American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-05-22
The Gettysburg Asylum.

, some TWO weeks aSO we fecetfeu tleuRtily |
advertisement from parties in Philadelphia |
for insertion in the Citizen, purporting to
represent the sentiments and doings of
number of gentlemen of the highest respect
ability who, in accordance with an act OF the
last Legislature, had been organized cor
.porate company for the purpose of raising
funds for the erection, at Gettysburg, Pa,
of an Asylum for Invalid Soldiers. We
have always been willing to assist in any
legitimate enterprise which had for it's OBJ,
ject the alienation of the sufferings of our
brave soldiers, and hoping that the enter,
prise referred to was legal and legitimate,
being as we supposed sanctioned by an act
of the Legislature, and recommended by
such men as Meade; Curtin, Sickles, Pleas
ants, and many Others whom we thought
would not engage in an illegal scheme to
promote 80 noble an enterprise, we inserted
the advertisement in the columns of the
Citizen and called special attention to the
same. recommending it to our citizens as an
enterprise worthy OF their support Having
afterwards seen the scheme severely com
mented upon by the press as ga humbug,
cheat and swindle," we wIote Governor Gea.
ry upon the subject, asking for information
as to the legality and Legitimacy of the en-.
terprise and received the following answer,
accompanied by the letter of Attorney Gen
eral Brewster, in answer to letter from
General Meade on the same subject. These
letters we hope will be satisfactory to the
readers Of the Citizen, and will atone for
whatever of recommendation we have given
to this seemingly laudable, but unjust and
illegal lottery scheme:
PENN'A. EXECUTIVE CHAaBER,
Harrisburg, May 10, 1867.
@. +. ANDERSON, ESQ.,, Editor Citizen
My Dear SU:-I am instructed by the
Governor to ackno wledge the receipt of your
letter, and to say that he regrets he is un-
able to give you the desired info. nation
There is no doubt of the fact that the Legis-
lature never contemplated the creation of
lottery and that however patriotic or benev~
olent the object, the members would never
improper change in the laws Of the Com>
monwealth. Attorney General Brewster
has given as his opinion, that the bill does
not authorize the establishment of such an
enterprise. Respectfully Yours,
j. RoBLEY DUNGLIsoN.
The following is the letter of Attorney
General Brewster, referred to above:
OFFICR OF ATTORNEY GENERAL.
Philadelphia, May 4, '67.
To Major General G. G. Meade, U. S. A.,
and President ofhe Gettysbuy Asylum .tor
Inratid Soldiers:
SIR: have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter OF May Sd, 1867, ems
closing act of incorporation, minutes oi
meetings, aad by>laws of the association oi
which you are the President, and as to which.
you addressed me.
The subject you submit to me has, before
this, been presented to me by Mr.. Kemble,
the State Treasurer, and by General Sickles
The papers you send have been examined
by me. have also seen and read an ad
vertisenent of the scheme of the Board OF
Supervisors of your incorporation, and pub
lished in the different papers of this city.
From the foregoing papers and from the
narrative contained in your letter, l have ar.
rived at the following conclusions:
The question you proposed to me | will
answer. tits practically general Question
as follows An inquiry OF my views Oh
the case as it now stands"
First The scheme proposed, unless spe.
cially and expressly authorized by law, Is
criminal, and will expose all engaged in OIL
concerned with it to indictment. 1t is real
ly that immoral and pernicious thing, @
lottery, and nothing else. 1t, therefore, be
comes all who have authority in your incor.
poration TO pause before they act and adop
SO vicious contrivance to carry out tht
powers given by the statute, and if there il
doubt as to their right rhus to do, to hav,
that doubt resolved by q judicial decision
and to act on this scheme and assume that
by artfully contrived phrases and am biguou
terms, the Legislature intended to repeal
! portion of the criminal law of the State, ant
created again system of gambling tha
once, like pestilencey prevailed to the ruiz
: Of the people and the dishonor of the Com
monwealth, and against which the advanc
ing Christian civilization raised it's voice
and a system that now exists nowhere bu
in governments cursed with slavery, o
where gambling in all its forms is allowe,
by law.
Second. The acts Of the firstmeeting wer,
not legal. A majority of the corporater
were not present, aud the statute did no
give authority to cOrporatOr TO delegat'
his power to any one.
Third. The supervisors having been creates
at that first meeting, were created by thos
who bao no power TO create them, and | will
further add that had the meeting been prop
erly and legally held by the eorporaters
they could not create such a body of super
visors, and given to them the power that i
given to them by the bylaws, and surrend
cred to them for the enn liberation of all th,
OF the important franchises Of the corpora
ton. Among the supervisors chosen iher,
is not one Of the original corporstors selected
by the Legislature, but there are men VIII
have long been known as lottery venders
and whose names have been notoriously
connected with lottery grants in other States
Fourth. have read the Statute; have
read the minutes have read the by laws
and have read the proposed scheme and it j,
my opinion that the statute does notauthoriz'
any such scheme and, as Attorney Genera
l request you, as President of the corpora
ton, to give these corporators notice that
will regist the execution of that scheme b,
prompt legal proceedings.
l believe | have substantially. complied
with our request. AT your proposed meet
ing on Tuesday you can treat the former ae