Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-02-04
OUR LEGISLATORS.
A Movement TO Investigate the State
Auditor Matter.
INNATE

DEs MONIES, Jan. s6.--The senate convened
at p. m. The following petitions and resolu-
tons were presented:
BY Donnan, petition from several citlze
asking for passage Of laws to prevent adultor-
alton of dairy products, also for the appoint
ment Of q state dairy commissioner TO enforce
these laws. By Woolson, two petitions for
additional laws to aid In the enforcement OF
prohibition; also, to prevent the circulation Of
obscene literature. By Clark, asking for In
struction In public schools on the hygienic Of
feet Of use of narcotics and intoxicating IL
quors. By Scott, memorial from the state
agricultural society stating briefly what had
been done with the appropriation granted to it
by the last general assembly, and asking for
$50, 900 additional for improvement Of new fair
grounds.
A large number of bills were- introduced,
among them one by Clark, for instruction In
public schools on effect Of use Of alcoholic II
quors. BY Miles, requiring telegraph compa-
mics to send and deliver messages in the order
of their receipt, giving preference only TO gov
ernmental dispatches, and in some instances
to press dispatches; also fixing the tariff on
messages at twenty-five cents for twenty
words between any points in the state, with
one cent additional for each word over twenty;
! also, bill to prevent unjust determinations
by railway companies In the use Of cars and
transportation of freight and passengers. BY
Weber, locating the supreme court at the capt.
tai of the state. BY Stevens, to prohibit traffic
in diseased hogs and to prevent the spread Of
hog cholera. By Casey, to establish county
courts and provide for election of county
judges. By Henderson, to establish state
department of insurance and banking, with a
commissioner in charge. The bill provides
that the commissioner shall be appointed
by the governor by April 1st and shall serve
for two years at salary OF
two thousand dollars per year.
Senator johnson introduced the following
joint resolution and moved to have 1t adopted,
but yielded to the suggestion that reconsideration
of It be deferred for the present and 1t be made
the special order of business for Thursday,
8. p. m. .....
BE ii resolved by the general assembly Of The
state of Iopa, the senate aud house concurring:
That whereas grave and serious charges are
charging the duties of auditor Of state, as more
fully appears in the annexed copy of an afida.
Wit purporting to have been made by one
Bruce Reid, as to the facts occurring while said
"Reid" was in the employ of said Brown, as
assistant examiner of fire insurance compa-
MES.
II, Bruce Ried, being duly sworn, say that
was employed by H. S. Vail on the 10th Of May
1884 to assist saidVail in examination Of fire in
surance companies in Iowa, under the instruc-
| tons Of auditor Brown OF that state. The price
| to be paid me Bruce Reid was agreed upon al
| sixty dollars $500 per month, and at once en-
tered upon my duties. was engaged in as
| sistng In the examination Of the following
companies: The Hawkeye, State, Monarch,
| and Des Moines, up to the nth of August,
| 1884 On the 18th Of August, 1884, the exam
! ination of the Burlington Insurance company
was begun, and on the following day, while |
was in Burlington my pay was raised to seven
| ty-five dollars $50 per month, and the raise
was to include the previous month, and l re-
| ceived during the examination OF other Iowa
companies, the said seyenty-five dollars per
month, and / remained In the employ of said
| Vail until the first of December, 1884, when
| my salary was again increased to SS3.33 per
month. and remained in the employ Of said
vail until March, 1885. now positively
know that said Vail, during the whole Of the
time, until say the LIST of January, 1885, charged
| the several insurance companies OF Iowa for
| my services at the rate of five dollars ($5) per
| day, and two dollars and half (S2.50) per
| evening, when employed at night or in case Of
| extra hours work.
At said Wallis request, signed vouchers at
ploy such clerical force as in their judgment
may seem necessary.
And whereas, the ex-attorney general, the
Hon. Smith Mcpherson, and the present at
torney general, have each furnished to the ex.
ecutive, the Hon. Buren, r. Sherman, their
written apinion, that said feas were not per-
quisites of Of the office of state auditor, tn at
said Brown has and still refuses to account to
the state for the same, and for such refusal to
SO account the late governor refused to ap-
prove the official bond of said Brown as audit
or OF state, and appointed an auditor of state
who qualified as such auditor.
| And whereas, his excellency, William LARA
bee, governor Of the state, has removed the ap-
pointee of his predecessor and installed said
same, which again at Wallis request was en-
dorsed by me- and Immediately returned to
said Vail. He then paid me at the rate stated
| above, viz: $50 and S75 month. This was
done to cover up his method Of getting the
| difference between what was paid me and what
he collected from the companies for my SER
| vices, which Vail told me was to be turned
| over to Auditor Brown for election campaign
| purposes.
In the case OF the examination OF the Bur-
| lington Insurance Company, I received for my
services not to exceed one hundred dollars
| $500 at the rate of SIS per month, and said
| Vail collected for said services the sum of two
hundred and seventy-fve dollars and sixty
three cents (s2756S from the Burlington In
surance Company. BRUCE REID.
State of Illinois, County Of Cook, S. Per-
sonally appeared Bruce Reid, signer OF the
| foregoing affidavit, who made solemn oath to
| the truth of the same before me this Goth day
| of March, A. d. 1885.
| ,Signed) ALLEN w. PECK, Notary Public
And that whereas, It is charged that said
Brown has extorted large sums of money from
| the banking institutions and the Insurance
| Companies Of this State as examining fees, by
| himself and his appointees, which tees he has
refused and failed to turn over to the Treas
urer Of State, although commanded to do SO
by the Chief Executive of State
Therefore, be 1t resolved that committee Of
five (5) be appointed, two (2) from the senate
and three (9 from the house, which commit
tee shall consist Of at least one ~ democrat
from each branch of the general assembly,
who are instructed to examine into the con-
duct and acts of said Brown, his employees and
appointees in the examinations of the fire In
surance companies and banking institutions Of
this state, and the fees collected for the same
and the charges made in the said copy Of the
said affidavit, and report their findings at as
early date as practicable, to the General As
sembly.
That the said committee when appointed
shall have the power to compel the attendance
Of witnesses, administer oaths, and shall have
access to all Of the records In the office of au-
dtor of state. and shall be authorised to en-
brown in the office OF auditor OF state without
investigating the charges against said Brown
heretofore narrated.
Adjourned.
The House convened at 2p. m. The Speaker
announced several appointments, and also the
standing committees. A large number of bills
were introduced among which were the fol