10th Wisconsin Legislature
The Tenth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 14, 1857, to March 9, 1857, in regular session.
| 10th Wisconsin Legislature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
 Wisconsin State Capitol, 1855 | |||||
| Overview | |||||
| Legislative body | Wisconsin Legislature | ||||
| Meeting place | Wisconsin State Capitol | ||||
| Term | January 5, 1857 – January 4, 1858 | ||||
| Election | November 4, 1856 | ||||
| Senate | |||||
| Members | 30 | ||||
| Senate President | Arthur MacArthur, Sr. (D) | ||||
| Party control | Republican | ||||
| Assembly | |||||
| Members | 97 | ||||
| Assembly Speaker | Wyman Spooner (R) | ||||
| Party control | Republican | ||||
| Sessions | |||||
| |||||
This was the first legislative session after the expansion and redistricting of the Senate and Assembly according to an act of the previous session. The Senate grew from 25 to 30 seats; the Assembly grew from 82 to 97 seats.
Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Assembly members were elected to a one-year term. Assembly members and odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 4, 1856. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 6, 1855, or were elected in the 1856 election for a newly created district and were serving a one-year term.[1]
Major events
- January 23, 1857: James Rood Doolittle elected United States Senator by the Wisconsin Legislature in Joint Session.[2]
- March 4, 1857: Inauguration of James Buchanan as the 15th President of the United States.
- November 3, 1857: Alexander Randall elected Governor of Wisconsin.
Major legislation
- February 19, 1857: Act relating to the writ of Habeas Corpus to persons claimed as Fugitive Slaves, the right of trial by jury, and to prevent kidnapping in this State, 1857 Act 8. This was an attempt to make it more difficult to arrest people on accusation that they were fugitive slaves. It also introduced severe penalties for falsely claiming a person as a fugitive slave.
- February 28, 1857: Act providing for the erection of the main edifice of the State University, 1857 Act 25
- February 28, 1857: Act authorizing the enlargement of the State Capitol, and providing and appropriating means for the payment of the same, 1857 Act 26
- March 4, 1857: Act to extend the right of Suffrage, 1857 Act 44. This was the second attempt to create a referendum which would grant voting rights to African American men in Wisconsin. The first referendum passed, but was deemed illegitimate. This referendum would fail in the 1857 election. Ultimately, the Wisconsin Supreme Court would rule in the 1866 case of Gillespie v. Palmer that the earlier referendum was valid, and that African American men would have the right to vote in the state.
- March 7, 1857: Act to preserve the purity of Elections, 1857 Act 85
- March 9, 1857: Act to provide for the appointment of a Superintendent of Public Property and to define his powers and duties, 1857 Act 95
Party summary
Senate summary
Senate partisan composition
Democratic: 11 seats
Republican: 19 seats
| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ind. | Republican | Vacant | ||
| End of previous Legislature | 12 | 0 | 13 | 25 | 0 |
| 1st Session | 11 | 0 | 19 | 30 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 37% | 0% | 63% | ||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 12 | 0 | 18 | 30 | 0 |
Assembly summary
Assembly partisan composition
Democratic: 34 seats
Republican: 63 seats
| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ind. | Republican | Vacant | ||
| End of previous Legislature | 47 | 1 | 34 | 82 | 0 |
| 1st Session | 34 | 0 | 63 | 97 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 35% | 0% | 65% | ||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 44 | 0 | 53 | 97 | 0 |
Sessions
- 1st Regular session: January 14, 1857 – March 9, 1857
Leaders
Senate leadership
- President of the Senate: Arthur MacArthur, Sr., Lieutenant Governor
- President pro tempore:
Assembly leadership
- Speaker of the Assembly: Wyman Spooner
Members
Members of the Senate
Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the Tenth Wisconsin Legislature (30):
Senate partisan representation
Democratic: 11 seats
Republican: 19 seats
Members of the Assembly
Members of the Assembly for the Tenth Wisconsin Legislature (97):[3]
Assembly partisan representation
Democratic: 34 seats
Republican: 63 seats
Employees
Senate employees
- Chief Clerk: William Henry Brisbane
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Alanson Filer
Assembly employees
- Chief Clerk: William C. Webb
- Sergeant-at-Arms: William C. Rogers
Changes from the 9th Legislature
The most significant structural change to the Legislature between the 9th and 10th sessions was the reapportionment and redistricting of legislative seats. The new districts were defined in 1856 Wisconsin Act 109, passed into law in the 9th Wisconsin Legislature.
