You might wish to check on circumstances surrounding the massive
library materials deaccessioning several years back (mid-80's?) by the
Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.
 
Also the State Attorney General's Office might find the Buffalo situation
of interest.  i recall when the NY Historical Society more recently
planned deaccessioning collections to garner funds for operations, and
also when the Museum of the American Indian first planned its acquisition
by the Smithsonian Institution, the AG (then Mr. Abrams) raised issues of
original terms of bequests.
 
J Scott  N Y Conservation Center, NYC