5561. MORTMAIN, Laws of.—
The bill
for establishing a National Bank undertakes
* * * to form the subscribers into a corporation
and enables them in their corporate
capacities to receive grants of land, and, so far,
is against the laws of Mortmain. Though the
Constitution controls the laws of Mortmain so
far as to permit Congress itself to hold land
for certain purposes, yet not so far as to permit
them to communicate a similar right to other
corporate bodies.—
National Bank Opinion. Washington ed. vii, 555.
Ford ed., v, 284.
(1791)
