The Twenty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session. This was the first session since 1856 in which the Democratic Party held control of the Assembly. Senators representing even-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 even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 4, 1873. 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 5, 1872.

Major events

* January 5, 1874: Inauguration of

William Robert Taylor William Robert Taylor (July 10, 1820March 17, 1909) was an American politician and the 12th Governor of Wisconsin from 1874 to 1876. Early life Taylor was born in Woodbury, Connecticut. He was orphaned at age 6 when his father's ship was lost ...

as 12th

governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...

. * June 16, 1874:

Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin. Location The Wi ...

chief justice Luther S. Dixon resigned from the court. Governor

immediately appointed Milwaukee city attorney

Edward George Ryan Edward George Ryan (November 13, 1810October 19, 1880) was an Irish Americans, Irish American Immigration to the United States, immigrant, lawyer, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was the 5th chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Early life ...

to become the 5th chief justice. * July 1, 1874: The

Sholes and Glidden typewriter The Sholes and Glidden typewriter (also known as the Remington No. 1) was the first commercially successful typewriter. Principally designed by the American inventor Christopher Latham Sholes, it was developed with the assistance of fellow ...

was first marketed in the United States, it was principally designed by Wisconsin resident

C. Latham Sholes Christopher Latham Sholes (February 14, 1819February 17, 1890) was an American inventor who invented the QWERTY keyboard, and, along with Samuel W. Soule, Carlos Glidden and John Pratt, has been contended to be one of the inventors of the fir ...

. * October 9, 1874: The

Treaty of Bern The Treaty of Bern (formally the Treaty concerning the formation of a General Postal Union), signed on 9 October 1874, established the General Postal Union, which is today known as the Universal Postal Union. Named for the Swiss city of Bern, w ...

was signed, establishing a

General Postal Union The Universal Postal Union (UPU, french: link=no, Union postale universelle), established by the Treaty of Bern of 1874, is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to t ...

for the coordination of international mail deliveries. * November 25, 1874: The

Greenback Party The Greenback Party (known successively as the Independent Party, the National Independent Party and the Greenback Labor Party) was an American political party with an anti-monopoly ideology which was active between 1874 and 1889. The party ran ...

was established as a United States political party, composed mostly of farmers suffering the financial effects of the

Panic of 1873 The Panic of 1873 was a financial crisis that triggered an economic depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 to 1877 or 1879 in France and in Britain. In Britain, the Panic started two decades of stagnation known as the "Lon ...

Major legislation

* February 26, 1874: An Act to prohibit certain provisions and conditions in contracts
1874 Act 60
Outlawed contract terms which attempted to remove contract disputes from court jurisdiction. * March 7, 1874: Joint Resolution providing for biennial sessions of the legislature and compensation of members
1874 Joint Resolution 5
Proposed an amendment to the Constitution of Wisconsin to change Assembly terms from one year to two years. This version of the amendment would be defeated, but a later attempt at the same change would be approved in 1882. * March 10, 1874: An Act to regulate railroads in certain respects
1874 Act 227
Required that railroad lines passing through populated areas must make at least one stop in that area per day. * March 11, 1874: An Act relating to railroads, express and telegraph companies, in the state of Wisconsin
1874 Act 273
Implemented regulation of railroad freight and passenger rates, and established the Wisconsin Railroad Commission to enforce the new law. Referred to in historical documents and newspapers as the "Potter Law" for its chief sponsor

Robert L. D. Potter Robert Lewis Dorr Potter (February 5, 1833November 2, 1893) was an American lawyer, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served four years as a member of the Wisconsin State Senate, representing Waushara County and central Wisconsi ...

. * March 12, 1874: An Act in relation to railroads
1874 Act 341
Declared that all railroad lines in the state would be

common carrier A common carrier in common law countries (corresponding to a public carrier in some civil law systems,Encyclopædia Britannica CD 2000 "Civil-law public carrier" from "carriage of goods" usually called simply a ''carrier'') is a person or compan ...

s, and carry each others passengers and cars without discrimination.

