The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-04-13
WORK OF THE SESSION.

| Legislature OF Wisconsin,, adJurned SINE
die at II o'clock Friday noon, after a
session of eighty days. The average for
she past thirteen years has been sixty
seven.
There were introduced in the Senate
444 bills, of which 130 became laws; 80
joint resolutions were also introduced in
this body; % resolutions; memorials to
Congress and 81 memorials and petitions.
In the Assembly, 4S4 bills were intro
duced, 200 of them became laws; 33 joint
resolutions; 81 resolutions, 438 memoir
ials and petitions and memorials to
Congress.
The important measures passed at this
session, may be briefly summarized as
follows:
Six new cities were incorporated, as
follows: Baraboo, Port Washington,
Monroe, Menomonie, Stoughton and
Neillsville. A large number of others
had their charters codiied and repub
lished in full, thus greatly increasing the
volume of laws over last year.
The Insurance Commissioner was CIV
en- discretionary power in the issuance
| of licenses exempting cooperative life
companies from the provisions of the
| general insurance laws of the state; here
tofore, q special act of the legislature
was required. Another act passed, pro-
vides for the revocation by the Commits
| sioner of the license of any company
which advertises to do different class of
business from what it really does.
Continuous lines of railway, of which
| it is desired to make through trunk lines
are permitted to consolidate for that
purpose. The st. Croix land grant was
| transferred from the Chicago, Portage &
Superior railway company to the st. Paul
& Omaha line, the latter agreeing to pay
$75, 900 toward meeting the claims of
| laborers on the former line, and also to
pay all expenses in the matter of settle
| ment.
A law was enacted, authorizing Racine,
Kenosha and Waukesha counties to send
all persons sentenced to the county Jail,
to the House of Correction at Milwaukee.
The fees of officers for taking persons to
| this institution were reduced to one dol
lar per commitment. Heretofore, in
Milwaukee county, prisoners who might
be sent to state prison for two years
could be committed to the House of
Correction; the law is extended, SO as to
include three-year sentences. The age
to which inmates can be forcibly detain-
ed in the industrial schools of the state
(either secular or religious) has been
fixed at eighteen years,-except in the
cases of girls committed for offenses
against chastity, who may be kept until
twenty. An act passsd, makes it allow
able to Immediately place in an insane
hospital any lunatic having tendency to
suicide, homicide or destruction of prop
erty, and swear out commitment papers
afterward.
A bill was passed, providing that the
state militia shall hold annual encamp-
ments, camp equippage to be purchased
by the state, and the men to be paid one
dollar a day in the camp for rations; the
| state is to furnish transportation to and
from encampments; armories owned by
companies are exempted from taxation;
battalions are to consist of from three to
| eight companies, and regiments of eight
or more; the maximum number of men
to be taken into camp is seventy five for
each company; the uniform fund is made
| payable on inspection returns, instead of
on encampment returns. The number
| Of authorized companies in the state was
increased from thirty to thirty FIVE. With
these changes il the state law, it only
needs the passage of the Hawk bin in
| Congress increasing the annual appro-
priation of S200,00 fixed in 1908, to
one million) to place the Wisconsin
National Guard on footing where but
little more could be desired.
Some changes were made in the school
code. The time for annual school meet
| ings in towns was fixed for the first Mon
day in June, the present time being
elective and irregular. Reports of dis
trict clerks are to be made to town clerks
in early June, and town clerks to the
county superintendent in July, and they
to the state superintendent before the
middle of August; this is to enable the
latter to get out his report before the
| first of january in time for the legis-
lature, is being now generally delayed
till the middle of April. A chief clerk
was supplied for the state superinten-
dents Office, at 81, 500 year. Life
certificates, of the same grade held by
them heretofore, are to be granted to
teachers having 81 years experience as
actual teachers. The compulsory educs-
ton law was amended so as to have
school boards sit and receive reports of
attendance and truancy from the parents,
instead of going round and hunting up
the facts, as now. The benefits of the
! free high school act were extended for
five years more, they having now been
in operation for FIVE years past.
The seduction of females under 16 years
of age, was made penitentiary offense,
with maximum imprisonment fixed at
20 years. The sale or use of toy pistols
and toy firearms generally, was prohibit
ed. So also was the Importation into the
state, of diseased swine and sheep.
Severe punishment is fixed for the Grim
inal abuse of children, by parents or
guardians; also for the abandonment of
children by their father. Provisions
were made for building levee at Lewis