Summary of changes
- 17 senate districts were left unchanged.
- Dane County went from having one senator to two (11, 26).
- Jefferson County went from having one senator to two (14, 23).
- Marquette County became its own senate district (29), after previously having been in a shared district with Adams, Sauk, and Waushara counties.
- Sheboygan County became its own senate district (1), after previously having been in a shared district with Calumet and Manitowoc counties
- Waukesha County went from two senators to one (10).
- The multi-county, lightly-populated northern and western regions of the state went from two senators to four (2, 27, 28, 30).
Senate districts
after redistricting
before redistricting
| Dist. | 9th Legislature | 10th Legislature |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calumet, Manitowoc, Sheboygan counties | Sheboygan County |
| 2 | Brown, Door, Marathon, Oconto, Outagamie, Portage, Waupaca counties | Brown, Outagamie, Door, Kewaunee, Oconto, Shawano counties |
| 3 | Ozaukee County | Ozaukee County |
| 4 | Washington County | Washington County |
| 5 | Northern Milwaukee County | Northern Milwaukee County |
| 6 | Southern Milwaukee County | Southern Milwaukee County |
| 7 | Racine County | Racine County |
| 8 | Kenosha County | Kenosha County |
| 9 | Northern Waukesha County | Sauk, Adams, Juneau counties |
| 10 | Southern Waukesha County | Waukesha County |
| 11 | Dane County | Eastern Dane County |
| 12 | Walworth County | Walworth County |
| 13 | Lafayette County | Lafayette County |
| 14 | Jefferson County | Northern Jefferson County |
| 15 | Iowa, Richland counties | Iowa, Richland counties |
| 16 | Grant County | Grant County |
| 17 | Western Rock County | Western Rock County |
| 18 | Eastern Rock County | Eastern Rock County |
| 19 | Bad Ax, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Crawford, Jackson, La Crosse, La Pointe, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix counties | Manitowoc, Calumet County |
| 20 | Fond du Lac County | Fond du Lac County |
| 21 | Winnebago County | Winnebago County |
| 22 | Dodge County | Dodge County |
| 23 | Adams, Marquette, Sauk, Waushara counties | Southern Jefferson County |
| 24 | Green County | Green County |
| 25 | Columbia County | Columbia County |
| 26 | Did not exist in 9th Legislature | Western Dane County |
| 27 | Marathon, Portage, Waupaca, Waushara, Wood County | |
| 28 | Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, La Pointe, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix counties | |
| 29 | Marquette County | |
| 30 | Bad Ax, Buffalo, Crawford, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Tremealeau counties |
Summary of changes
- Brown County became its own assembly district, after previously having been in a shared district with Door and Kewaunee counties.
- Columbia County went from having 2 districts to 3.
- Dane County went from having 5 districts to 6.
- Fond du Lac County went from having 4 districts to 5.
- Green County went from having 1 district to 2.
- Manitowoc County went from having 1 district to 2.
- Marquette County went from having 1 district and 1 shared district with Waushara to having 2 districts.
- Outagamie County became its own assembly district, after previously having been in a shared district with Oconto and Waupaca counties.
- Rock County went from having 4 districts to 5.
- Sauk County went from sharing a district with Adams to having 2 districts of its own.
- Sheboygan County went from having 2 districts to 3.
- Walworth County went from having 6 districts to 4.
- Washington County went from having 2 districts to 3.
- Waupaca County became its own assembly district, after previously having been in a shared district with Oconto and Outagamie counties.
- Waushara County became its own assembly district, after previously having been in a shared district with Marquette
- Winnebago County went from having 2 districts to 3.
