Two letters relative to the Vaccine Institution, addressed to the members of the Hon. the General Assembly of Maryland / by James Smith, United States' agent of vaccination.

  • Smith, James, 1771-1841.
Date:
1818
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Two letters relative to the Vaccine Institution, addressed to the members of the Hon. the General Assembly of Maryland / by James Smith, United States' agent of vaccination. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    soori found could not be supported; the managers of the Vaccine Lottery were, therefore, after spending a whole year in efforts, now became worse than fruitless, compelled to abandon their scheme entirely, and to redeem again all the Tickets they had distributed. This was a work of great trouble and expense, but we deemed it more proper to return their money to those who had purchased Tickets from us than to retain it in our hands for any uncertain period of time to which we could set no probable limits This work of necessity and justice was, therefore, set about on the 9th of April, 1811 : and as soon as die Tickets were called in, the money was returned and they were all fairly redeem- ed. My privilege to raise S 30,000, now appeared to be worse than mere delusive hope. It was of no real value, but retained the appearance of a liberal reward from the State, for services which I was rendering, and for the faithful performance of which I was bound for nearly five years of time then unexpired. In this perplexing situation, I would most cheerfully have given up every dollar I possessed, to have been fairly released, and my friends relieved from the burthen of the generous re- ward allowed for my services by the Legislature of Ma- ryland. It was in vain, however, to complain. I had made the contract, and must be content to abide the consequences. I would here ask if any like instance can be found among the proceedings of any legislative body in this or any other country ; ard whether my case does not afford the only example extant, of any public servant whose salary or reward for necessary services was re- quired to be paid by way of Lottery. If the State of Maryland had been a bankrupt State, and the security of her citizens from a dangerous disease could not have been procured in any other way than by a Lottery, jhen there might be some apology offered for a Senate who could invent this new mode of promoting the genera! welfare. As the Treasury of the State, however was an abundant one, I defv the most contracted ceconomist