70), and, in addition thereto, equal to the one-fourth part of Oliver J. Morgan's proper estate of which said Kellam was forced heir. It was so estimated by Mr. Morgan himself, and, as the subsequent inventory showed, the estimate was a low one, and the parties interested acquiesced in it.
As things then stood, therefore, the estate was liable and subject, in the hands of the heirs and executor, to the debts of Oliver J. Morgan except such portions thereof as were received by the heirs in payment of the debts due to them on account of his wife's interest in the community property. The portion so received by Julia Morgan's heirs was valued at $67,495.70, due to her, and $9,530.72, to be paid by her to Oliver H. Kellam, Jr., in all $77,026.42 out of the $304,254.22 worth of lands allotted to her, or 25.32 percent of those lands. The portion so received by Oliver H. Kellam, Jr., or those acting for him, was valued at $67,495.70 due to him, less the sum of $9,530.72 to be received from Julia's heirs, which would leave $57,964.98 out of $133,707.59, * the valuation placed on the Melbourne plantation, or 43.35 percent of that plantation. These portions of the lands, respectively, received by the heirs by way of payment were justly free from the claims of Oliver J. Morgan's creditors, supposing them not to have been personally liable (being minors), by reason of the portions received by them, respectively, as heirs or legatees. This was substantially the view which we entertained, though not fully expressed, in the case of Johnson v. Waters.
to think that it was. The court below seems to be of opinion that it was not. But we have seen nothing to change the impression which we then had, especially as the donor expressly declared in the act itself that he intended it as a sale in part and a donation in part -- a sale to the extent of the amount due his said daughter and a donation as to the residue. This view makes still stronger the position that the part which was received by way of sale was free from the debts of Oliver J. Morgan. We have given careful attention to the argument made on behalf of the heirs of Julia Morgan in favor of the validity of the donation, but adhere to our former view on that subject. It is unnecessary to go over the subject again. Counsel is mistaken in supposing that any importance was attached to the designation of the consideration of that act as a "charge." In that regard we only held that, even if it was a charge, it was not sufficient in amount to make the donation an onerous one.
fraudulent in fact and conceived and carried out for the sole purpose of defrauding the real creditors of Oliver J. Morgan, deceased, and of getting in the title for the benefit of the heirs without paying any of the debts. We accordingly concurred with the circuit court in setting aside the said sale as fraudulent and void for fraud in fact, and not on the ground, as, in the bill of complaint in one of the present cases, is ingeniously, if not ingenuously, surmised, that the fraud consisted in Buckner's pretending to be, as tutor of his daughter, a creditor of the succession of Oliver J. Morgan for the sum of $67,495.70 with preference, though the setting up of that debt in the manner in which it was done was one of the means employed for carrying out said fraud. The evidence on this subject is quite fully set forth in the opinion in Johnson v. Waters, and need not be further adverted to. It is all introduced in the present cases by stipulation, and we find nothing in the evidence taken in these cases to alter our opinion. It is unnecessary to notice the pretended judgment of Buckner, as tutor of Oliver H. Kellam, Jr., against the estate of the latter, as it can have no effect on the rights of the parties in these suits, being in any event subordinate to the claims of Oliver J. Morgan's creditors. The assertion in the brief of counsel that said judgment was the debt sought to be recovered by the probate proceedings and sale in 1868-69 is contradicted by Buckner himself in his bill filed in these cases.
1st. That the debt of Gay, the complainant, as represented by his administrator, Waters (now by Mellen, administrator de bonis non), be established and confirmed.
2d. That the sales complained of, made in January, 1869, be declared null and void as against the estate of Gay and the other creditors of Oliver J. Morgan, deceased, and that it be referred to a master to take and state an account of the assets belonging to said Morgan's estate in the hands of the dative testamentary executor, Matthew F. Johnson, one of the defendants, and to give notice to creditors to come in and prove their debts.
debts, the master should sell so much of the said lands as might be necessary to pay them, dividing the proceeds pro rata if not sufficient to pay all the creditors whose debts should be established after paying all the complainants' costs.
