878 



IOWA. 



ruption in time of war, with great capacity !<T 

 freight, will furnish the cheapest, shortest, and moat 

 direct outlet from the MisasBippi to the ocean ; 



That the character and feasibility of this improve- 

 ment lias been thoroughly investigated and indorsed 

 bv eminent engineers in the service of the State of 

 Virginia through a long scries of yean ; that a sur- 

 vey more recently made under the direction of the 

 General Government fully confirms the entire feasi- 

 bility and eminent value of thia work to the whole 

 country ; and a bill is now before Congress by which 

 it is asked that thia work may be completed by the 

 General Government, the States of Virginia and Vest 

 Virginia surrendering all ownership, jurisdiction, 

 and control, over the same; that in the completion 

 of this work, by cheapening cost of transportation 

 of heavy products between the East and West, by 

 investing with value the products of the region 

 through which it passes, there will be a saving and 

 profit annually to be shared in by the whole country 

 greater than the entire cost of the work. 



This National Congress of the farmers of this en- 

 tire country respectfully request that the next Con- 

 gress of the United States take into favorable con- 

 sideration the bill now pending for the completion 

 of thia great central water-route. 



IOWA. The adjourned session of the Iowa 

 Legislature, which occupied most of the 

 months of January and February this year, 

 was mainly taken up by the consideration and 

 adoption of the revised code of laws. The 

 only other subject of importance that came 

 before it was the case of Major Samuel E. 

 Kankin. ex-Treasurer of the State and of the 

 Acricnltund College and Farm. Rumors of 

 the defalcation of the ex-treasurer having got 

 abroad, he sent a communication to the Senate 

 acknowledging that he had used the funds of 

 the college for his private purposes, but deny- 

 ing that he intended to wrong that institution 

 of a dollar of its money, and stating that he 

 had assigned all his available property to 

 secure the amount of his deficiency. Ills own 

 statement of the way in which he came to use 

 the college funds was as follows : " A few 

 years ago, when times were good and money 

 easy to obtain on loan, I invested my means 

 in lands and other property, and in business, 

 and borrowed money for the same pur; 

 and in some oases bought partly m time. 

 Some of these Investments did not prove 

 profitable, and especially the business in which 

 I had invested the largest amount, but, as money 

 was comparatively easy and I had no difficulty 

 in procuring extension of time on my notes as 

 they became due, I held on to my property, 

 believing that in a short timo I could dispose 

 of it at a profit ; but within the last six months 

 times changed, business became dull and money 

 scarce ; those to whom I was indebted Heeded 

 their money and required payment, and rely- 

 ing in part upon promises made to me of 

 money to borrow, and in part upon the belief 

 that I could obtain the money by sale of mort- 

 gage of my property before it would be needed 

 by tin- C'.II.-L-I-, 1 used of their funds." 



On the receipt of Major Kankin's communi- 

 cation, the following resolution was adopted : 



Wkertat, In a recent settlement authorized by the 

 Trunteea of the Iowa Agricultural College and Farm, 

 with S. K Ksnkin, its late Treasurer, it is shown 

 that he is a defaulter to that institution ; and 



Wktrtat, It appears that there was but a small 

 amount of funds belonging to the Agricultural Col- 

 lege in the hands of said Kaiikin at the time of his 

 settlement as State Treasurer, with the Auditor of 

 the State, on the Sd day of June, 1872 ; aud- 

 it further appears that he ha* purchased but little 

 If any real estate since that date ; aud- 

 it further appears that he had nearly all of his real 

 estate free from incuinbrances at that date ; and 



It further appears that he counted to the Auditor 

 of the State drafts on New York and Chicago for $62,- 

 005.29 at that date in his settlement as State Treas- 

 urer, and it does not appear that said Runkin has in- 

 vested in any property to any extent in any direc- 

 tion since that date ; and 



It further appears that the said Kankin, in his 

 capacity as College Treasurer, drew from the State 

 Treasury on the 6th of July, 1872, the sum of $3b,- 

 800, and* it further appears from settlement with said 

 Kankin by the Trustees of the Agricultural College, 

 that he is a defaulter for the sum of (38,801.46, and 

 from the foregoing it would seem that the said def- 

 alcation existed previously to July 6. 1872: There- 

 fore, I ask at your hands, and on the part of said 

 college, an investigation of all matters pertaining to 

 his acts as Treasurer of the College and of the State. 

 Therefore be it 



Ketolvrd by tht ffovte, iki Senate eon furring, That a 

 committee be appointed of three on the part of tie 

 HoiihC, and two on the part of the Senate, to Inquire 

 into all matters of S. . Rankin, its late treasurer, 

 in connection with that institution, and also to in- 

 quire into his acts as State Treasurer; and said com- 

 mittee are hereby required to report to this General 

 Assembly at as early a day an possible upon all mat- 

 ters set forth in said preamble, and such other mat- 

 ters as seem to them best, and make such recom- 

 mendations as they may deem proper, and they are 

 hereby empowered to appoint a clerk, and send for 

 persons and papers. 



After a thorough investigation, in which 

 Governor Carpenter, ex-Governor Merrill, the 

 officers of the Agricultural College, the de- 

 faulting treasurer himself, and several other 

 persons, were examined as witnesses, the com- 

 mittee submitted a unanimous report. From 

 this it appeared that Major Rankin had been 

 successively elected Treasurer of the Agricult- 

 nral College for five years ; but that in 1809, 

 1871, and 1872, no bond had been given by 

 him as required by law. Early in 1869 he 

 began to use the funds of the college unlaw- 

 fully for his own purposes, first in small 

 amounts, which were replaced, and afterward 

 in larger amounts, which were retained. On 

 the 25th of January, 1871, the college treas- 

 ury had become empty, and the aggregate 

 amount abstracted had reached $36,000. He 

 then resorted to the State Treasury to meet 

 drafts from the college, and used $36,000 in 

 this way prior to July 6, 1872. On that date 

 a requisition was made upon the State Treas- 

 ury by the officers of the college for the sum of 

 $88,600, which had been appropriated for the 

 use of that Institution by the Legislature. A 

 warrant to meet this requisition was paid, and 

 the amount placed to the credit of the college. 

 There was then a balance of $7,000 in the 

 Treasury due to the college, nnd this enabled 

 the Treasurer to meet all demands until De- 



