Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-04-24
RETR0SPECTION,
A Glance Backward Over the Work
Performed by the Legis-
lature.
over One Thousand Bills Introduced.
Several Hundred of " hich
Are Passed.
Election of Colonel Villas To the Senate
Repeal of Bennett
Law.
Re-apportionment and Other Notable
Labors Performed by the Body
Summary of the Session.

The Legislative session of 1891 the 4Otl
numerically - is practically at an end
The transaction of all active business
ceases tomorrow, but the formal termina
ton of the session does not occur till Sat
urday, April %. At that time the session
will have been exactly l02 days in length
The session of 1889 was 101 days long, bu
the most protracted continuous session il
the history of the state was that of 1853
which lasted l25 days The first session
in 1S4S, was IS days long. The shortest
session on record was that of 1850, which
was only "a days long.
The legislature of 1891 is remarkable fuI
several reasons. in the first place it pos.
SeSseS a democratic majority in each
branch in the senate and 3S in the as
sembly-and the executive department OF
the government is also democratic. This
is the first time such a combination has
existed in Wisconsin for nearly 10 years.
Then, too, it was called upon to elect a
United States senator and to make both a
congressional and Legislative reapportion-
ment of the state. 1t put itself ON record
as against the free coinage of silver,
among other acts of an incidental charac
ter
MOST IMPORTANT WORK DONE.
In general way its most important ac,
complishments may be noted as follows:
The election of William F. Villas Cdem. J
to the United States senate, to succeed
John &. Spooner, by unanimous vote on
the part of the majority, which had like
wise conferred a unanimous nomination
on him in caucus.
The reapportionment of the state into
10 congressional and l33 Legislative dis
tricts.
Tie abolition of the state board of su-
pervisiOn and the state board of charities
and reform and the creation of a new
state board of control of six members to
perform the duties of the other two
The repeal of the so-called Bennett law
and the enactment of compulsory school
statute to take its place.
years of one-tenth of one mill to aid the
state university This will make a fuad
of about S57 500 per year
The enactment of a stringent child labor
law, which prohibits the employment of
children under II years of age in factories,
places of amusement, etc.
The investigation of the Sturgeon Bay
Ship Canal company.
Hhn +l,,t
icies shall be uniform.
The creation of two additional judicial
circuits.
The acceptance of the war tax to be re,
funded and its distribution, chiefly among
the several educational funds.
Requiring the destruction of ballots i'm
mediately after election.
Permitting the land commissioners and
the governor to settle the states claim
against the ex-state treasurers.
Appropriating $50, 500 to the veterans
home at Waupaca.
NOTABLE MEASURES THAT FAILED.
Among the more notable propositions
which failed may be enumerated the
following:
To enact law making railway corpora
tiOns liable for injuries to employees through
the car elessness or negligence of cO-em.
ployes.
To abolish the Office of dairy and food
commissioner, of state veterinarian, OF
state treasury agent and of insurance COM
missioner.
The abolition of the present system OF
game wardens and the creation of the
office Of chief game waId den
To secure more careful regulation OF
the practice of medicine.
To reduce railway passenger rates to
cents per mile
To permit 6ve-sixths of jury to give a
lawful verdict in civil cases.
To forbid the granting of railway passes
TO public officials.
To authorize the semi annual collection
of taxes.
To make sherlffs eligible to re-elec,
ton.
To empower the governor to appoint a
commissioner to determine the value OF
the railway property of the state with a
view TO obtaining more taxes from the
companies.
Giving the governor power to appoint
the superintendent of ia, m institutes.
LAWS ENACTED.
Among the most important laws enact.
ed, aside from those mentioned aDove. are
the following
Giving the governor power to fI the
offices of railroad and insurance commits
sioner when vacancies occur.
Making AZ per cent the minimum rate
of interest on state trust funds
Empowering married female lawyers %
act as assIgnees, receivers and court com.
n.issioners
Permitting guardians to liquidate the
debts of wards.
Creating the 10th judicial circuit out Of
the counties of Lincoln, Marathon and
Oneida.
incorporating the cities of Chetek.
Greenwood, Brodhead, Tomahawk, Colby
and Phillips
Giving Milwaukee a second superior
court Judge.
Permitting female lawyers, married or
otherwise, 10 act as court commissioners.
Providing that when a man dies leaving
no widow or minor children, his home
stead shall be subject TO the payment of
debts
Creating municipal courts in the coun-
ties of Douglas, Langlade and Polk, and
a secocd one In Barron county.
FxiI tle price for ranscribing testi-
Incny N circuit courts at 10 cents per
folio.
Giving justice court jurors four cents
mileage
Reducing the rate of interest on tax
sale certificates from 25 to u per cent.
Compelling registers of probate to keep
their Office at the county seat
Giving county judges 3 per day for ex-
amining as to the sanity Of persons.
Prescribing the method Of accepting be-
quests to the university.
Fixing telephone license fees at 3 per
cent OF the gross earnings.
Changing the boundaries Of towns in
Forest county.
Enabling the drainage of Waukesha and
Racine counties to be completed.
Providing better safeguards for work
Men In factories -etc.
Providing for the punishment of the
owners of vicious dogs.
Eerbldding quail shooting In Walworth.
Rock, Jefferson, Waukesha, Racine and