4th. That the master might apply for instructions, especially as to whether the succession of Julia Morgan was entitled to any portion of the proceeds arising from the sale of the lands, by virtue of said act of donation and sale made to her by Oliver J. Morgan in 1858, so far as said act was a sale and not a donation.
The cause was remanded to the circuit court, a reference was ordered according to the decree, and the matter was opened before the master. On this reference the heirs of Julia Morgan and Buckner as representative of the Kellam interest presented each their claim for $67,495.70, and interest, as a debt against the estate of Oliver J. Morgan, deceased, as if the reference included them and was intended for their benefit, as creditors of his estate. But said claim was presented with reservation of rights to be set forth in the bills now before us, which they proposed to file.
Thereupon they filed the bills in the two cases now here on appeal.
her heirs. So that the succession of the Morgan-Kellam line has come to be represented by entire strangers.
The other bill is filed by Narcissa Keene, wife of Matthew F. Johnson, and Julia H. Morgan, wife of George G. Johnson, their husbands joining for the sake of conformity. It is filed as an original bill in the nature of a supplemental bill and cross-bill, against Stephenson Waters (for whom Delos C. Mellen has been substituted), administrator, etc., of William Gay, deceased. Narcissa K. Johnson is the only survivor of the Keene children of Julia Morgan, and Julia H. Johnson is the daughter of Julia Morgan by her second husband, Oliver T. Morgan.
said sale as fraudulent, and avers (though untruly) that the Court declared that the fraud consisted in Buckner's pretending to be (as tutor) a creditor of the succession of O. J. Morgan for $67,495.70, with preference, when in reality and in equity there was no such thing as a debt due from him to his grandson, because the giving and setting apart of Melbourne plantation to the Kellams was intended to be in satisfaction of their rights in the succession of Narcissa Deeson, and in point of fact the succession of O. J. Morgan owed no debt to Oliver H. Kellam, Jr. Adopting this version of the decree of this Court, Buckner says that he is well satisfied to accept said plantation on that basis, and abandon all claim as creditor of O. J. Morgan, and offers to do so on the rendition of a decree recognizing him and his child, Etheline, as owners of said plantation, and prays for such a decree. Otherwise he claims one-half of the community property in conjunction with Julia Morgan's heirs. He mentions having presented his claim for $67,495.70 before the master, with a reservation, and submits his rights to the court.
He alleges that such are the complications of the rights of the heirs in consequence of the action of Oliver J. Morgan, and his representatives, and the creditors, that the aid of the court is necessary to adjust the rights of all the parties, and hence he files his bill for its direction in the premises, and for the protection of his rights and those of his child Etheline.
The bill of Narcissa K. Johnson and Julia H. Johnson is similar to that of Buckner, and prays similar relief.
inferior to the debt due to the defendant, and have also become prescribed by lapse of time, and they plead the prescription of three, five, and ten years.
On the 5th of March, 1885, the solicitors of the respective parties entered into a written agreement that the two causes should be consolidated and tried together and considered as if the complainants in each had been made defendants in the other, and that Matthew F. Johnson, in his capacity of dative testamentary executor of Oliver J. Morgan, should appear and become a party, and that the bill in each case should be treated as an answer in the other case. Johnson appeared accordingly as dative testamentary executor, and filed a paper admitting the facts set forth in the bills of complaint.
"The parties, by their solicitors, for the purpose of avoiding delay and expense and of bringing these causes to a speedy trial, stipulate as follows:"
"1st. The answers filed in these causes before consolidation shall be taken and considered as the answers to the consolidated causes, and apply to new parties introduced since they were filed as well as to those then parties."
"2d. The causes shall be considered at issue as if replications had been filed, and no further replications than the provisions of this agreement shall be necessary."
