9th Wisconsin Legislature

Last updated

9th Wisconsin Legislature
8th 10th
Wisconsin State Capitol 1855.jpg
Wisconsin State Capitol, 1855
Overview
Legislative body Wisconsin Legislature
Meeting place Wisconsin State Capitol
TermJanuary 7, 1856 January 5, 1857
ElectionNovember 6, 1855
Senate
Members25
Senate President Arthur MacArthur Sr. (D)
President pro tempore Louis P. Harvey (R)
Party control Republican
Assembly
Members82
Assembly Speaker William Hull (D)
Party control Democratic
Sessions
1stJanuary 9, 1856 March 31, 1856
2ndSeptember 3, 1856 October 14, 1856

The Ninth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 9, 1856, to March 31, 1856, in regular session, and re-convened from September 3, 1856, to October 14, 1856.

Contents

This was a pivotal legislative session in the fall of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin and the rise of the new Republican Partythe Republicans would dominate the state government for most of the next 100 years. The start of the session saw the dispute over the 1855 Wisconsin gubernatorial election, in which the Democratic incumbent governor, William A. Barstow, was forced to resign from office three months into this term after the Wisconsin Supreme Court threw out a number of apparently fraudulent votes.

Before he left office however, Barstow was involved in an extensive railroad bribery scandal, which ultimately also implicated his Republican challenger, Coles Bashford, and a huge portion of the members of the 9th Wisconsin Legislature. The scheme saw railroad promoters, led by Milwaukee mayor Byron Kilbourn, bribing legislators and other state officials with railroad company bonds and stock in exchange for securing land grants for the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad route. An 1858 investigation found $900,000 worth of bribes had been paid (nearly $33,000,000 adjusted for inflation), averaging $10,000 per official. Although legislators from both parties received the corrupt bonds, Democrats ultimately took the bulk of the blame. [1] [2]

Senators representing even-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Assemblymembers were elected to a one-year term. Assemblymembers and even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 6, 1855. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 7, 1854. [3]

Due to the controversies over the gubernatorial election, the governor for nearly all of this term's regular legislative session was the previous incumbent, Democrat William A. Barstow, of Waukesha County, who asserted that he was the rightful governor until March 21, 1856, when he resigned. At that time, the lieutenant governor, Democrat Arthur MacArthur Sr., of Milwaukee County, then ascended to become governor until the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Republican Coles Bashford, of Winnebago County, had actually won the 1855 election and was entitled to the seat. Bashford was sworn in March 25, 1856, and served for the remainder of this legislative term, in the first year of a two-year gubernatorial term.

Major events

Major legislation

Party summary

Senate summary

Senate partisan composition
.mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}
Democratic: 12 seats
Republican: 13 seats WI Senate 1856.svg
Senate partisan composition
  Democratic: 12 seats
  Republican: 13 seats
Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Democratic Ind. Republican Vacant
End of previous Legislature 13111250
1st Session12013250
Final voting share48%0%52%
Beginning of the next Legislature 11019300

Assembly summary

Assembly partisan composition
Democratic: 47 seats
Independent: 1 seat
Republican: 34 seats WI Assembly 1856.svg
Assembly partisan composition
  Democratic: 47 seats
  Independent: 1 seat
  Republican: 34 seats
Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Democratic Ind. Republican Vacant
End of previous Legislature 34444820
start of 1st Session45136820
January 1546135820
Final voting share
Beginning of the next Legislature 34063970

Sessions

Leaders

Senate leadership

Assembly leadership

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the Ninth Wisconsin Legislature:

Senate partisan representation
Democratic: 12 seats
Republican: 13 seats WI Senate Partisan Map 1856.svg
Senate partisan representation
  Democratic: 12 seats
  Republican: 13 seats
DistrictCountiesSenatorPartyResidence
01 Calumet, Manitowoc, Sheboygan David Taylor Rep. Sheboygan
02 Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Marathon, Oconto, Outagamie, Portage, Waupaca Perry H. Smith Dem. Appleton
03 Ozaukee Bolivar G. Gill Dem. Grafton
04 Washington Baruch S. Weil Dem. Schleisingerville
05 Milwaukee (Northern Half) Jackson Hadley Dem. Milwaukee
06 Milwaukee (Southern Half) Edward O'Neill Dem. Milwaukee
07 Racine Charles Clement Rep. Racine
08 Kenosha C. Latham Sholes Rep. Kenosha
09 Waukesha (Northern Half) Denison Worthington Rep. Summit
10 Waukesha (Southern Half) Edward Gernon Dem. Genesee
11 Dane Hiram H. Giles Rep. Stoughton
12 Walworth Jesse C. Mills Rep. Elkhorn
13 Lafayette Charles Dunn Dem.Cottage Inn
14 Jefferson S. W. Barnes Dem. Waterloo
15 Iowa & Richland Amasa Cobb Rep. Mineral Point
16 Grant J. Allen Barber Rep. Lancaster
17 Rock (Western Part) James Sutherland Rep. Janesville
18 Rock (Eastern Part) Louis P. Harvey Rep. Shopiere
19 Bad Ax, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Crawford, Jackson, La Crosse , La Pointe , Pierce, Polk, St. Croix William J. Gibson Dem. Black River Falls
20 Fond du Lac Edward Pier Rep. Fond du Lac
21 Winnebago John Fitzgerald Dem. Oshkosh
22 Dodge S. L. Rose Dem. Beaver Dam
23 Adams, Marquette, Sauk, Waushara Edwin B. Kelsey Dem. Montello
24 Green George E. Dexter Rep. Monroe
25 Columbia John Q. Adams Rep. Fall River

