Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-01-21
CProm our Special cOrrsspondent.)
THE LEGISLATURE.
short sessious-A Sober second Though -Bnis
tntroduced-stste BGssd Of Assessment
Sc Groin Land Grast-Fho
aouakhla

u@J ahOHR INC memOsrb Oh Tue Leg
islature. The capitol this afternoon
is lonesome aud dreary. But one
member can be seen in all the capi-
tol, and if were not for the noise of
the romping messenger boys, the
halls would be as lonely as grave
yard at midnight The members
haven't got down to real business
yet they are just skirmishipg. So
tar the sessions have not been more
than an hour long in either house
the Senate usually not that long
and OF course there is not much to
do. and plenty of time to go homo
and see the folks, or ran down to
Miwau kee or Chicago on passes. A
resolution was offered at the begin.
ming of the week that the LegisIat-
ure should not adjourn from Friday
mornings to Monday evenings often
er than once in two weeks, but So
Der second thought, as hey are call
cd, induced them to vote it down.
Probably in couple of weeks such
q resolution will pass both houses.
WHAT HASH BEEN DONE.
The amount Of business thus far
done is much below the amount for
the corresponding time last year.
In the Senate thirty bills have been
introduced, aud in the Assembly
thirty-seven. Among this number
the most important is Senate bill No.
8, Introduced by Senator Irish, in re.
lation to the North Wisconsin Rail
way and the St. Croix and Superior
Land Grant. The subject matter of
the bills is more important to the
people of the State than the famous
Dells bill, and will be fully as inter
esting
Another impc rtant bill is one re-
pealing the law making the Senate
State Board of Assessment. and
making the Board TO consist of the
Secretary of State. State Treasurer.
and Attorney General. The bill has
many friends, as it is believed that
these officers named could do the
work better than the entire Senate.
As the bill is of special interest l
give it in full
Section /. Section four Of chapter 1870 of
the general laws of 1863, as amended by
chapter l44 Of the general laws of 1870. emit.
tied San act to provide for the assessment of
property for taxation, and the levy of taxes
thereon" is hereby amended TO read as fol-
lows: Section A. The Secretary of State,
State Treasurer, and Attorney General shall
constitute State Board of Assessment said
board shall meet at the Capitol, in the city Of
Madi on, on the third Wednesday in Nav, i'm
the year 1874, land biennially thereafter. The
Secretary of State shal prepare and lay be-
fore said board, the latest statistics of popnla-
ton, local valuation of property, aud such
other statistical information as he NAV be able
to obtain IN relation to the several counties
in the State, as in his judgment will assist
said board in their deliberations. The board
shall carefully examine said statistics, aud
TO them. they shall determine and assess the
relative value of all the property subject to
taxation in each county in the State. They
shall set down list of all the counties afore-
said, opposite the name of each county. the
valuation thereof: 27 @@l value according ,s -
their best judgment. The list so prepared
shall be certified by the chairman and the Sec
rotary If said board, as the State assessment
made by said board, and delivered with the
journal Of the proceedings of the board to the
Secretary of State.
| am of the opinion the bill Is
more practical than the present law,
and it would pass tho Assembly
How it will fare in he Senate, | am
unable to Judge
THE IMPORTANT QUESTION.
There will be triangular fight du.
ring the session over the ST. Croix
Land Grant, which will infuse life
and interest in the session. lit was
not for that, there would not be
interest in the session to keep
the members awake.
The Grant embraces about 1900
600 acres Of timber land, mostly all
pine, and was originally made by
Congress in 1856. The object of the
Grant was to aid in building a rail,
road from the st. Croix river to Su-
perior City. with a branch to Bav-
field. The road was never built. and
the charter was repealed by the Leg.
islature. In 1870 or III a new COM
pany was formed, called the North
Wisconsin Railway COmrany, OF
Huds on; which proposes to take the
Grant, and build the road as origin
ally intended. A bill has been in
troduced iato the Senate, spoken of
above, TO carry out the intention of
the company. Now the Milwaukee
and ST Paul Railway Company in
tend to enter the field with a bill, al
so proposing to take the Grant, build |
The proposed roads, and in addition |
thereto a road from the Mississippi
river near the mouth of the Chippe.
wa, via Durand Eau Claire, andChip-
Dewa Falls-a distance of about so |
miles and also a branch from near
he mouth of the Menomonee river o
he West Wisconsin Railway, at Me-
nominee City, aboht twelve miles
Still another company is being or
yanized, ready to take the Grant and
build the roads, consisting of many
If the substatial men of the Chippe-
va and Menomooee Valleys, and
'ome other leading men 10 the State
md also some of the monied men of
he East, such as Cornell. of the Cor.
neil University, Henry w. Page
both worth their millions-who will
AXE the Grant, build The roads and
give security threfor.
The Grant has been estimated at
zen million, some place on it a higher
value than that even The pine land
covers about $4,000 acres, which
will cut on an average about 5000
feet of timber per acre. This will
make total of about 5 200 600 feet