APPEAL COURT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15340, 1 October 1917, Page 5

APPEAL COURT.

THE LATE R. C. BBUGE'S WILL. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, October 1. The .Appeal Court is hearing argument in re Brace, Simpson,.and others ir. Bruce and others. The case comes before the Court by way of originating summons for the determination of three questions under the will of Robert Cunningham Bruce, deceased: 1, whether the gift of £SOO to the mental hospital at Porirua is valid; 2[ whether the gift "and as to the whole "of my residuary estate-1 direct ,my trustees to apply pame in their uncontrolled discretion for the purposes of afforestation or the making; of domains or national parks in New Zealand" is valid? 3, if one or both of such gifts shall be declared void, then who are the persons who are entitled to the subject matter of such gifts or gift? Mr Skerrett, K.C., and Mr Hussey, appear for the trustees under the will, and Sir Francis Bell, K.'C., and Mr Hutton for the next-of-kin, and the Solicitor-General (Mr I. W. Salmond, K.C.) for the AttorneyGeneral. Sir Francis Bell said the next-of-kin did not contest the first gift, and that question was accordingly struck out. The Solicitor-General appeared to support the gift on the ground that it was a charitable trust. He submitted that the true principle is that every 'specified public useful purpose is good charity. ,