The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1862-02-22
THE BOND swINDLE.
IMPEACHMENT OF STATE OFFICERS

cial Committee to investigate the frauds of
the State officers on the Kansas Treasury.
of which we spoke last week. 1t is one of
most shameful and barefaeed thefts ever
committed in any State. It will be seen By
the figures that Bob Stevens has made a
handsome sum of money out of it that is,
ifhe succeeds in getting clear of the law. as
such slippery rogues generally do. The re-
port is plain, and needs no explanations or
comments. The resolution impeaching
Robinson, Governor, Robinson, Secretary,
and Hillyer, Auditor, passed the House
unanimously. There is some doubt about
the Senate sustaining the action of the
House. 1t is before this body that all i'm
parchment cases must be tried. and on most
test votes Robinson has carried that body.
The Legislature has taken steps to have
Stevens's property attached, to make up to
the State the amount which he has swim
died her out of.
We hope the rascals may be brought to
justice. It is high time that something
should be done to put check to fraud and
corruption; and we know of no better sub
iects for an example than the men concerned
in this affair. Their guilt seems to be es-
tablished beyond the shadow of doubt, and
woe be to the Senators, if by any kind of
skullduggery or favoritism they should &C
quit them
REPORT
Of the Special Committee. appointed by the
House Of Representatives to havestigote tie
Accounts Of the auditor and Treasurer of
State, the Sale Of Bonds Of the State Of
Kansas, de-, de-, January 80, 1862.
The Special Committee, to whom was en-
trusted the duty of investigating the sale of
Kansas State Bonds, and the Accounts of
the State Auditor and Treasury, beg leave
to submit the following report
On Thursday, the 30th day of January,
1862. the House of Representatives adopt
ed the following preamble and resolution,
| from which your committee derive their
authority, to wit:
WHEREAS, 1t appears from the reports
of the Auditor and Treasury of State, that
certain amount of the bonds of the State
have been di :posed of; and whereas. said
reports do not fully set forth a detailed
statement of the facts in relation thereto:
therefore,
''Resolved, That special committee of
FIVE be appointed by the chair, to examine
and investigate the accounts of the Audit
or and Treasurer of State, and to ascertain
all the facts connected with the sale of bonds
of the State of Kansas, the disposition oil
the proceeds thereof, what amount of scip
there has been issued, what amount redeem
ed, and what amount has been bonded,
what amount of bonds are remaining on
hand and unsold, and whether or not State
officers have been specializing in the in.
debtedness of the State of Kansas,-with full
power and authority to send for persons and
papers, with instructions to report at an ear
" day."
Before proceeding to call testimony touch
ing the subject matter of investigation, it
was deemed best to make careful examn-
alton of the different statutes of the State in
relation thereto. They find that an act was
passed by the last Legislature and approx ed
May Sd, 1861, authorizing certain persons,
to wit Austin M. Clark and James c. Stone,
to negotiate the sale of one hundred and
fifty thousand dollars Of the bonds OF the
State, and report to the Legislature, with
in seventy days, their acts in the premises
By reference to the journals of the last ses-
sion, and on page 38s, it will be seen that
they did report that any attempt at that
time to negotiate the sale of Kansas bonds,
would be utterly useless and unavailing.
After receiving the report of said Commits
sioners, an act was passed by the Legisla-
ture, and approved June 18th, 1861, supple
mentary to the first named act, authorizing
the sale of one hundred thousand dollars of
the bonds of the State for not less than sew
enty cents on the dollar. This act gives
authority tothe Governor, Secretary of State,
and Auditor, to negotiate the sale of these
bonds, majority of whom can act. This
law provides that tbs Treasurer shall pre-.
pare bonds to the amount of one hundred
thousand dollars, with coupons attached,
bearing interest at the rate of seven per cent.
per annum, and to be made payable in fif-
teen years; the interest to be paid semi
annually.
Another act was passed by said Legisla-
ture. which was approved June z, 1861,
providing for the issuance of twenty thou
sand dollars of the bonds Of the State, bear
ing ten per cent. interest, and made payable
in two years.
These are the only acts that your COM
mittee have been able to find bearing upon
the matter Of the sale of Kansas State bonds.
With regard to bonds issued by the State
during the year 1861, under the acts refer
red TO, your committee would state, that
the total issue of bonds of every description
amounted to $3.50, 400. Of these, $40, 900
were 10 per cent bonds, issued under the
act of May 7th, and known as war bonds.
S31 900 of these 10 per cent. bonds have
been sold by the Treasurer to r. S. Stevens,
for forty cents on the dollar the balance are
| in "a l. L.