and Saturdays, went via Prairieville, Whitewater, Fort Atkinson, Madison, Blue Mounds, Dodgeville, Mineral Point, Platteville and Hazel Green, lodging at Madison and Mineral Point.

Another line left Whitewater tri-weekly, via Milton, Janesville and Beloit for Rockford, where it connected with the Galena and Chicago daily line of stages.

Another tri-weekly line ran from Milwaukee for New Berlin, Vernon, Mukwonago and Troy, returning every alternate day, forming a daily line between Milwaukee and Troy.

Another tri-weekly line ran from Milwaukee via Oak Creek, Racine, and Southport to Chicago, returning alternate days.

At Madison, connection was made with a stage line to Fort Winnebago, and at Platteville with another to Prairie du Chien.

There were other less important lines in different parts of the Territory.

On the 6th of April, Milwaukee was visited with the most disastrous conflagration which it had ever experienced. The fire broke out in a small wooden building opposite the Cottage Inn, and spread with frightful rapidity, burning down two entire squares before its progress was arrested. The Cottage Inn, and every other building between Michigan and Huron streets, except a barn and two or three small tenements, were destroyed by the fire.

It was a serious calamity for Milwaukee in its infancy, and many of its citizens sustained very severe losses. Most of the buildings were of wood, and Milwaukee had reached that state of progress and prosperity that the demands of its business required the erection of more imposing and commodious structures.

CHAPTER XXVII.

TERRITORY OF WISCONSIN 1846.

The last half of the tenth year of the tutelage which commenced with the organization of the Territorial government in 1836, furnished unmistakable evidence that a decided majority of the hundred thousand or more of its inhabitants were now disposed to exchange their dependent relations to a distant paternal government, for the responsibilities and the anticipated advantages of an independent sovereignty as a State in the Union of States.

The existence of this disposition had been officially demonstrated by a direct vote of the electors in April, and the "shadow of the coming event" was so distinctly discernible early in the year that a superficial observer could not fail to see it, so that the important preliminary laws were enacted both by Congress and the Territorial Legislature for the creation of a State government.

The radical and important changes in the political condition of the inhabitants of Wisconsin, which were felt to be so certain to occur during the year 1846, gave to the anticipated events of the year a significant interest.

At the first session of the Twenty-ninth Congress, which commenced in December, 1845, an act commonly called an "enabling act," was passed, which authorized the people of the Territory

"To form a constitution and State government for the purpose of being admitted into the "Union on an equal footing with the original States in all respects whatsoever, by the name of the State of Wisconsin, with the following boundaries:"

The entire boundaries are particularly described, and are the same as subsequently adopted in the constitution and as now exist.

The unjust exercise of its power by the National Government, in violation of the rights guaranteed to the "Fifth State" by the ordinance of 1787, while Wisconsin had no voice with which to protest, seconded by the greed of Illinois for an unwarranted extension of her northern boundary, and her adverse occupancy for twenty-eight

years of 7,500 square miles of our Territory, closed the door to all controversy over our southern boundary.

The concession by Congress to Michigan of the Northern Peninsula, in consideration of the release by her to Ohio of the territory in dispute between those states, prevented any controversy in relation to our northeastern boundary. But upon the northwest, the territorial rights of the Fifth State under the Ordinance of 1787, as far as the Mississippi River to its head waters in Itasca Lake, were clear and undisputed, and had been impaired by no previous action of Congress. To have extended its northwestern boundary to the extreme limit to which Wisconsin was entitled, would have given her all that part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi, extending west to about the 95th degree of longitude, and intersecting the boundary line of the British possessions near where it leaves the Lake of the Woods in latitude forty-nine degrees.

It was however the policy of Congress - at least of the non-slaveholding states, which were now in a majority-to provide for a "Sixth State" out of the old Northwest Territory, supplemented by a small part of the "Louisiana Territory."

To accomplish this object it was provided in the enabling act that the boundary after passing through Lake Superior to the mouth of the St. Louis River, should follow

Up the main channel of said river to the first rapids in the same above the Indian village, according to Nicollett's map; thence due south to the main branch of the St. Croix River; thence down the main channel of said river to the Mississippi."

The enabling act extended the laws of the United States over the State of Wisconsin, provided for a district court, a judge, marshal and attorney, and that the State should be entitled to two representatives in Congress.

