“How is it,” interrupted Mr. Bruff, “that the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Sisters’ Hospital, and other corporations, have received bequests?”
“Simply because they have been expressly authorized by act of the Legislature to do so,” was the reply.
“Then if I wish to leave a sum of money to found and support an asylum for one-lunged lawyers, or one-eyed baseball umpires, I am unable to do so, am I?” said Bruff.
“You can go to Sacramento and have a law passed to enable your one-eyed and one-lunged corporations to take your bequest,” said Lyman.
“How much,” said Bruff, sarcastically, “would I probably be obliged to pay the statesmen for passing such a law?”
“My party is not in power,” rejoined Lyman. “I do not know the latest market quotations for votes in your caucus.”
“Order, gentlemen, order,” said his Honor, grimly.
“And suppose,” said Bruff, “the Legislature were not in session, would it be necessary that I wait a year or two before I could make a valid will, with the chance of dying in the meantime?”
“Possibly,” replied Lyman, “you might make a bequest to a corporation not empowered at the time of such bequest, to receive it, but which might subsequently be expressly authorized by statute to do so.”
“I have led my learned friend to the very point desired,” said Bruff. “Why, then, I ask him, can the corporation which the will of Lorin French proposes shall be created, not be authorized by the California Legislature, at its next session, to receive his bequest? I do not apprehend that the most docile Democratic lamb, or the most fearless Republican boodle hunter, would dare to refuse his vote for such a law.”