History of the Territory of Wisconsin, from 1836 to 1848: Preceded by an ...

The suit against Dory and his sureties, still pending in Walworth county, was continued by consent, to await the disposition of the suit against the commissioners.

JOHN Y. SMITH was re-elected Superintendent of Territorial Property by joint ballot of the two houses on the 19th of February, having received 19 votes, to 12 for AUGUSTUS A. BIRD and 6 scattering.

The BAXTER claim, arising out of work done upon the Capitol, was again before the Council, and the committee on Territorial affairs reported in favor of an allowance of $1,008, but the report failed to receive the favorable action of the Council, and went over the session without action.

In a suit which had been commenced by WILLIAM DOUGHTY against the Territory, upon a bond issued to aid in the construction of the Milwaukee and Rock River Canal, it was decided by Judge IRVIN, of the Second District, that the Territory could not be sued.

The decision appears to have been acquiesced in, and the case carried no further.

The friends of the policy of providing a permanent though moderate Territorial revenue for the payment of the debt of the Territory, were more successful at this session than at the preceding one.

The amount of indebtedness registered by the auditor under the act of the last session was only a little over $6,000, yet it was well known that a much larger sum was outstanding which had not been registered.

During the third week of the session a bill was introduced in the Council by Mr. KNEELAND " To provide means to pay the public debt of the Territory." It was referred to the committee on Territorial expenditures which reported it back without amendment. It was subsequently referred to a select committee of one from each election district, consisting of Messrs. ROUNTREE, KNOWLTON, CATLIN, BAKER, KNEELAND, MARSHALL M. STRONG and MOSES M. STRONG, which reported an amendment. Afterwards it was referred to the committee on the judiciary under instructions, in conformity with which a substitute was reported by that committee, which subsequently passed both houses without material alteration, and was substantially the law which was enacted.

The act prescribed the mode of assessment in the several counties. It then provided for the annual levy in each of

the counties of a Territorial tax of one and a half mills on the dollar on the assessed value of the property within such county, which was to be collected by the county treasurers and by them paid over to the Territorial Treasurer.

Evidences of Territorial indebtedness issued by authority of law were receivable in payment of the Territorial tax, and it was made the duty of the Auditor to issue warrants on the Territorial Treasurer for such indebtedness, in such sums as the creditor might elect, corresponding in the aggregate with the amount of such indebtedness.

The Territorial indebtedness was further increased by an appropriation of two thousand, six hundred and sixteen dollars to the county of Dane, the amount expended by said county in the completion of the Capitol, payable out of any money in the Territorial treasury, not otherwise appropriated, after all the debts then existing against the Territory should be paid, and not before.

An act to divide the county of Crawford and to organize the county of Chippewa, provided: That the county of Crawford should be limited to that district of country which lies north of the Wisconsin and east of the Mississippi Rivers, and south of a line beginning at the mouth of Buffalo River, thence up the main branch of said river to its source, thence in a direct line to the most southern point on Lake Chetac, thence in a direct line drawn due east, until it intersects the western boundary line of Portage county, as enlarged by an act approved February 18, 1841; and west of the western boundary lines of the said counties of Portage and Ricaland.

It provided that all that district of country lying west of Portage county, enlarged as aforesaid, north of the northern boundary line of Crawford county aforesaid, east of the Mississippi River, and south of the boundaries of the county of St. Croix, as prescribed in the act approved January 9, 1840, organizing said county, be known under the name of Chippewa county.

The new county of Chippewa was organized for all purposes of county government, and attached to the county of Crawford for judicial purposes. The county seat was located temporarily at or near the residence of Mr. LAMB, at the junction of the Menomonee River with the Chippewa. Sixteen days later (February 19th) an act was approved

"to divide the county of St. Croix and organize the county of La Pointe," which enacted

"That all that district of country within the limits of St. Croix county, as prescribed by an act organizing said county, approved January 9, 1840, be and the same is hereby divided into two counties; beginning at the mouth of Muddy Island River, thence running in a direct line to Yellow Lake, and from thence to Lake Courterille, so as to intersect the eastern boundary line of the county of St. Croix at that place; thence to the nearest point on the west fork of Montreal River, thence down said river to Lake Superior. All that portion of St. Croix county as heretofore bounded, lying south of said lines, be and remain the county of St. Croix, and all the country lying north of said line and within this Territory, shall be known as the county of La Pointe."

The county of La'Pointe was organized for all purposes of county government, and attached to the county of Crawford for judicial purposes. The "seat of justice" was temporarily located at the town of La'Pointe.

An act was passed that from and after the first day of November, 1845, the county of St. Croix should be organized for judicial purposes, and form a part of the first judicial district, and the district court be held by the judge of that district on the first Monday of June annually: Provided, that at the next general election the qualified voters of the county should vote either "for district court" or "against district court"; and if a majority was for it, the act should take effect, otherwise it should be void.

Washington county was organized for judicial purposes from and after the second Tuesday of April, and made a part of the third judicial district, the judge of which was required to hold court on the second Tuesday of September, 1845, at the school-house at the county seat, unless the county commissioners should, sixty days before that time, name some other place in an order to be filed with the clerk of the court, and thereafter the regular terms were required to be held on last Tuesday of March and the second Tuesday of September in each year.

In Dodge county, the county seat was located in this wise at a place afterwards called Juneau, in honor of SOLOMON JUNEAU.

An act was passed which provided that whenever the owner or owners of the land at and about the quarter section stake dividing sections numbers 21 and 22, in township 11 of range 15 east, should lay out into a town plat forty acres of land, of which the said quarter section stake shall

the counties of a Territorial tax of one and a half mills on the dollar on the assessed value of the property within such county, which was to be collected by the county treasurers and by them paid over to the Territorial Treasurer.

Evidences of Territorial indebtedness issued by authority of law were receivable in payment of the Territorial tax, and it was made the duty of the Auditor to issue warrants on the Territorial Treasurer for such indebtedness, in such sums as the creditor might elect, corresponding in the aggregate with the amount of such indebtedness.

The Territorial indebtedness was further increased by an appropriation of two thousand, six hundred and sixteen dollars to the county of Dane, the amount expended by said county in the completion of the Capitol, payable out of any money in the Territorial treasury, not otherwise appropriated, after all the debts then existing against the Territory should be paid, and not before.

An act to divide the county of Crawford and to organize the county of Chippewa, provided: That the county of Crawford should be limited to that district of country which lies north of the Wisconsin and east of the Mississippi Rivers, and south of a line beginning at the mouth of Buffalo River, thence up the main branch of said river to its source, thence in a direct line to the most southern point on Lake Chetac, thence in a direct line drawn due east, until it intersects the western boundary line of Portage county, as enlarged by an act approved February 18, 1841; and west of the western boundary lines of the said counties of Portage and Ric land.