The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-09-10

doubt both acted IN good latin, yet The acts +
within themselves were wrong and i vio- (
latiou of law, and the people were caused to .
suffer thereby. In the first instance, If
Gov. Wright had not signed those patents
in blank, then Collins and Talbot could .
not have committed the frauds, and if Tai {
bott had not delivered up to Nexser the .
bonds, then the bill holders on the Gramer /
cv bank would net have suffered. After .
these blank Swamp Land patents were de- /
livered to Collins, still be aud Talbot could /
not have conveyed these lands to themselves !
aud friends, unless the books of the Auditor I
aud Treasurer of Jasper county showed /
that they had been purchased and paid for. !
In order to have this done, they united /
with them the Swamp Land Commissioner /
of Jasper county, Democrat, WHO issued
false and fraudulent certificates, certifying
that there was so much money due these
men Talbot and Collins. and those who
confederated with the N for ditching, when no
ditching has ever been done. Upon these
false and fraudulent certificates, the Auditor
of State issued orders upon the Treasurer Of
State, under section So of the Swamp Land
Act. With these orders issued upon these
false and fraudulent certificates, this land
was paid for. This is the fraud that Col.
Hendricks so much complained Of, and de-
clared if any Democrat in office could be
found, that had equaled it, be would give
up the race, when the very paragraph Of
the Swamp Land Report from which he read
to condemn Talbot and Collins, also con-
demned this Democratic Swamp Land Com
missioner, and shows that he was as deep, if
not deeper in the fraud than they were, for
in speaking of the manner in which those
lands were obtained, this report says By
the comp Licity Of the tSaOamp Land Commits
sioners, deeds for about l24, 900 acres Of The
best Of the Uacant land in the county" were
obtained.
say that this Commissioner was as deep,
if not deeper in the fraud than Talbot and
Collins were, for the reason that they had
no control over him, and could not by any
legal power com .'el him, either to issue or
not TO issue these false and fraudulent GER
tiicates but he did issue them, and they
and their confederates joined him in the
spoils, but they were overtaken in their cor
ruption, and most of these lands recovered
back This fraud looks big, and should
have served as warning to Gov. Willard.
/ In fact he informs US that it did, and that
he issued no blank patents, by which the
I State could be swindled No wonder that
| Col. Hendricks was willing to stake his all
! on it, and decline the race for Governor if
aaother fraud equal to it could be found
where a Democratic officer had anything to
do with it. But l think I will be able to
show you that this fraud, like little blood
only served to make the bears mad, and
more blood thirsty. For. remember that
these Swamp Lands, in all, amounted to
overtwelve hundred and fifty-two thousand
acres. This fraud Of Talbot and Collins
| included about 1851. 600 acres. still leaving
| k,A cd
for; besides most of these l24, 600 acres
were recovered back 10 the State.
May I ask once more, Where are all
these lands, or their proceeds 2-this mu-
nificeut donation, embracing more than a
million and a quarter acres of the finest
lands in Indiana, the proceeds after draining
and surveying to remain sacred fund for
the education of our children. In the short
space of ten years, with Democratic Gov
errors at the helm of State, to watch over
aud guard our our interest, they have let
them pass from US, by fraud and corruption.
Who have been guilty of these great out
RACES ? This Swamp Land Fraud Report,
which Col Hendricks so much relies upon,
| think will explain the matter to a very
great extent, and account for the milk in
the cocoanut. During Gov. Nrights adj
ministration, he removed from office one
Jacob Mirkel as Swamp Land Commissioner
i'll Jasper county, In consequence OF his
fraudulent practices such commissioner
Shortly after Gov Willard was inaugurated
as your Governor, be appointed this man
Mirkel as Swamp Land Commission again
{ in Jasper county. The Swamp Land Com
mittee in their report in speaking OF this
appointment says: FROM the evidence in
possession of your COMMITTEES, they cannot
; but express their surprise that Gov. w Hard
, should have appointed Jacob Mlrkel to the
responsible Office of Swamp Land Commits
sioner of Jasper county.
"Soon after the expiration of his tern
of office as Treasurer Of said county, not
withstandipg ii was known to his Excel
Iency that said MirkeI had been sued on hi:
, official bond as n defaulter to the Swamp
, Land Fund, in 1855, which said suit he had
: compromised by giving his notes with secu
3 rity for the sum of S23, AGO 80, thus ne
; knowledging his defalcation, and the CREATE
part of those notes, though due, were still
s outstanding and unpaid and notwithstand
: ing it was known to his EXcelleucy tina
; said Mirkel had again been sued in l85t
= upon his official bond as Swamp Land Treas
e urer, for further defhlcatiou of $4,000 t
g the Swamp Land Fund, as certified 10y Tia
/, Auditor OF State, and that in 1857 iudg
ment was obtained against him in auothe
: suit upon his official bond county Treas
: urer, to the amount of 81, 600 for Stat
+ revenue, and that was then, and still is
e pending against him upon his official bon
u for detalcation of county revenue, and ha'
not at the date of his appointment SAT-
II commissioner, and still has not settled wit
Q the Auditor and Treasurer of State o
County Commissioners, for either State
0 Swamp Land or County Revenue, and not
u withstanding it was known to his Excel
It lency, that by section 10 and article OF To
1t constitution OF the State Of Indiana, sal
e Mirkel was wholly ineligible to any ofic
I of trust or profit; and that by an act {
8 the Legislature, approved March /, 1855
It (see acts 1855, page So, he was guilty c
e felony-still, with full knowledge of a
e these disqualifCations and disabilities b
:. (Mirkel) was appointed and invested 10y hl
d Excelency with the duties OF this import
e.. ant and responsible Office for the perform
9 ance of which he is not required to CIV
:, bonds