The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-07
THE GETTYSBURG ASYLUM CASE.

N.0aIItv of the Affair -OpiniOns OF At
aornsv-Gsmeral Brew stor, and COun-
sailors Perkins and Biddle-The Pro-
,possa diamond DistributiOn Improper,
Etc.
The following important documents have
noen handed to us for publication
orrIcE OF ATToRNEy.G GENERAL, PH1IApELPHIA,
NAV A. is67-To Major. General George g. Meade, U.
Al 1ss a soldieTs. have the honor to aSnow
receipt Of Of your letter of My 1857 - %ss
ing, ana Bylaws o. the association @ Of which you are
Tbs subject you submit TO has before this, been
presented 10 me by Mr.. Kemble the state Treasurer
been examined by me. have also seen and read an
Vsors Of your Incorporation aud published IN diner
ent papers Of this city. ---..-
contained your letter. have arrived at the follow
f Ebe ouest on you proposed to will answer, 1t
is prf ctically general question:, as foows:An IN
First The scheme proposed, unless specially and
expressly authorized by law is criminal and WI eX
ment II is really that immoral and pernicious
t6Dg ali OySSyh Who have awe authority this
TO pause before they act and adopt SO vicious con
and II there is doubt as to their right thus TO
DO have tSf no to ncs OS h
and assume that. by arttully contryed
nnSed TO repeal a portion Of the criminal law of
the State, and created again system OF gam0}nng
that once like q pesteDCe, prevailed TO the rum OF
tbe people and dishonor OF the Commonwealth, and
which the ADVANCING CnIlSlihu ClNIlHlboh
%%ssised its Voice and system that exists no
where but in governments cursed with slavery or
Second The acts of the first meeting were not legal;
majority of the corporators were not present ana
the statute does not give authority to cOrpOratOr 10
Third. The supervisors having been created at the
frat meeting, were created by those who mad no no
power to create them, ana VIII luItuGL I Ii,i AZ
hS had GS the the Ss9F seen hd n ave
created such body OF supervisors ana glyea zen 10 70
laws and surrendered to them for consideration all
of the important franchises or the corpor@SC,o1, @ o.,
the original corporators selected by the , LeglS,
iature but there are men who have been long known
as lottery venders and whose names are notorlousy
connected with lottery grants IN otheT states: +,
minutes have read the bylaws; and have read
the prososed scheme and IL Is sa my Sebe@e aSd a
Attorney General request you as or ne pnce TN ar
Twill resist the execution Of that scheme Dy prompt
0eiieve have substantially complied with your
request AT your proposed meeting on Iuesday you
can treat the former action Of the mi@n0Tly @ OF me
was Illegal, and you can then proceed TO regularly
the bowers expressly given by the charter to do
lawful and proper thing in alawful ana reputable
If you require any further advice from me, do not
hesitate to call on me. thank you for your courtesy
and for the nice of public duty that induced you
TO appeal to the law officer of the Commonwealth to
help you hinGer proposed wrong 393eT G9Or OF law
-, BENJAMIN HARRIS BREWSTER,
Attorney General.
THE OPINIONS OF SAMUEL C. PERKINS AND G. w.
BIDDLB ESQS.
To the Gettysburg Asylum for Invalid Soldiers
There have been submitted to u.s. by members of the
Corporation letter dated the 4th instant addressed
to Brgader.Ge H. g. SlcKel, Treasurer, by Hon.
Benjamin Harris Brewster the Attorney-General,
together with the Act OF incorporation passed by the
Legislature and approved by the Governor March g.
1867 also the minutes of the meeting for the organza
on of the Corporation and the Bylaws adopted tor
its government.
There is a perfectly plain legal method Of test
ing any one OF the questions involved in the letter
OF the law officer of the commonwealth or which
he may desire 10 raise under this Act OF Assem-
bly,, and cannot but express our surprise that
the public press should nave been made the
vehicle of upon the corporation and individuals
connected with it, instead Of resort being had to the
courts of Justice We further OF opinion that the
character of some of the articles which have ap-
peared in print are essentially lbellous.
Our advice is that the Corporation and its officers go
on under the act and all such legal remedies for
the maintenance defense, and protection of their
rights, ,..as may from time to time 6eem eXpedent,
Very respectfully, SAMUEL c. PERKINS,
GEORGE w. BIDDLE.
Philadelphia, May 2, 1867.