Box 23, Folder 4: Wisconsin: Geographical & Topographical 1844

GOVERNMENT. 29

to be elected for two years, and the members of the House for one year. The Legislative power extends "to all rightful subjects of legislation"—but no law can be passed interfering with the sale or disposal of the public lands. No tax can be imposed on the public lands, and the property of non-residents cannot be taxed higher than that of residents. All laws have to be submitted to, and if disapproved by the Congress of the United States, they become null and void; and laws incorporating banks, do not take effect unless approved by Congress. The members of the Legislature receive three dollars per day, when in session, and three dollars for every twenty miles travel in going to and returning from Madison. They meet annually, on the first Monday in December, and their sessions are limited to seventy-five days.

The JUDICIAL POWER is vested in a Supreme Court, District Courts, Probate Courts, and Justices of the Peace.

The SUPREME COURT consists of a Chief Justice and two associate Judges, appointed during good behavior, who hold a term annually, at Madison, the seat of Government, on the 3d Monday in July. The salary of the Judges is eighteen hundred dollars.

The DISTRICT COURT is held twice a year, in each county, by one of the Judges of the Supreme Court, at such times as are prescribed by law. The Territory is divided into three Judicial Districts. The First Charles Dunn, District Judge, consists of the counties of Crawford, Grant and Iowa. The Second, David Irwin, Judge, consists of the counties of Walworth,

30 GOVERNMENT.

Rock, Green, Dane and Jefferson. The Third, Andrew G. Miller, Judge, consists of the counties of Brown, Milwaukee and Racine.* The Supreme and District Courts possess Chancery, as well as common law jurisdiction.

The times at present appointed by law for holding the District Courts, are as follows:

FIRST DISTRICT. Crawford—First Monday in May, and second Monday in October. Iowa—Second Monday in April, and first Monday in September. Grant—Fourth Monday in April, and fourth Monday in September.

SECOND DISTRICT. Green—Second Monday in April and October. Rock—Third Monday in April and October. Walworth—Fourth Monday in April and October. Jefferson—Third Monday after the fourth Monday in April and October. Dane—Fourth Monday after the fourth Monday in April and October.

THIRD DISTRICT. Brown—Fourth Monday in May, and second Monday in October. Milwaukee—Second Monday in June, and first Monday in November. Racine—First Monday in July, and third Monday in November. —— *The remaining counties are not organized for judicial purposes, but are attached to some one those here named.

Pencil markings of Portage, Sauk, Fond du Lac, Dodge, and [Washington?]

PUBLIC LANDS. 31

The JUDGES OF PROBATE, and JUSTICES OF THE PEACE, are now elected by the people. The Justices have no jurisdiction where the title of land is in dispute, nor where the sum claimed exceeds fifty dollars.

A DELEGATE TO CONGRESS is elected every two years, who is entitled to a seat in the House of Representatives, and the privilege of speaking, but has no right to vote on any question.

An ATTORNEY, and MARSHAL, are appointed by the President, for the term of four years, unless sooner removed: and the Legislature have created the offices of Treasurer, Auditor, and Superintendent of public property.

WISCONSIN has now a population sufficient to entitle her to claim an admission into the Union, as an independent State, on an equal footing with the other original States; that population being fixed by the ordinance of 1787, at sixty thousand; but the people are so well satisfied with their present situation, that very little interest is felt on this subject. Governor Doty has, on two occasions, issued his proclamation requesting the people, at their general election, to vote for or against a State Government—but very few of the people have taken the trouble to express their views on the subject in this way. It is probable, however, that this state of things will not last long, and Wisconsin will soon take her place among the glorious Thirteen.

There are three Land Offices in Wisconsin, for the disposal of public or government lands; at Milwaukee, Mineral Point and Green Bay.

500,000 acres of land to be given upon [demand?] [Ind.?] Sept. 1824 at not was taken in [presence?] of law, and vote against a [state?] government.

32 PUBLIC LANDS.

The Milwaukee Land District includes all the land from range number nine east, to Lake Michigan; and from the Illinois State line, to town ten, inclusive; and also towns eleven and twelve, in the ranges number twenty, twenty-one and twenty-two. The first public sale at this office, was held in the early part of the year 1839, and the amount of money received was nearly half a million of dollars.

The GREEN BAY Land District includes all the country north of the Milwaukee District, and the first public sale was in 1835.

The MINERAL POINT District lies west of the Milwaukee District, extending to the Mississippi river, and including all the "Mineral Lands." The first sales at Mineral Point also took place in the year 1835.

The following table shows the amount of land sold in Wisconsin. It is made from the reports of the Commissioner of the General Land Office, at Washington.

[Table of the amount of land sold by years and acres from 1835 to 1845]

PUBLIC LANDS. 33

Wisconsin has, therefore, contributed THREE & 1/2 MILLIONS OF DOLLARS for the support of the General Government, from this item alone.

The public lands in Wisconsin are, as elsewhere in the west, surveyed into townships, six miles square each, and subdivided into sections of one mile square or six hundred and forty acres. The townships are numbered from the base line, which is the south line of the Territory, and the ranges of townships are numbered east and west, from a line in the Mineral Point District running between the counties of Grant and Iowa, called the fourth principal meridian. Thus, Milwaukee is said to be in township number seven north, and in range number twenty-two east; and Cassville is in township number three north, and in range number five west of the fourth principal meridinn. The sections in each township are numbered from one to thirty-six, beginning at the northeast, corner, and running west to number six; then back to number twelve, and so on alternately, as is more clearly illustrated in the following figure.

The section numbered sixteen, is in all cases reserved for the use of schools in the township.

Land mostly [where?] for [sectional?] [was?] as indents by the entry of [small?] [at?] of 5255 entries made at Mil. in 1845 no less than 4159 were for [illegible] not exceeding 40 acres and 664 of 80 acres- Only 442 exceeded 80 acres