4th Wisconsin Territorial Assembly

The Fourth Legislative Assembly of the Wisconsin Territory convened from December 5, 1842, to April 17, 1843, from December 4, 1843, to January 31, 1844, from January 6, 1845, to February 24, 1845, and from January 5, 1846, to February 3, 1846, in regular session.[1][2][3][4][5]

4th Wisconsin Territorial Assembly
3rd 5th
Overview
Legislative bodyLegislative Assembly of the Wisconsin Territory
Meeting placeMadison, Wisconsin Territory
TermNovember 7, 1842 – January 4, 1847
Election
  • September 26, 1842
  • September 25, 1843
  • September 23, 1844
  • September 22, 1845
Council
Members13
President
Party controlDemocratic
House of Representatives
Members26
Speaker
Party controlDemocratic
Sessions
1stDecember 5, 1842 – April 17, 1843
2ndDecember 4, 1843 – January 31, 1844
3rdJanuary 6, 1845 – February 24, 1845
4thJanuary 5, 1846 – February 3, 1846

The first session of this Legislative Assembly was effected by a dispute with the Governor over whether or not the session was legally sanctioned by Congress. The session was adjourned twice, and finally came back into session on the governor's request in March 1843, when they finished their business.[1] This Legislative Assembly was also unusually long, spanning four general elections (1843, 1844, 1845, & 1846).

Major events

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Major legislation

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  • March 23, 1843: An Act fixing the time of holding the annual sessions of the Legislative Assembly, and for other purposes.[2]
  • April 10, 1843: An Act to repeal an act incorporating the State Bank of Wisconsin.[2]
  • April 17, 1843: An Act to abolish certain offices therein named. Abolished the offices of "district attorney" which were previously multi-county officials. County governments were instead empowered by this act to each appoint a prosecuting attorney.[2]
  • April 17, 1843: An Act to provide for completing a new roof upon the capitol, and for other purposes.[2]
  • April 17, 1843: An Act concerning removals from office. Required the Governor to make written notification when removing a person from office. The act was originally vetoed by the Governor, but the veto was overridden by the Assembly.[2]
  • January 24, 1844: An Act prescribing the time of holding the annual session of the Legislative Assembly. Set the start of the legislative session as the first Monday of January.[3]
  • January 26, 1844: An Act to submit to the people of Wisconsin the question of the expediency of forming a state government.[3]
  • January 30, 1845: Resolution to declare the name of the Territory, "Wisconsin."[4]
  • January 31, 1846: An Act in relation to the formation of a State Government in Wisconsin.[5]: 5–12 

Sessions

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  • 1st session: December 5, 1842 – April 17, 1843
  • 2nd session: December 4, 1843 – January 31, 1844
  • 3rd session: January 6, 1845 – February 24, 1845
  • 4th session: January 5, 1846 – February 3, 1846

Leadership

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Council President

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Speaker of the House of Representatives

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Members

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Members of the Council

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Counties Councillor Session(s) Party
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Brown, Calumet, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Marquette, Portage, Sheboygan & Winnebago Morgan L. Martin  Y  Y Dem.
Randall Wilcox  Y  Y Dem.
Crawford, Chippewa, La Pointe, & St. Croix Theophilus La Chappelle  Y  Y Dem.
Wiram Knowlton  Y  Y Ind.
Dane, Dodge, Green, Jefferson, & Sauk Lucius I. Barber  Y  Y Whig
John Catlin  Y  Y Dem.
Grant John H. Rountree  Y  Y  Y  Y Whig
Nelson Dewey  Y  Y  Y  Y Dem.
Iowa Moses M. Strong  Y  Y  Y  Y Dem.
Milwaukee & Washington Hans Crocker  Y  Y Dem.
Lemuel White  Y  Y Dem.
David Newland  Y  Y Dem.
Adam E. Ray  Y
James Kneeland  Y  Y Dem.
Jacob H. Kimball  Y  Y
Curtis Reed  Y Dem.
Racine Consider Heath  Y[note 1]
Peter D. Hugunin  Y[note 1]
Michael Frank  Y  Y  Y Dem.
Marshall Strong  Y  Y  Y Dem.
Rock & Walworth Charles M. Baker  Y  Y  Y  Y Dem.
Edward V. Whiton  Y  Y  Y  Y Whig

Members of the House of Representatives

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Members of the House of Representatives for the Fourth Wisconsin Territorial Assembly:[6]

