9th Wisconsin Legislature | |||||
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Overview | |||||
Legislative body | Wisconsin Legislature | ||||
Meeting place | Wisconsin State Capitol | ||||
Term | January 7, 1856 – January 5, 1857 | ||||
Election | November 6, 1855 | ||||
Senate | |||||
Members | 25 | ||||
Senate President | Arthur MacArthur Sr. ( D) | ||||
President pro tempore | Louis P. Harvey ( R) | ||||
Party control | Republican | ||||
Assembly | |||||
Members | 82 | ||||
Assembly Speaker | William Hull ( D) | ||||
Party control | Democratic | ||||
Sessions | |||||
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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, 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]
Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
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Total | ||||
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Democratic | Ind. | Republican | Vacant | ||
End of previous Legislature | 13 | 1 | 11 | 25 | 0 |
1st Session | 12 | 0 | 13 | 25 | 0 |
Final voting share | 48% | 0% | 52% | ||
Beginning of the next Legislature | 11 | 0 | 19 | 30 | 0 |
Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Ind. | Republican | Vacant | |||
End of previous Legislature | 34 | 4 | 44 | 82 | 0 | |
start of 1st Session | 45 | 1 | 36 | 82 | 0 | |
January 15 | 46 | 1 | 35 | 82 | 0 | |
Final voting share | 56.1% | 1.22% | 42.68% | |||
Beginning of the next Legislature | 34 | 0 | 63 | 97 | 0 |
Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the Ninth Wisconsin Legislature:
Members of the Assembly for the Ninth Wisconsin Legislature:
Senate District |
County | District | Representative | Party | Residence |
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23 | Adams, Sauk | David K. Noyes | Rep. | Baraboo | |
19 | Bad Ax, Crawford | Andrew Briggs | Dem. | Bad Ax | |
02 | Brown, Door, & Kewaunee | John Day | Dem. | Green Bay | |
19 | Buffalo, Chippewa, & La Crosse | Dugald D. Cameron | Rep. | La Crosse | |
01 | Calumet | James Cramond | Dem. | Manchester | |
25 | Columbia | 1 | Moses M. Davis | Rep. | Portage |
2 | Oliver C. Howe | Rep. | Lowville | ||
11 | Dane | 1 | Charles R. Head | Rep. | Albion |
2 | Augustus A. Huntington | Dem. | York | ||
3 | William M. Colladay | Rep. | Dunn | ||
4 | George P. Thompson | Dem. | Cross Plains | ||
5 | Augustus A. Bird | Dem. | Madison | ||
22 | Dodge | 1 | Benjamin F. Barney | Dem. | Williamstown |
2 | Daniel Fletcher | Dem. | Hustisford | ||
3 | Lawrence Connor | Dem. | Emmet | ||
4 | Fred H. Ehinger | Dem. | Clyman | ||
5 | Charles Burchard | Rep. | Beaver Dam | ||
6 | Henry Butterfield | Rep. | Waupun | ||
20 | Fond du Lac | 1 | George W. Parker | Rep. | Metomen |
2 | Peter Johnson | Dem. | Ashford | ||
3 | Isaac Brown | Dem. | Fond du Lac | ||
4 | Joseph Wagner | Dem. | Marshfield | ||
16 | Grant | 1 | Allen Taylor | Rep. | Hazel Green |
2 | William Hull | Dem. | Potosi | ||
3 | James T. Brown | Rep. | Clifton | ||
4 | Joseph T. Mills | Rep. | Lancaster | ||
5 | Horace Catlin | Dem. | Cassville | ||
24 | Green | Martin Flood | Rep. | Brooklyn | |
15 | Iowa | 1 | Ephraim Knowlton | Dem. | Highland |
2 | Richard M. Smith | Dem. | Mineral Point | ||
14 | Jefferson | 1 | William Chappell | Dem. | Watertown |
2 | Henry C. Drake | Rep. | Milford | ||
3 | David L. Morrison | Dem. | Koskonong | ||
4 | William W. Woodman | Dem. | Farmington | ||
5 | Darius Reed | Rep. | Sullivan | ||
08 | Kenosha | 1 | Henry Johnson | Rep. | Kenosha |
2 | Franklin Newell | Rep. | Paris | ||
13 | Lafayette | 1 | Matthew Murphy | Dem. | Benton |
2 | Hamilton H. Gray | Dem. | Shullsburg | ||
3 | James H. Knowlton | Rep. | Darlington | ||
19 | La Pointe, Pierce, Polk, & St. Croix | Almon D. Gray | Dem. | Hudson | |
01 | Manitowoc | Charles H. Walker | Dem. | Manitowoc | |
02 | Marathon, Portage | Joseph Wood | Rep. | Grand Rapids | |
23 | Marquette, Waushara | 1 | William F. Chipman | Rep. | Warren |
2 | Horatio S. Thomas | Dem. | Moundville | ||
05 | Milwaukee | 1 | Joshua Starks | Dem. | Milwaukee |
2 | Augustus Greulich | Dem. | Milwaukee | ||
06 | 3 | William A. Hawkins | Rep. | Milwaukee | |
4 | George Hahn | Dem. | Milwaukee | ||
5 | John Mitchell | Dem. | Milwaukee | ||
6 | Andrew McCormick | Dem. | Milwaukee | ||
7 | Peter Lavies | Dem. | Greenfield | ||
05 | 8 | Henry Crawford | Dem. | Wauwatosa | |
9 | John Tobin | Dem. | Granville | ||
02 | Oconto, Outagamie, Waupaca | William Brunquest (until Jan. 15) | Rep. | Waupaca | |
Louis Bostedo (from Jan. 15) | Dem. | Weyauwega | |||
03 | Ozaukee | 1 | Charles Beger | Dem. | Port Washington |
2 | William Vogenitz | Dem. | Cedarburg | ||
07 | Racine | 1 | Thomas Falvey | Dem. | Racine |
2 | Eliphalet Cram | Dem. | Racine | ||
3 | John T. Palmer | Dem. | Norway | ||
4 | Patrick G. Cheves | Rep. | Waterford | ||
15 | Richland | Robert Aken | Ind. | Richland | |
18 | Rock | 1 | Horatio J. Murray | Rep. | Turtle |
2 | John Child | Rep. | Lima | ||
17 | 3 | Levi Alden | Rep. | Janesville | |
4 | John M. Evans | Rep. | Union | ||
01 | Sheboygan | 1 | William Whippermann | Dem. | Mosel |
2 | Reed C. Brazelton | Rep. | Scott | ||
12 | Walworth | 1 | James Lauderdale | Rep. | La Grange |
2 | Robert T. Seymour | Rep. | Lafayette | ||
3 | John F. Potter | Rep. | East Troy | ||
4 | Asa W. Farr | Dem. | Geneva | ||
5 | Salmon Thomas | Rep. | Darien | ||
6 | William D. Chapin | Rep. | Bloomfield | ||
04 | Washington | 1 | Thomas Hayes | Dem. | Richfield |
2 | John Sell | Dem. | Addison | ||
09 | Waukesha | 1 | Jeremiah Noon | Rep. | Merton |
2 | James Weaver | Dem. | Lisbon | ||
10 | 3 | John James | Dem. | Eagle | |
4 | Charles S. Hawley | Rep. | Waukesha | ||
21 | Winnebago | 1 | Lucius B. Townsend | Rep. | Nepeuskun |
2 | John Anunson | Dem. | Winchester |