The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-05-02

Prom the Knoxville Republican.
The Legislative Committee appointed in
pursuance of Gov. Stones request, to inves.
tieste the diversion Of the Swamp Land In
demnity Fund, find that the Incorporated
money was embezzled by the Governors late
private secretary, r. G. Orwig, and they full
" exoneratc the Governor from all compiled
ty in the transaction.
Not one OF the missing drafts, or q single
dollar of the money derived therefrom, vas
ever seen by Gov. Stone, or passed under his
personal control, either directly or indirectly.
This fact clearly appears from the report of
the committee aud the volume of testimony
taken by them. The frank admission made
by Hon. b. B. Richards, O member of the
committee, and the acknowledged leader of
the copperhead party in the Senate, makes
this vndicasion of the Governor still more
emphatic and conclusive.
The drafts were obtained from the Execu-
tive mails by said Orwig as private secretary,
endorsed by him to the Des Moines banks,
and the money used in his own individual
speculations. There is no law requiring this
swamp land fund to go through the Govern
or's hands. and none which make ii his Off
cial duty to know anything about it. The
law of 1862 makes it the duty Of the State
Treasurer, when notified by the Register of
the State Land Office that swamp land money
for any county can be obtained from Wash
ington. to receive aud pay it over to the prop
er county.
Had the Department at Washington fol
lowed the provisions Of the law, this Difficult
~ would not have occurred; but instead oil
this. these drafts were drawn payable to the
Governor order, aud mailed to the Execu
tive Office nj Des Moines. without comment
or explanation. No notice of this was given
to the Governor. and in his absence from
Capital on official business, Orwig obtained
and appropriated them to hts own private
benefit, studiously concealing the fact OF their
reception from the Governor until they had
all been disposed Of; the developement of
his frauds was made too late to be ayerted.
In December last, when the Governor went
to Des Moines to prepare his business for the
Legislature, he obtained the evidence Of
these illegal transactions and promptly mott
fed all the parties interested. He also man
aged to have Orwig secure nearly the whole
amount, so that the final deficit. if any, will
not exceed $1,000, which sum will be borne
pro rata between some fifteen or twenty
counties. At the earliest opportunity he call
ed the attention of the General Assembly to
these frauds. and asked for the appointment
of an investigating committee. BY this
prompt action Gov. Stone has prevented the
ultimate loss OIL nearly tDo Wfoie OF THIS en-
bezzled money, and done all that reasosa
bic public could expect at his hands. His
misfortune was to have had in his employ an
individual whom he and everybody else con-
fded in as an honest man, and sho abused
that confidence IN the mos. shameful aud
prohigate manner. But if this were the first
and only instance in which man occupyI z
an executive position had been deceived in j.
subordinate Official, then this misfortune OF
Gov. Stone might, with some plausibility, APP
pear more deserving of censure; but as it is,
his reputation will come out Of the ordeal
unscathed.
Completely baked and disappointed in
their efforts to make party capital GU: of the
swamp land affair." the Copperhead Journals
are now quite busy in attempting TO manufac-
,ture some political thunder out Of the indi-
vidual report made by Il. Gilman, the Copper
head Senator from Lee county, who was a
member OF the Committee appointed to in
Svcsnsase the expenditures Of the contingent
fund. :, our next issue we shall allude to
tins .oatte- in detail and from the authentic
,ata in our possession, we shall demonstrate
the yenalitv and meanness OF these Copper
head attacks upon the Republican admins,
tration of this State. They are lar more
zealous in this matter than they were IN ex-
nosnc the conduct of their man, DIR. Eads.
who robbed the children of Iowa to the tune
of over 100000. large portion OF which
went to the support Of loco foco editors.
TnE London Record announces the return
of Mr.. Hemans. son OF the poetess, from the
ntE