Mr. Barber moved the following amendment to the amendment; strike out all after the word "appears" and insert the following words: That Theophilus La Chappelle is entitled to a seat in this House. And pending the question thereon a motion was made by Mr. Whiton that the resolution and amendments be laid on the table, and the question being put it was determined in the affirmative. And the ayes and noes being called for, Those who voted in the affirmative, are, Messrs. Barber, Batchelder, Bond, Brazelton, Brown, Burt, Darling, Dewey, Eastman, Ellis, Hackett, Jenkins, Ogden, Parkison, Ray, Rockwell, Shepard, Sutherland, Tripp, Whiton, and Newland, speaker.-21 Those who voted in the negative, are, Messrs. Giddings, Gray, and Mills.-3. And then the House adjourned until half past 2 o'clock, P. M. HALF PAST 2 O'CLOCK, P. M. On motion of Mr. Parkison, A call of the House was made, and the sergeant-at-arms sent to notify the absent members that their attendance was required in the House. Several members that had been sent for having taken their seats, the further call of the House was dispensed with. A message from the Council by their Secretary: Mr. Speaker-The Council have concurred in the amendment of this House to bill No. 6, entitled "a bill to incorporate the trustees of the Platteville Academy." On motion of Mr. Brown, The House took up the following resolutions offered by him on a previous day. Resolved, That the Hon. Alfred Brunson, not having received a majority of the legal votes in the district composed of the counties of Crawford and St. Croix at the general election held in September, 1840, is not entitled to a seat in this House. Resolved, That Theophilus La Chappelle is entitled to a seat in this House as a member from the counties of Crawford and St. Croix. Mr. Brown offered the following amendment to the resolution: Resolved, That the commissioner appointed by this House to take testimony in the county of St. Croix, in relation to the contested seat of the Hon. Alfred Brunson, did not perform the duties assigned him in accordance with the spirit and meaning of the resolution under which he derived his authority. Which was ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Field, the counsel for the contestant, having declined opening the argument, Mr. Brigham, the counsel for the sitting member, then commenced the argument on the question pending, and having occupied most of the afternoon, gave way for a motion to adjourn. And thereupon, the House adjourned until half past 8 o'clock, P. M. HALF PAST 6 O'CLOCK, P. M. On motion of Mr. Batchelder, A call of the House was made and the Sergeant-at-arms sent to procure the attendance of absent members. Several of the members sent for having appeared, the further call of the House was dispensed with; And thereupon Mr. Brigham concluded his argument, when Wednesday, January 19, 1842. Mr. Whiton presented the petition of citizens of the county of Walworth, that an Attorney's fee bill may be established by law, to be recovered of the unsuccessful party; Which was referred to the select committee to which the subject was heretofore referred, to wit: Messrs. Mills, Dewey, and Ray. The Speaker laid before the House a communication from L. Blossom, Jr., clerk of the board of county commissioners of Milwau kee county, containing an abstract of the votes given in said county for and against the revision of county government; Which was read and laid on the table. Mr. Hackett, from the committee on Enrolled bills, reported the following to be correctly enrolled, viz: "An act to incorporate the trustees of the Platteville Academy." Which was signed by the Speaker, and ordered to be presented to the President of the Council for his signature. Mr. Darling, from the committee to which the subject was referred, made the foilowing report, to wit: The committee on Corporations to whom was referred the "bill to incorporate the Farmers' and Mechanics' Association and to aid and assist in the Mechanical and Agricultaral pursuits or the country," have had the same under consideration and report: That however desirable to the stockholders and others interested in this Association may be the objects which it contemplates to accomplish, the provisions of the bill are too general and undefined in their nature, and in the opinion of your committee, confer powers upon the Association, incompatible with a prudent exercise of Legislative authority. Its operations will directly interfere and compete with, if not control, the exertions of individuals, by enabling a company with immense capital and resources, to engross private business and crush individual enteprise. The committee believe that the objects proposed by the bill, may be accomplished in the usual manner, under the present laws of the Territory.-But if it be deemed that our laws are insufficient to enable our citizens to carry on the ordinary operations of business, they believe that the passage of some general law upon the subject, that would confer upon our citizens, equal privileges, would be far preferable to the multiplication of acts of special favors or exclusive privileges. The bill gives no guarantee to the public that their interests will be better secured by a soulless corporation than by association of citizens individually responsible for all their acts to their fellow men. In its nature, your committee cannot regard it as an incorporation of public utility, tending to confer upon community any peculiar advantages, but a charter of undefined powers and susceptible of equivocal consturction. It will be perceived that in addition to the $500,000 capital of the company, the bill authorises the employment of an equal additional amount in carrying on any of its unrestricted operations; and your committee suggest whether, the exercise of this immense double capital, by a company unlimited and unrestricted as would be established by this bill, could not, and would not control our trade and commerce-speculate in our minerals-traffic in our lands-deal unlimitedly in loans, discounts and exchange, and in fact, almost control our destinies. For aught your committee can conceive, this bill may under the more modern mode of construeing charters, confer Banking, with its other unrestricted powers, and carry on to any amount this most objectionable form of that branch of business:-For although the bill itself does not in so many words express the authority for borrowing and loaning money, the exposition of its friends as made to the committee, proposes this as one of the prominent objects of the institution. Now your committee submit, whether this institution like its kindred neighbors would not immediately put in circulation a sdrafts and certificates in "just such shape as the receiver might wish.” In all these operations what guarantee have the public, or even the Farmers and Mechanics for whose exclusive benefit the institution is proposed to be established, that their interests would be protected? Suppose that in some of the ambitious schemes which the unrestrained powers and immense resources of the company might enable it to engage in, it should meet with disaster and misfortune, and finally fail under its speculations, where would then be the interests of those important classes? The difficulty of so guarding charters of this kind as to protect the public interests and confine them to the legitimate purposes of their creation, constrains your committee to express their doubts of the propriety of any unnecessary multiplication of such charters. With these views they recommend the adoption of the subjoined resolution, and ask to be discharged from the further consideration of the subject. All which is respectfully submitted by the committee. M. C. DARLING, Chairman. Resolved, That the further consideration of the bill to incorporate the Farmers' and Mechanics' Association, and to aid and assist in the mechanical and agricultural pursuits of the country, be indefinitely postponed. The report and resolution were read, and on motion of Mr. Shepard, were ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Burt moved that the resolution to discharge the select committee from the further consideration of the report and memorial of a Railroad convention, offered by Mr. Rockwell, be now taken up and considered; which motion being put was decided in the negative. Mr. Mills gave notice that on a future day he should, by leave, introduce a bill to amend the act concerning Justices of the Peace. The House then proceeded to consider the special order of the day, being the contested election from the counties of Crawford and St. Croix. When Mr. Burnett concluded the argument for the sitting member. And then the House adjourned until half past 2 o'clock, P. M. HALF PAST 2 O'CLOCK, P. M. Mr. Mills, by unanimous consent, presented the account of N. T. Parkison, for services as sheriff in executing process in certain Territorial suits; which was referred to the committee on Public Expenditures. A message from the Council by their Secretary: "Mr. Speaker:-The Council have passed a bill, No. 7, entitled "a bill to provide for the relief of purchasers of canal lands;" in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of this House." Mr. Field then concluded the argument for the contestant; When the House adjourned. Thursday, January 20, 1842. On motion of Mr. Burt, Resolved, That the committee on the Judiciary be instructed to inquire into the expediency of so amending an act, entitled an act for |