EGERTONagainstEARLBROWNLOWandothers. PROCEEDINGSINTHEHOUSEOFLORDSONAPPEALFROMAJUDGMENTOFTHECOURTOFCHANCERYONDEMURRERTOABILLINEQUITY, June23rd,24th,27th,28th,30th,August1st,12th,19th,1853.(Reportedin4H.L.1;23L.J.N.S.Ch.348;and18Jur.71.) TheseventhEarlofBridgewater,byhiswill,devisedlargeestatestotrusteesupontrusttosettlethem,afterotherlimitations,totheuseofLordAlfordforninety-nineyears,ifheshouldsolonglive,remaindertotheuseoftrusteestopreservecontingentremaindersduringLordAlfordslife,remaindertotheuseoftheheirsmaleofLordAlfordsbody,likeremainderstoLordAlfordsyoungerbrotherandhisheirsmale,remaindersover;providedthat,ifLordAlfordshoulddiewithouthavingacquiredthetitleofMarquisorDukeofBridgewater,theusesandestatesdirectedtobelimitedtotheuseofhisheirsmaleshouldcease,andbeabsolutelyvoid.TherewereotherprovisoesdefeatingtheinterestsofLordAlfordandhisheirsifheshouldnotacquiresuchtitleofMarquisorDukewithinfiveyearsofsucceedinghisfatherasEarlBrownlow,orifheshouldtakeorsucceedtoanytitlewhichwouldhaveprecedenceoveranewcreationoftheMarquisateorDukedomofBridgewater. LordAlfordsucceededtotheestates,anddiedwithouthavingacquiredthetitleofMarquisorDukeofBridgewater. AbillfiledbytheheirmaleofLordAlfordsbodyclaimingunderthewillwasdismissedbyadecreeoftheCourtofChancery.TheHouseofLordsreversedthedecreeonappeal,andheld- 1.Dispositioncontrarytopublicpolicy(1) Limitationinwillconditionalonacquisitionofpeerage. ByLordsLYNDHURST,BROUGHAM,TRURO,andST.LRONARDS(inaccordancewiththeadviceofPoixocs,C.B.andPLATT,B.),dies.LordCRAnwoaru,L.C.(inaccordancewiththeadviceofPARSE,13.,COLERIDGE,J.,ALDERSON,B.,WwarmAx,BELE, TALFOUED,CRESWELL,WILLIAMS,andCROMPTON,JJ.)- Dispositionsofproperty whetherbywillorotherwise whichhaveatendencyinjurioustothepublicgoodmaybevoidasbeingagainstpublicpolicy.Eachcasemuststandonitsownmerits. TheprovisoesinthewillmakingtheenjoymentoftheseestatesdependontheacquisitionofthetitleofMarquisorDukeofBridgewaterwerevoidasagainstpublicpolicy.becausetheytendedtoembarrassthefreeexerciseoftheprerogativeoftheCrowninthecreationofpeers,andtoinfluenceintheirpublicconducttheMinistersoftheCrownandthepartiesinterestedunderthewillbymotivesindependentoftheirduty. TheprovisointhewillastoLordAlforddyingbeforehehadacquiredtheBridgewatertitleoperatedonthelimitationinfavouroftheheirsmaleofhisbodyasaconditionsubsequent,and,beingvoid,didnotdisentitlethemtoclaimunderthewill.(2) 2.Enforcedacceptanceofpeerage(3) Bywrit Bypatent Underaparticulartitle. SemblethattheprovisoesdefeatingtheinterestsofLordAlfordandhisheirsifheshouldtakeorsucceedtoanyhighertitlewereunobjectionabledimCOLERIDGE,J. PerPARKE,B.,WionTaLtiv,ERE,andWILLums,JJ.TheCrownmaybywritrequireanyofitssubjectstoserveasapeerinParliament,butcannoteitherbywritorpatentconferanewnameortitleininvitum. PerAtnEason,B.TheCrowncannotconferapeerageininvittim. PerCOLERIDGE,J.,dirs.Thesubjectisboundtoserveintherankandbythetitlenamedinthewritorpatent,andconsequentlytheprovisoeswerebad. (1)ThegeneraldoctrineofpublicpolicyanditsapplicationtothepresentcasearefullydiscussedinPollockonContracts,6th-edit.p.300,&c.;thefollowingAmericancasesaretherecited:Marshallv.BaltimoreandOhioRailwayCompany,1853,16Howard314,whereacontractcontemplatingtheuseofunderhandmeanstoinfluencelegislationwasheldvoid;Tristv.Child,1874,21Wall.441;anagreementtoprosecuteaclaimbeforeCongressby"lobbyservice;andMeguirev.Corwine,1879,101U.S.108.SeealsothenotestoCollinsv.Blantonin1Sm.L.C.364(10thedit.),andnotestoMitchelv.Reynolds,ib.402,&c. (2)Thispartofthecaseisnotreportedhere. (3)Seebelow,p.204n. 91500. 