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

IN TeDtg 10 Tor. H9tLdTd -Ne1c Albany
speech. Every proposition Of Wizard
proven false Delivered at Bloomington
July 2lst 1860.
CONTINUED.
Under the law as have stated it,
how was it possible for Talbot and
Collins to have committed these frauds,
if the Governor and the various Swamp
Land Commissioners appointed 10y him,
as we'll as the different county officers
had done their duty? They bad no
power over the lands il any way, until af-
ter they were sold. Neither had they any
power over any officer directly connected
with the SALE or disposal of them. Who
had The Governor. But his Excellency
informs US substantially that the Governor
was powerless in ali matters during the
reign of Talbot and Collins, and that these
officers violated the laws and committed
frauds in spite of him. He says, he Gov.
WrIght) could not say to the Treasurer,
Auditor or Secretary, you shall OF shall
not do this But that kind of bunconsbe
won't satisfy the people, The Governor
who stands at the head of public affairs, is
Of very little use and the constitution of
our State a mere meaningless instrument,
if that is the construction to be placed upon
it. What is the object of having a Gov
EEnOEf Anu W Idl are MS POWERS anu uull6S.
The object of having one is, to have
some person to look after the public inter
ests of the people, and whose duty it shall
be to guard and protect them. In order to
do this, the constitution has given him full
power. 1t provides, Article ), sec. l5:-
" The Governor shall transact all necessary
business with the officers of government,
and may require information in writing,
from the officers of the Administrative de-
partment, upon any subject relating to the
duties Of their respective Offices" Section ! 6
also provides: " He shall take care that the
laws be faithfully executed" In cases
where violence is used TO prevent the exc
cuton of the laws, section II empowers
him to call out forces to execute them
And where the officers peacefully violate
them, he has the power to convene the
Legislature and report the facts to them,
and they can either remove or compel him
to obey the law By providing heavy penal
ties for his failure. From these pleuary pow
ers given to your Governor by the eonstitu-
ton, could be not have stopped these State
officers from committing these frauds and
outrages upon the rights OF the people p
Will Gov. Willard say in the very face oil
the constitution that the Governor has nc
power to compel officers 20 enforce the law.
Does not the Governor take an oath tC
support the constitution And does moi
that constitution require Sim to thai
the laws are faithfully executed Does il
require him to do an imposslbhity? If the
Governor had properly looked after the in
terests of the people, and required the law:
to have been faithfully executed, how is i
possible that Collins and Talbot could have
committed these frauds. The law gave
them no power to do any such thing
Where, then, did they get it They coulC
not convey away the lands. That was tht
duty of the Governor, and believe among
all the charges against Talbot and Collins
there is none that they ever forged the
name Of the Governor to any of thes,
fraudulent patents. Then how come i
there lie must have put it there of hi!
own free will and accord, for these Stat
officers had 90 power 10 compel him to sigl
them.
With what show of reason or common
sense then could Gov Willard say that
he Gov. Wright} had used proper dill
gence, hecould not have prevented thes
frauds. But how does he explain it? Fl
virtually tells US that Gov. Wright not onl,
failed to see the law faithfully executed, bu
that he absolutely violated it by issuing
blank patents for lands before they wer
sold, when the law required him to do g
after they were sold and delivered then
over 10 Collins. Why did he do that Gov
Willard may say because he thought Col
Inns honest, and that all would be right
Yet that was the first miss tep, and from tha
act the people suffered. Gov Willard think
that act e1cusable in Gov. Wright, but IN