It submitted to the convention which should assemble for the purpose of forming a constitution the following propositions, which if accepted by the convention and ratified by an article in the constitution, should be obligatory on the United States, viz.:

First. That section sixteen in every township should be granted to the State for the use of schools.

Second. That the seventy-two sections set apart for a University by the act of June 12, 1838, are granted to the State solely for the use and support of such University. Third.

That ten sections be granted to the State for the purpose of completing the public buildings, or for the erection of others at the seat of government of the State.

Fourth. That all salt springs in the State not exceeding twelve, with six sections of land adjoining or as contiguous as may be to each, be granted to the State.

Fifth. That five per cent. of the net proceeds of sales of all public lands lying within the State, shall be paid to the State for the purpose of making public roads and canals in the

same.

These five propositions were on the condition that the constitution or an irrevocable ordinance should provide that the State should never interfere with the primary disposal of the soil within the same by the United States, that no tax should be imposed on lands, the property of the United States, and that in no case should non-resident proprietors be taxed higher than residents.

The parsimoniousness of Congress in the matter of appropriations to promote the welfare and prosperity of the Territory was well calculated to increase the feeling in favor of a change from a Territorial to a State government.

A bill passed both houses of Congress making appropriation for the improvement of rivers and harbors, which included the more important harbors on Lake Michigan but the veto of President POLK prevented it from becoming a law.

A bill was reported in the House appropriating $25,000 to aid in the construction of roads, but it did not become a law. It distributed the appropriations as follows: Milwaukee and Fond du Lac road $4,000; Milwaukee and Madison $4,000; Beloit to Winnebago $4,000; Racine and Madison $3,000; Green Bay and Fond du Lac $2,000; Green Bay and Chicago $4,000; Sheboygan and Fox River $2,000; and Platteville and Potosi $2,000.

The Delegate in Congress was Hon. MORGAN L. MARTIN, who resided at Green Bay, and had always as a member of the Territorial Legislature, and by his unofficial actions, manifested a deep interest in the improvement of the navigation of the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers.

An act was passed at this session, the result, it was believed, in a great measure of the active efforts of the Delegate, which granted to the State on its admission into the Union, for the purpose of improving the navigation of these rivers, and connecting them by a canal; every alternate section of land, for three sections in width, on each side of the said Fox River and the lakes through which it passes, and of the canal.

Complaints were made that this grant was obtained at

the cost of the neglect of other interests by the Delegate. But there is no evidence of any foundation for such complaints.

The appropriation for salaries of United State officers of the Territory were the same as usual, but that for the Legislative expenses was only $13,700.

An act was passed giving to the Surveyor-General of Wisconsin and Iowa the same annual salary as the other Surveyors-General, and the same amount for clerk hire as the Surveyor-General northwest of the Ohio. The effect of this was to increase the amount of salary and clerk hire from $3,100 to $8,300.

The act for the relief of the Stockbridge tribe of Indians, approved March 3, 1843, was repealed, and the tribe or nation was restored to its ancient form of government. The repealing act provided for giving to such of the Indians as chose to become citizens, their proportion of the Indian land in severalty, and that the remainder of the land should be held in common by the remainder of the tribe.

The only other act passed at this session of Congress especially affecting the interests of the people of the Territory was one

"To authorize the President to sell the reserved mineral lands in the States of Illinois and Arkansas and the Territories of Wisconsin and Iowa supposed to contain lead ore."

The fourth annual session of the fourth Legislative Assembly commenced at Madison on the 5th day of January, 1846.

In the Council but one change from the previous year had occurred. Mr. RAY, of Milwaukee county, had resigned, and Mr. CURTIS REED was elected in his place.

In the House more than half the members had resigned and new ones elected to fill the vacancies.

In Brown county ELISHA MORROW Succeeded Mr. Fowler. In the district composed of Rock and Walworth, all the members, being Messrs. FIELD, MILLS, THOMAS, and MOORE resigned, and Messrs. WARNER EARL, GAYLORD GRAVES, and CALEB CROSWELL, of Walworth county, and Mr. IRA JONES, of Rock county, took their places.

In Racine county Messrs. MCCLELLAN and NORTHWAY gave place to Messrs. ANDREW B. JACKSON and JULIUS WOOSTER.