Party summary

Senate summary

Assembly summary

Sessions

* 1st Regular session: January 14, 1874March 12, 1874

Leaders

Senate leadership

* President of the Senate: Charles D. Parker ( D) * President pro tempore:

John Chandler Holloway John Chandler Holloway (July 7, 1826 – February 26, 1901) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate. Biography Holloway was born on July 7, 1826 in York, New York. Later, he moved to Lancaster, Wisconsin. Chan ...

( R)

Assembly leadership

* Speaker of the Assembly:

Gabriel Bouck Gabriel Bouck (December 16, 1828 – February 21, 1904) was an American lawyer, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He represented Wisconsin in the United States House of Representatives for two terms. He also served as Wisconsin's 6 ...

( D)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Twenty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature: WI Senate Partisan Map 1874

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Twenty-Seventh Wisconsin Legislature: WI Assembly Partisan Map 1874

Employees

Senate employees

* Chief Clerk: J. H. Waggoner ** Assistant Clerk: Robert A. Gillett *** Bookkeeper: T. S. Ansley ** Engrossing Clerk: Mrs. Fannie Vilas ** Enrolling Clerk: W. L. Abbott ** Transcribing Clerk: John W. Brackett ** Clerk for the Committee on Engrossed Bills: E. S. Knight ** Clerk for the Committee on Enrolled Bills: Will Bates * Sergeant-at-Arms: O. U. Akin ** Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: E. J. Cole * Postmaster: A. J. White ** Assistant Postmaster: Nils Michelet * Doorkeeper: W. H. Bell ** Assistant Doorkeeper: M. Lynch ** Assistant Doorkeeper: M. H. Cram ** Gallery Doorkeeper: J. A. Newman ** Gallery Doorkeeper: J. K. Dunn ** Committee Room Attendant: J. Williams ** Night Watch: Fred Bright * Lt. Governors Messenger: Wendell Paine * Clerk's Messenger: Eddie McCurdy * Messengers: ** Fred Richards ** Daniel Fitzpatrick ** Charlie Colvin ** Richard Murphy ** Marcus Moody

Assembly employees

* Chief Clerk:

George Wilbur Peck George Wilbur Peck (September 28, 1840 – April 16, 1916) was an American writer and politician from Wisconsin. He served as the 17th Governor of Wisconsin and the 9th Mayor of Milwaukee. Biography Peck was born in 1840 in Henderson, N ...

** Assistant Clerk: Frank Hatch *** Bookkeeper: J. W. Ryckman ** Engrossing Clerk: J. C. Eggers ** Enrolling Clerk: E. C. Enos ** Transcribing Clerk: G. J. Patton * Sergeant-at-Arms:

Joseph Deuster Joseph Peter Deuster (October 14, 1833 - June 5, 1914) was an American sheriff, postmaster and Democratic politician, who served a single two-term as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. He was the brother of Peter V. Deuster. Backgrou ...

** Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms:

Columbus Germain Columbus Germain (January 14, 1827 – October 8, 1880) was an American politician. Born in Rush, New York, Germain moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin Territory in 1843, where he operated a ferry. He then relocated to Fox Lake, Wisconsin in 1846 and ...

* Postmaster:

Agesilaus Wilson Agesilaus O. Wilson was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. He was elected to the Assembly in 1892, succeeding John Winans. Other positions he held include Clerk of the Board of Education of Janesville, Wisconsin. Wilson was a Democrat De ...

** Assistant Postmaster: A. S. Weil * Doorkeepers: ** B. S. Rollin ** Michael Kelly ** W. Hyde * Night Watch: Bernard C. Wolter * Fireman: Felix McLindon * Committee Room Attendants: ** D. S. Harkness ** W. Hughes ** Richard Donovan ** Edward Flaherty * Porter: David Goodell * Speaker's Messenger: Clinton Snow * Chief Clerk's Messenger: Winnie Hassell * Sergeant-at-Arms' Messenger: Helson Bronnell * Messengers: ** Charles Johnson ** Charles Murphy ** James Foran ** Frank Dunn ** Willie Pitman ** Charlie Whitton ** Theodore Cooper ** Walter Reyson

References

External links

1874: Related Documents
from

Wisconsin Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republican ...

{{Wisconsin legislatures 1874 in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

Wisconsin legislative sessions