195] EgertonagainstEarlBrownlowandothers,1853. [196 Thiscaseraisedthequestionwhetherconditionsinthelimitationsofawillmakingtheenjoymentoflargeestatesbythebeneficiaryandhisheirsdependentonhisobtainingcertaintitlesinthepeeragewithinalimitedtime,andonhisnottakingorsucceedingtoanyothertitlesuperiorinprecedence,werevoidasagainstpublicpolicy. ByhiswilldatedMarch31st,1823,theseventhEarlofBridgewater,afterotherlimitations,referredtobelow,devisedhisextensiveestates(a)totrusteesintrusttosettlethemtotheuseofLordAlford,eldestsonofEarlBrownlow,byhiswife,thetestatorssister,foratermofninety-nineyears,ifheshouldsolonglive,remainder,duringhislife,totheuseoftrusteestopreservecontingentremainders,remaindertotheuseoftheheirsmaleofLordAlfordsbody,remainderindefaultofsuchissuetotheuseofLordAlfordsyoungerbrother,CharlesHenryCust,forninety-nineyears,ifheshouldsolonglive,remaindertotheuseoftrusteestopreservecontingentremaindersduringhislife,remaindertotheuseoftheheirsmaleofthebodyofthesaidCharlesHenryCust subjectneverthelessastothesaidusesandestates "totheseveralprovisoesforthedeterminationthereofhereinaftercontained." ThenfollowedremainderstotheEgertonsofTatton,withremaindertothetestatorsrightheirsforever. Theabove-mentionedprovisoeswereasfollows- "Providedalways,andIdeclaremywilltobe,thatifthesaidJohnHume,LordViscountAfford,shalldiewithouthavingacquiredthetitleanddignityofDukeorMarquisofBridgewatertohimandtheheirsmaleofhisbody,thenandinsuchcasetheuseandestatehereinbeforedirectedtobelimitedtotheheirsmaleofhisbodyshallceaseandbeabsolutelyvoid;andthatiftheEarldomofBrownlowshalldescendandcomeuponhim,andlieshallnothaveacquired,orshallnotacquire,thetitleanddignityofDukeorMarquisofBridgewatertohimandtheheirsmaleofhis (a)Thetestatorsucceededtotheestatesonthedeathofhiscousin,thethirdDuke,in1803,whenthetitlesofDukeandMarquisofBridgewaterbecameextinct,andthegreaterpartoftheDukesestatespassedtohisnephew,theMarquisofStafford,afterwardsfirstDukeofSutherland,withremaindertohissecondson,whowascreatedEarlofEllesmere.Thetestatordiedin1823,andwassucceededbyhisbrotherFrancisaseighthEarl.Onthedeathin1829oftheeighthEarl,whoendowedtheBridgewaterTreatises,theBridgewaterpeeragesbecameextinct.LordAlford,asstatedinthetext,didnotsucceedtotheestatesuntil1849.bodybeforetheendoffiveyearsnextafterheshallbecomeEarlBrownlow,thenandinsuchcasetheseveralusesandestatesherein-beforedirectedtobelimitedtothesaidJohnHume,LordViscountAlford,andtotrusteesduringhislifeforpreservingcontingentremainders,andtotheheirsmaleofhisbody,shallthenceforthceaseandbeabsolutelyvoid,andthatmysaidhereditamentsandrealestateshereinbeforedevisedshallineitherofthesaidcasesthereupongooverandbeenjoyedaccordingtothesubsequentusesandlimitationsdeclaredanddirectedbythismywillasifthesaidJohnHume,LordViscountAlford,wereactuallydeadwithoutissuemale: "Providedalso,andIdeclaremywilltobe,thatifitshallhappenthatthesaidJohnHume,LordViscountAlford,shallnotacquirethetitleanddignityofDukeorMarquisofBridgewatertohimandtheheirsmaleofhisbody,withtheimmediatelimitationoverofsuchtitleanddignitytothesaidCharlesHenryCustandtheheirsmaleofhisbody,ortotheheirsmaleofhisbodyifheshallhedeadleavingissuemale,andalsothatthesaidCharlesHenryCastshallnotacquirethetitleanddignityofDukeorMarquisofBridgewatertohimandtheheirsmaleofhisbody,thenandinsuchcasetheuseandestatehereinbeforedirectedtohelimitedtotheheirsmaleofthebodyofthesaidCharlesHenryCastshallceaseandbeabsolutelyvoid;andthatiftheEarldomofBrownlowshalldescendandcometohimthesaidCharlesHenryCust,andheshallnothaveacquired,orshallnotacquire,thetitleanddignityofDukeorMarquisofBridgewatertohimandtheheirsmaleofhisbodybeforetheendoffiveyearsnextafterheshallbecomeEarlBrownlow,thenandinsuchcasetheseveralusesandestateshereinbeforedirectedtobelimitedtothesaidCharlesHenryCust,andtotrusteesduringhislifeforpreservingcontingentremainders,andtotheheirsmaleofhisbody,shallthenceforthceaseandbevoid;andthatineitherofsuchcasesmysaidhereditamentsandrealestateshereinbeforedevisedshallthereupongooverandbeenjoyedaccordingtothesubsequentusesandlimitationsofthismywill,asifthesaidCharlesHenryCastwereactuallydeadwithoutissuemale: "Providedalso,andIdeclaremywilltobe,thatifmybrotherthesaidFrancisHenryEgertonshallbecreatedDukeorMarquisofBridgewater,withsuchlimitationsoverofthesaidtitleanddignityasthatthesamemay,immediatelyafterthefailureofissuemaleofmysaidbrother,cometothesaidJohnHume,LordViscountAlford,andtheheirsmaleofhisbody,andafterthemtothesaidCharlesHenryCustandtheheirsmaleofbisbody,thenandinsuchcasemysaidhereditamentsandrealestateshereinbeforedevisedshallbesettled,limited,andenjoyedinsuchmannerasiftheseveralprovisoeshereinbeforeexpressedforthedeterminationoftheusesorestatesdirectedtobelimitedtothesaidJohnHume,LordViscountAlford,andCharlesHenryCast,andtotrusteesduringtheirlivesforpreservingcontingentremainders,andtotheheirsmaleoftheirbodiesrespectively,subsequenttothepro- ownlotoandothers,1853. [198 197] EgertonagainstEarlBr visofortakingandusingthenameandarmsofEgertononly,hadnotbeencontainedinthismywill: "Providedalso,andIdeclaremywilltobe,thatifthesaidJohn,EarlBrownlow,shallincaseofthedeathandfailureofissuemaleofmysaidbrother,inhislifetime,becreatedDukeorMarquisofBridgewater,thesaidtitleanddignitybeinglimitedtohimandtheheirsmaleofhisbodybythesaidSophia,LadyBrownlow,hislatewife,only,andnotbeinginheritablebyorlimitedtoanyotherissuemaleofthesaidJohn,EarlBrownlow,thesameshallbethenceforthequivalenttotheacquisi-tionofsuchtitleanddignitybythesaidJohnHume,LordViscountAlford,tohimandtheheirsmaleofhisbody,withlimitationovertothesaidCharlesHenryCastandtheheirsmaleofhisbody;andmysaidhereditamentsandrealestatesshallbesettledandlimitedsoastogoandbeenjoyedthenceforthandforthefutureasiftheseveralprovisoeshereinbeforeexpressedforthedeterminationoftheseveralusesorestatesdirectedtobelimitedtothesaidJohnHume,LordViscountAlford,andtothesaidCharlesHenryCust,andtotrusteesdur-ingtheirlivesforpreservingcontingentre-mainders,andtotheheirsmaleoftheirbodiesrespectively,subsequenttotheprovisofortakingandusingthenameandarmsofEger-tononly,hadnotbeencontainedinthismywill,notwithstandingthepreviousdetermination,ifitshallhappen,oftheusesorestatesdirectedtobelimitedtotheheirsmaleofthebodiesofthesaidJohnHume,LordViscountAlford,andCharlesHenryCust,underanyofsuchseveralprovisoes...