Counties Representative Session(s) Party
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Brown, Calumet, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Marquette, Portage, Sheboygan & Winnebago Albert G. Ellis  Y  Y Dem.
Mason C. Darling  Y  Y  Y  Y Dem.
David Agry  Y  Y Dem.
Abraham Brawley  Y  Y Dem.
William Fowler  Y
Elisha Morrow  Y
Crawford, Chippewa, La Pointe, & St. Croix John H. Manahan  Y  Y Dem.
James Fisher  Y  Y Dem.
Dane, Dodge, Green, Jefferson, & Sauk Isaac H. Palmer  Y  Y Whig
Lyman Crossman  Y  Y Dem.
Robert Masters  Y  Y Dem.
Charles S. Bristol  Y
Noah Phelps  Y  Y Dem.
George H. Slaughter  Y Dem.
Mark R. Clapp  Y
William M. Dennis  Y Dem.
Grant Franklin Z. Hicks  Y  Y  Y Whig
Alonzo Platt  Y  Y Whig
Glendower M. Price  Y  Y Whig
Thomas P. Burnett  Y  Y
Thomas Cruson  Y  Y Whig
Armstead C. Brown  Y Whig
Iowa Robert M. Long  Y  Y Dem.
Moses Meeker  Y  Y Dem.
William S. Hamilton  Y Whig
George Messersmith  Y Whig
James Collins  Y Whig
Robert C. Hoard  Y  Y
Solomon Oliver  Y
Henry M. Billings  Y Dem.
Charles Pole  Y Dem.
Milwaukee & Washington Andrew E. Elmore  Y  Y Whig
Benjamin Hunkins  Y  Y Dem.
Thomas H. Olin  Y  Y Dem.
Jonathan Parsons  Y  Y Dem.
Jared Thompson  Y  Y Whig
George H. Walker  Y  Y  Y Dem.
Charles E. Brown  Y
Pitts Ellis  Y Dem.
Byron Kilbourn  Y Dem.
Benjamin H. Mooers  Y  Y Dem.
William Shew  Y Dem.
Samuel H. Barstow  Y
John Crawford  Y Dem.
James Magone  Y
Luther Parker  Y Dem.
William H. Thomas  Y Dem.
Racine Philander Judson  Y Whig
John T. Trowbridge  Y  Y Dem.
Peter Van Vliet  Y Dem.
Levi Grant  Y Dem.
Ezra Birchard  Y Dem.
Robert McClellan  Y
Orson Sheldon  Y  Y
Albert G. Northway  Y
Andrew B. Jackson  Y Dem.
Julius Wooster  Y
Rock & Walworth John Hopkins  Y  Y Whig
James Tripp  Y  Y Whig
John M. Capron  Y  Y Whig
William A. Bartlett  Y  Y Dem.
Stephen Field  Y
Jesse C. Mills  Y Whig
Salmon Thomas  Y Whig
Jesse Moore  Y Whig
Ira Jones  Y[note 2]
Caleb Crosswell  Y[note 3]
Warren Earl  Y[note 3]
Gaylord Graves  Y[note 3] Dem.

Employees

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Council employees

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  • Secretary:[1]
    • John V. Ingersol, 1st session, resigned March 31, 1843
    • John P. Sheldon, 1st session, following Ingersol's resignation
    • Ben C. Eastman, 2nd, 3rd & 4th sessions, resigned Jan. 19, 1846
    • William Rudolph Smith, 4th session, following Eastman's resignation
  • Sergeant-at-Arms:
    • Charles C. Brown, 1st session
    • G. C. S. Vail, 2nd session
    • Charles H. Larkin, 3rd session
    • Joseph Brisbois, 4th session

House employees

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  • Chief Clerk:[1]
  • Sergeant-at-Arms:
    • William S. Anderson, 1st session
    • J. W. Trowbridge, 2nd session
    • Chauncey Davis, 3rd session
    • David Bonham, 4th session

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Did not take his seat until March 6, 1843
  2. ^ Only represented Rock County.
  3. ^ a b c Only represented Walworth County.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Heg, J. E., ed. (1882). "Annals of the Legislature" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 168–171. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Laws of Wisconsin Territory passed by the Fourth Legislative Assembly. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Territory. 1843. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Laws of Wiskonsan Territory passed by the Fourth Legislative Assembly. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Territory. 1844. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Laws of Wisconsin Territory passed by the Fourth Legislative Assembly. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Territory. 1845. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Laws of Wisconsin Territory passed by the Fourth Legislative Assembly. Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Territory. 1846. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  6. ^ "Official Statement". Milwaukie Commercial Herald. October 13, 1843. p. 3. Retrieved August 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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