"3d. A copy of the record in cause 6,612, referred to in the pleadings in these causes, and numbers 297 on the docket of the Supreme Court of the United States, as the same was printed for use in the Supreme Court of the United States, shall be filed in evidence. [This is the record in Johnson v. Waters.] All documents copied therein shall be taken and considered as if they were separately authenticated by the proper officer, and without other evidence of their authenticity than the fact that they are found is said printed record."
made to the original depositions if produced and offered, objections as to form being waived."
"4th. The judgment and decree of the Supreme Court of the United States in said cause 6,612 (297 of that Court), as the same is printed in volume 111 of the printed reports, may be used in evidence without further proof or the production of a certified copy thereof, but this agreement in this respect is intended to waive form only, and not any objection to the admissibility in evidence of said decree on other grounds, nor to its effect when introduced in evidence."
property, and on his death Matthew F. Johnson, the husband of Narcissa, was appointed dative testamentary executor, and in that nominal capacity had control of all the property not occupied by Buckner or by the lawyers who bid off the Westland and Morgana plantations, until the said Julia married, when she and her husband, George G. Johnson, were put into possession of a portion of it. They have lived on the property as their own, and have received and enjoyed whatever it was capable of yielding. This is shown by the testimony of Goodrich, Tilford, and Erwin before referred to, and there is much more evidence in the case to the same purport.
The same thing is true with regard to the occupation of Melbourne by the Kellam branch of the family -- namely, by Oliver H. Kellam, Jr., with his mother and natural tutrix, and by John A. Buckner and his children. The only pretension of their being unpaid creditors of the succession was made as a part of that fraudulent scheme which resulted in the sale of January, 1869, which we have already decreed to be void and with regard to which we still hold the same opinion.
"Witness says that he has never had corporeal possession of Wilton or Albion plantations. Since the war, Matt F. Johnson has had the actual control and management of Wilton and Albion plantations, as he, witness, supposed, in interest of his wife, one of the heirs, and the other heirs of Julia Morgan. Matt. F. Johnson and the heirs of Julia Morgan have never set up any adverse claim to witness in regard to Melbourne plantation."
"They have confined their pretensions to Wilton and Albion, and have had the control of said plantations ever since the war, though Oliver T. Morgan, as executor, has exercised some authority over the property. . . ."
rights of ownership over the same ever since the war, except that Oliver T. Morgan, executor, exercised authority several years after the war. . . ."
"Witness says that the heirs of Julia Morgan have always claimed a greater share of the property than they considered him entitled to, as representing one of the heirships. There were two heirships to Judge Morgan's estate. One witness represents and the other the heirs of Julia Morgan represent. The following question is propounded by counsel for complainant:"
"In the distribution of the property among the heirs of Oliver J. Morgan, wherein the heirs of Julia Morgan took Wilton and Albion and restricted witness, representing another heirship, to Melbourne, why did the heirs require such an unequal division? Was it or not on account of the extraordinary pretensions they set up as heirs of Julia Morgan, or why was it?"
"Witness says it was because they claimed three-fourths of the estate. He does not know upon what their claim is based. Witness refers counsel to the records; says that there has been no final division between the heirs. The heirs of Julia Morgan have held possession of the land they had before the war, and witness has held possession of the land he had before the war. Witness does not hold the property in common; there is only a temporary division."
"Witness has held possession of Melbourne ever since the war, and the heirs of Julia Morgan have held possession of Wilton and Albion, except that the heirs recognized Oliver T. Morgan as executor, but he did not require of them any account of the rents and revenues."
"Witness says that his understanding was at the time of the sale, in January, 1869, when he bought in the property for the heirs, that they were to receive their proportion or the land purchased in witness' name, and he was to retain his proportion."
