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. This was a pivotal legislative session in the fall of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin and the rise of the new Republican Party—the 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 The 1855 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1855. Republican Party candidate Coles Bashford was declared the winner after a court challenge, defeating Democratic incumbent William A. Barstow. Barstow was initially decla ...

, in which the Democratic incumbent governor,

William A. Barstow William Augustus Barstow (September 13, 1813December 13, 1865) was an American businessman, politician, and public administrator. He was the third governor and second Secretary of State of Wisconsin, and served as a Union Army officer during the ...

, 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 Coles Bashford (January 24, 1816April 25, 1878) was an American lawyer and politician who became the fifth governor of Wisconsin, and one of the founders of the U.S. Republican Party. His one term as governor ended in a bribery scandal that ended ...

, and a huge portion of the members of the 9th Wisconsin Legislature. The scheme saw railroad promoters, led by Milwaukee mayor

Byron Kilbourn Byron Kilbourn (September 8, 1801December 16, 1870) was an American surveyor, railroad executive, and politician who was an important figure in the founding of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the 3rd and 8th mayor of Milwaukee. Biography Kilbour ...

, 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. 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.

Major events

* January 7, 1856: Resulting from a dispute over the 1855 gubernatorial election, both

and

were sworn in as

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 ...

in separate ceremonies. * January 15, 1856: Assemblymember William Brunquest, representing Oconto, Outagamie, and Waupaca counties, resigned his seat after it was demonstrated that he had actually lost his election to Louis Bostedo. * March 21, 1856: Barstow officially withdrew his claim to the Governorship, leaving Lieutenant Governor

Arthur MacArthur Sr. Arthur MacArthur Sr. (January 26, 1815August 26, 1896) was a Scottish-American immigrant, lawyer, and judge. He was the fourth Governor of Wisconsin and was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. He was the fathe ...

as governor. * March 24, 1856: The

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 ...

issued its decision in the case ''Atty. Gen. ex rel. Bashford v. Barstow'', ruling that Bashford had won the 1855 gubernatorial election. * March 25, 1856: Bashford was sworn in as the 5th Governor of Wisconsin. MacArthur returned to his previous office as Lieutenant Governor. * November 4, 1856:

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...

was

elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a populatio ...

15th

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

Major legislation

* March 20, 1856: Act to annex a part of the county of

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

to the county of

Jefferson Jefferson may refer to: Names * Jefferson (surname) * Jefferson (given name) People * Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States * Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foo ...

1856 Act 27
* March 22, 1856: Joint Resolution in relation to Islands in the Mississippi river
1856 Joint Resolution 2
* March 28, 1856: Act to define the boundaries of the county of

Winnebago Winnebago can refer to: * The exonym of the Ho-Chunk tribe of Native North Americans with reservations in Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin ** Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, a federally recognized tribe group in the state ** The Winnebago language of the ...

1856 Act 45
* March 29, 1856: Act to divide the county of

Portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

and erect the county of

Wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

1856 Act 54
* March 31, 1856: Joint Resolution of the Senate and Assembly of the State of Wisconsin to the United States, in relation to the removal of the

Stockbridge Indians Stockbridge may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Stockbridge, Edinburgh, a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland * Stockbridge, Hampshire * Stockbridge, West Sussex * Stockbridge Anticline, one of a series of parallel east–west trending folds in t ...

1856 Joint Resolution 4
* March 31, 1856: Act to set apart and incorporate the county of Burnette
1856 Act 94
* September 16, 1856: Joint Resolution in relation to the Stockbridge and

Munsee The Munsee (or Minsi or Muncee) or mə́n'si·w ( del, Monsiyok)Online Lenape Talking Dictionary, "Munsee Indians"Link/ref> are a subtribe of the Lenape, originally constituting one of the three great divisions of that nation and dwelling along t ...

Indians
1856 Joint Resolution 5
* September 30, 1856: Act to apportion and

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

anew the Members of the Senate and Assembly of the State of Wisconsin
1856 Act 109
Expanded the Wisconsin Senate to 30 members, and the Assembly to 97. * October 6, 1856: Act to organize the county of Eau Claire
1856 Act 114
* October 14, 1856: Act to regulate the boundaries of

La Crosse La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's populat ...

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Q ...

and Monroe Counties
1856 Act 145

Party summary

Senate summary

Assembly summary

Sessions

* 1st Regular session: January 9, 1856 – March 31, 1856 * 2nd Regular session: September 3, 1856 – October 14, 1856

Leaders

Senate leadership

* President of the Senate:

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

* President pro tempore:

Louis P. Harvey Louis Powell Harvey (July 22, 1820 – April 19, 1862) was an American politician and the seventh Governor of Wisconsin. He was the first Wisconsin Governor to die in office. Early life Harvey was born in East Haddam, Connecticut, and moved w ...

Assembly leadership

* Speaker of the Assembly:

William Hull William Hull (June 24, 1753 – November 29, 1825) was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolutionary War and was appointed as Governor of Michigan Territory (1805–13), gaining large land cessions from several Ame ...

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the Ninth Wisconsin Legislature: WI Senate Partisan Map 1856

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Ninth Wisconsin Legislature: WI Assembly Partisan Map 1856

Employees

Senate employees

* Chief Clerk:

Byron Paine Byron Paine (October 10, 1827January 13, 1871) was an American lawyer and justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. His successful representation of Ezekiel Gillespie in the 1866 case of ''Gillespie v. Palmer'' resulted in the legal recognition of ...

* Sergeant-at-Arms: Joseph Baker

Assembly employees

* Chief Clerk: James Armstrong * Sergeant-at-Arms: Egbert Moseley

References

External links

{{Wisconsin legislatures 1856 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