Assembly districts
| County | Districts in 9th Legislature | Districts in 10th Legislature |
|---|---|---|
| Adams | Shared with Sauk | Shared with Juneau |
| Ashland | Did not exist | Shared with Burnett, Douglas, La Pointe, Polk, St. Croix |
| Bad Ax | Shared with Crawford | Shared with Crawford |
| Brown | Shared with Door, Kewaunee | 1 District |
| Buffalo | Did not exist | Shared with Jackson, Trempealeau |
| Burnett | Did not exist | Shared with Ashland, Douglas, La Pointe, Polk, St. Croix |
| Calumet | 1 District | 1 District |
| Chippewa | Shared with La Crosse | Shared with Clark, Dunn, Pierce |
| Clark | Did not exist | Shared with Chippewa, Dunn, Pierce |
| Columbia | 2 Districts | 3 Districts |
| Crawford | Shared with Bad Ax | Shared with Bad Ax |
| Dane | 5 Districts | 6 Districts |
| Dodge | 6 Districts | 6 Districts |
| Door | Shared with Brown, Kewaunee | Shared with Kewaunee, Oconto |
| Douglas | Did not exist | Shared with Ashland, Burnett, La Pointe, Polk, St. Croix |
| Dunn | Did not exist | Shared with Chippewa, Clark, Pierce |
| Fond du Lac | 4 Districts | 5 Districts |
| Grant | 5 Districts | 5 Districts |
| Green | 1 District | 2 Districts |
| Iowa | 2 Districts | 2 Districts |
| Jackson | Did not exist | Shared with Buffalo, Trempealeau |
| Jefferson | 5 Districts | 5 Districts |
| Juneau | Did not exist | Shared with Adams |
| Kenosha | 2 Districts | 2 Districts |
| Kewaunee | Shared with Brown, Door | Shared with Door, Oconto |
| La Crosse | Shared with Chippewa | Shared with Monroe |
| La Pointe | Shared with Pierce, Polk, St. Croix | Shared with Ashland, Burnett, Douglas, Polk, St. Croix |
| Lafayette | 3 Districts | 3 Districts |
| Manitowoc | 1 District | 2 Districts |
| Marathon | Shared with Portage | Shared with Portage, Wood |
| Marquette | 2 Shared with Waushara | 2 Districts |
| Milwaukee | 9 Districts | 9 Districts |
| Monroe | Did not exist | Shared with La Crosse |
| Oconto | Shared with Outagamie, Waupaca | Shared with Door, Kewaunee |
| Outagamie | Shared with Oconto, Waupaca | 1 District |
| Ozaukee | 2 Districts | 2 Districts |
| Pierce | Shared with La Pointe, Polk, St. Croix | Shared with Chippewa, Clark, Dunn |
| Polk | Shared with La Pointe, Pierce, St. Croix | Shared with Ashland, Burnett, Douglas, La Pointe, St. Croix |
| Portage | Shared with Marathon | Shared with Marathon, Wood |
| Racine | 4 Districts | 4 Districts |
| Richland | 1 District | 1 District |
| Rock | 4 Districts | 5 Districts |
| Sauk | Shared with Adams | 2 Districts |
| Sheboygan | 2 Districts | 3 Districts |
| St. Croix | Shared with La Pointe, Pierce, Polk | Shared with Ashland, Burnett, Douglas, La Pointe, Polk |
| Trempealeau | Did not exist | Shared with Buffalo, Jackson |
| Walworth | 6 Districts | 4 Districts |
| Washington | 2 Districts | 3 Districts |
| Waukesha | 4 Districts | 4 Districts |
| Waupaca | Shared with Oconto, Outagamie | 1 District |
| Waushara | 2 Shared with Marquette | 1 District |
| Winnebago | 2 Districts | 3 Districts |
| Wood | Did not exist | Shared with Marathon, Portage |
References
- "Annals of the legislature". The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin 1881 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 193–194.
- Journal of the Assembly of Wisconsin (Report). Calkins & Proudfit. 1857. pp. 83–85. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
- Crane, L. H. D., ed. (1859). "List of Assembly districts, with names of members since the last apportionment" (PDF). A Manual of Customs, Precedents, and Forms, in use in the Assembly of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 58–64. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- "The Next Legislature". Milwaukee Sentinel. November 4, 1856. p. 2. Retrieved September 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- "National Republican Nominations". Wisconsin State Journal. October 25, 1856. p. 2. Retrieved September 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
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