"They were (the heirs of Julia Morgan) to take three-fourths of the land and witness one-fourth, and this understanding was had as to the exact amount in the division after the sale. There was no conversation or agreement with the heirs, or any other parties, as to how the division should be made. "
"I married Mrs. Melinda Kellam, April 7, 1859. Her son, Oliver H. Kellam, died in September, 1863. He was seven years old at the time of his death. My wife, Mrs. Melinda Kellam, died in September, 1863. My son John died one week afterwards. He was three years old at the time of his death. My daughter Louisa (called Mollie) died in March, 1883, and was 21 years and 6 months old at the time of her death. . . ."
"Melbourne plantation was first set apart and given by Oliver J. Morgan to the ancestor of his great-grandson, Oliver H. Kellam (the son of my first wife), in 1853. . . ."
"The Kellams cultivated if as their own; had their own merchant, raised their own money with which to improve and plant the place, and were never called to account for rents or revenues, and never did so account for them, either to Judge Morgan or to anyone else."
"It was in the possession of my wife, Mrs. Melinda Kellam, as natural tutrix, and myself, as co-tutor, to the minor, Oliver H. Kellam at the time of the death of Oliver J. Morgan. The said plantation remained in the continuous possession of the Kellams or their representatives from the time it was originally given or set apart to them by Oliver J. Morgan until dispossessed by the receiver appointed by the court in suit No. 6,612."
Samuel Boyd, of New Orleans, who had possession until 1st January, 1885."
"Westland after 1869 went under the control of some of the creditors of O. J. Morgan, and remained so until 1st January, 1885, and Col. Matt. Johnson controlled Wilton and Albion until about 1879, when Mr. Geo. Johnson took control of the lower part of Wilton and Albion. How much was controlled by the latter I do not know, and these two places remained under their control until 1st January, 1885."
"As to Melbourne, it has never passed out of the representative of the Kellam interest."
The pretense that the Melbourne plantation was intended as a pure gift by Oliver J. Morgan to the Kellam family cannot be seriously maintained in view of the express declarations and provisions to the contrary made by Mr. Morgan in his lifetime, and is contradicted by the conduct of Buckner himself in procuring Melbourne to be sold as part of the property of Oliver J. Morgan at the sale of January, 1869, and becoming the purchaser himself, and filing a petition for homologation in which he expressly declares that it belonged to the estate of Oliver J. Morgan, deceased.
rents and revenues received since his death. Though heirs with benefit of inventory (being for the most part minors at the time of their becoming such), they were nevertheless chargeable, as against any claims of their own, for what the estate was worth when the succession commenced, and that far exceeded the amount of such claims. Changeur v. Gravier, 4 Martin, N.S. 68.
under all the circumstances of the case, would be just, to increase the interest to be reserved to the heirs of Julia Morgan in the four plantations allotted to them, from 25.32 percent to forty percent, or two-fifths, and to increase the interest to be reserved to the heirs of Oliver H. Kellam, Jr., in the Melbourne plantation from 43.35 percent to fifty percent, or one-half. And in setting off to them their separate portions respectively as thus defined, if they shall desire the same to be so set off, any permanent buildings which they may have erected on said portions should not be added to the value of the lands thus assigned to them, in making the division between them and the creditors. The remainder of the lands should be sold for the benefit of Gay's administrator and the other creditors who shall have established their claims before the master in the original suit, not including the complainants. If the heirs should not desire to have their portions set off separately, then the whole property is to be sold, and they are to receive their proportional share of the proceeds, but no allowance for buildings. If any moneys remain in the hands of the receiver beyond the expenses incurred by him and his proper compensation, they should be divided between the creditors and heirs in the proportions above stated, and the portion due to the heirs should be applied, as far as requisite, to the payment of the costs awarded against them.
"Art. 254. If a mother who is tutrix to her children wishes to marry again, she must, previous to the celebration of the marriage, apply to the judge in order to have a meeting of the family called for the purpose of deciding whether she shall remain tutrix. . . ."