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Ninth Wisconsin Legislature:

Assembly partisan representation
Democratic: 47 seats
Independent: 1 seat
Republican: 34 seats WI Assembly Partisan Map 1856.svg
Assembly partisan representation
  Democratic: 47 seats
  Independent: 1 seat
  Republican: 34 seats
Senate
District
CountyDistrictRepresentativePartyResidence
23 Adams, Sauk David K. Noyes Rep. Baraboo
19 Bad Ax, Crawford Andrew BriggsDem. Bad Ax
02 Brown, Door, & Kewaunee John DayDem. Green Bay
19 Buffalo, Chippewa, & La Crosse Dugald D. Cameron Rep. La Crosse
01 Calumet James CramondDem. Manchester
25 Columbia 1 Moses M. Davis Rep. Portage
2Oliver C. HoweRep. Lowville
11 Dane 1Charles R. HeadRep. Albion
2Augustus A. HuntingtonDem. York
3 William M. Colladay Rep. Dunn
4George P. ThompsonDem. Cross Plains
5 Augustus A. Bird Dem. Madison
22 Dodge 1Benjamin F. BarneyDem. Williamstown
2Daniel FletcherDem. Hustisford
3Lawrence ConnorDem. Emmet
4Fred H. EhingerDem. Clyman
5 Charles Burchard Rep. Beaver Dam
6Henry ButterfieldRep. Waupun
20 Fond du Lac 1George W. ParkerRep. Metomen
2Peter JohnsonDem. Ashford
3Isaac BrownDem. Fond du Lac
4 Joseph Wagner Dem. Marshfield
16 Grant 1Allen TaylorRep. Hazel Green
2 William Hull Dem. Potosi
3James T. BrownRep. Clifton
4 Joseph T. Mills Rep. Lancaster
5Horace CatlinDem. Cassville
24 Green Martin FloodRep. Brooklyn
15 Iowa 1Ephraim KnowltonDem. Highland
2 Richard M. Smith Dem. Mineral Point
14 Jefferson 1 William Chappell Dem. Watertown
2Henry C. DrakeRep. Milford
3David L. MorrisonDem. Koskonong
4 William W. Woodman Dem. Farmington
5Darius ReedRep. Sullivan
08 Kenosha 1 Henry Johnson Rep. Kenosha
2Franklin NewellRep. Paris
13 Lafayette 1Matthew MurphyDem. Benton
2 Hamilton H. Gray Dem. Shullsburg
3 James H. Knowlton Rep. Darlington
19 La Pointe, Pierce, Polk, & St. Croix Almon D. GrayDem. Hudson
01 Manitowoc Charles H. Walker Dem. Manitowoc
02 Marathon, Portage Joseph Wood Rep. Grand Rapids
23 Marquette, Waushara 1William F. ChipmanRep. Warren
2Horatio S. ThomasDem. Moundville
05 Milwaukee 1Joshua StarksDem. Milwaukee
2 Augustus Greulich Dem. Milwaukee
06 3William A. HawkinsRep. Milwaukee
4George HahnDem. Milwaukee
5John MitchellDem. Milwaukee
6Andrew McCormickDem. Milwaukee
7 Peter Lavies Dem. Greenfield
05 8Henry CrawfordDem. Wauwatosa
9John TobinDem. Granville
02 Oconto, Outagamie, Waupaca William Brunquest(until Jan. 15)Rep. Waupaca
Louis Bostedo (from Jan. 15)Dem. Weyauwega
03 Ozaukee 1Charles BegerDem. Port Washington
2William VogenitzDem. Cedarburg
07 Racine 1 Thomas Falvey Dem. Racine
2Eliphalet CramDem. Racine
3John T. PalmerDem. Norway
4 Patrick G. Cheves Rep. Waterford
15 Richland Robert AkenInd. Richland
18 Rock 1Horatio J. MurrayRep. Turtle
2John ChildRep. Lima
17 3Levi AldenRep. Janesville
4 John M. Evans Rep. Union
01 Sheboygan 1William WhippermannDem. Mosel
2Reed C. BrazeltonRep. Scott
12 Walworth 1 James Lauderdale Rep. La Grange
2Robert T. SeymourRep. Lafayette
3 John F. Potter Rep. East Troy
4 Asa W. Farr Dem. Geneva
5Salmon ThomasRep. Darien
6William D. ChapinRep. Bloomfield
04 Washington 1Thomas HayesDem. Richfield
2 John Sell Dem. Addison
09 Waukesha 1Jeremiah NoonRep. Merton
2 James Weaver Dem. Lisbon
10 3 John James Dem. Eagle
4Charles S. HawleyRep. Waukesha
21 Winnebago 1Lucius B. TownsendRep. Nepeuskun
2John AnunsonDem. Winchester

Employees

Senate employees

Assembly employees

References

  1. "The CorruptionistsWho are They!". Wisconsin State Journal . October 30, 1858. p. 2. Retrieved February 17, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Report of the Land Grant InvestigationStartling Disclosuresnearly the whole Legislature of 1856 bought up". Vernon County Cencsor. May 26, 1858. p. 2. Retrieved February 19, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Annals of the legislature". The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin 1881 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 191–192.