"Art. 255. When the family meeting shall retain the mother in the tutorship, her second husband becomes of necessity the co-tutor, who, for the administration of the property subsequently to his marriage, becomes bound in solido with his wife. "
We assume that the due formalities were observed with regard to the tutorship of the minor heirs who from time to time became interested in the property of Oliver J. Morgan. This presumption is the most favorable to the parties, and should be made unless the contrary appears.
"Art. 352. It shall not be necessary for minor heirs to make any formal acceptance of a succession that may fall to them, but such acceptance shall be considered as made for them with benefit of inventory by operation of law, and shall in all respects have the force and effect of formal acceptance."
"Art. 1032. The benefit of inventory is the privilege which the heir obtains of being liable for the charges and debts of the succession only to the value of the effects of the succession, by causing an inventory of those effects to be made within the time and in the manner hereinafter prescribed."
The heir with benefit of inventory is bound only to the amount the estate was worth at his ancestor's death. Of course, he is bound to that extent. Changeur v. Gravier, 4 Martin N.S. 68.
"Art. 1054. The effect of the benefit of inventory is that it gives the heir the advantage"
"1. Of being discharged from the debts of the succession by abandoning all the assets of the succession to the creditors and legatees."
"2. Of not confounding his own effects with those of the succession, and of preserving against it the right of claiming the debts due from it."
In the present case, the heirs did not abandon the assets of the succession to the creditors, and the debts due to them from the estate were satisfied in the manner hereinbefore stated. The portion of the property received in satisfaction we propose shall be set off to them in severalty, if they shall desire it, so that it may not be confounded with the residue.
the settlement of its affairs, as prescribed in the following articles. The beneficiary heir shall, at the time of such settlement, have a right to be paid, as any other creditor, all debts due him by the deceased, and shall, moreover, he entitled to the balance of the proceeds of the sale of the estate, if any such balance be left after the payment of all the debts and charges of the succession."
As the debts due to the heirs in the present case were satisfied and paid by the property received for that purpose, this article has no special bearing upon the result.
The question arising from the incapacity of minor heirs has already been adverted to.
"These consolidated causes came on to be heard at this term on final hearing, and were argued by counsel, and thereupon, upon consideration thereof, it is ordered, adjudged, and decreed by the court that the bills of complaint of the complainants, John A. Buckner and others, and Narcissa Keene, wife of Matt. F. Johnson, and others, be dismissed, reserving the right to said complainants, except said Buckner in his own right, to go before the master appointed in the case of Waters, Waters, Adm'r v. Johnson et al., No. 6,612 of the docket of this Court, and prove up as ordinary claims against the estate of Oliver J. Morgan such sums as may be due them on account of the original indebtedness of Oliver J. Morgan to the heirs of Narcissa Deeson, which indebtedness is hereby recognized as originally $134,991.40, provided said complainants shall account for said property, rents, and revenues of the said estate of Oliver J. Morgan as came to their hands as heirs or grantees of said Oliver J. Morgan, and it is ordered that said complainants do pay all the costs of the suit, said costs to be equally divided between the complainants in the two causes, respectively."
to the heirs in the valuation of the portion so set off to them with said buildings. And such decree should be made as the decree in the present consolidated case, and as a supplemental decree in the principal case, to which the present is related as by cross-bill.
Each party should pay their own costs on this appeal, except the costs of printing the record, which should be equally divided between the two parties, appellants and appellees. The costs in the court below up to this time should be paid by the complainants, as directed in the decree of the circuit court.
The cause is remanded to the court below, with directions to proceed in conformity with this opinion.
from. It is further decreed that the cause be remanded, with directions to the Circuit Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana to enter a decree in conformity herewith, and to proceed in accordance with the opinion of this Court herewith filed.
MR. JUSTICE BREWER and MR. JUSTICE BROWN were not members of the Court when this case was argued, and took no part in the decision.
* This sum is obtained thus: $143,238.30 less $9,530.72 = $133,707.58.

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