Tuesday, December 8, 1840.

On motion of Mr. Barber,

Ordered, That the Librarian be directed to provide suitable locks and keys for the desks of members not already furnished. On motion of Mr. Dunn,

Resolved, That Charles C. Sholes, editor of the Wisconsin Enquirer, be employed to do the incidental printing of this House. On motion of Mr. Sutherland,

Resolved, That the publishers of the different newspapers in this Territory be allowed the privilege of seats within the bar of this House for the use of their reporters.

Mr. Dunn moved that the House now proceed to the election of Speaker;

Which was agreed to.

On motion of Mr. Dewey,

Ordered, That two tellers be appointed to canvass the votes to be given for Speaker and other officers of this House.

The Speaker appointed Messrs. Dewey and Barber.

The House then proceeded to ballot for Speaker; and the votes having been taken and counted by the tellers appointed for that purpose, it appeared that tweuty-five votes had been given, and that

David Newland had received fourteen votes ;
Alfred Brunson, four;

E. V. Whiton, two;
George Batchelder, two;
M. C. Darling, one;

L. I. Barber, one :

R. H. Deming, one.

David Newland having received a majority of all, the votes, was declared to be duly elected speaker.

Ordered, That the Clerk acquaint the Council therewith.

On motion,

Messrs, Parkison and Ray were appointed a committee to con duct the Speaker to the chair.

The Speaker elect having been conducted to the chair, returned his thanks in the words following:

Gentlemen of the House of Representatives:

The honorable distinction you have now been pleased to confer upon me, places me under high and lasting obligations, which I shall ever cherish with feelings of the most lively gratitude. In the discharge of the important duties which wil! devolve upon me, in presiding over your deliberations, nothing shall be wanting on my part, save that which may arise from the want of ability. To supply this deficit, I throw myself upon the kind indulgence of the House, and invoke its aid as well as its generosity, to impute my errors to the proper source. The gravity which I behold on every countenance is a sufficient guarantee that you have placed the proper estimate upon good order and decorum. Coming as we all have, immediately from the bosoms of our constituents, it is presumed we bring with us a tolerable, if not a thorough know. ledge of their wants and wishes; which to relieve and gratify is doubtless our principal object. That our acts may redound to our country's weal, and finally be crowned by the approbation of our constituents, is unquestionably the anxious wish of all.

Gentlemen: Before taking my seat I cannot refrain from an expression of grateful thanks to you for the high honor which by your vote you have conferred upon me, and which on my part, f assure you, is duly appreciated.

On motion of Mr. Dunn,

Ordered, That seats be prepared in this hall for the members' of the Council, preparatory to the reception of the Governor's' message, and that the Clerk acquaint the Council therewith. The Council appeared and took seats.

On motion of Mr. Janes,

Resolved, That a committee of four be appointed to inform the

Governor that the two Houses have assembled in the Representa. tives' Hall, and are ready to receive any communication he may have to make to them.

Messrs. Janes, Arndt, Darling and Barber were appointed said committee.

His Excellency, the Governor was introduced, and delivered the following message:

Fellow citizens of the Council and House of Representatives:

In taking a retrospect of the past year, our most devout grati. tude is called into lively exercise to the Almighty disposer of all good for the very abundant harvests with which he has been pleased to reward the husbandman. Our citizens are developing the great agricultural resources of this Territory; the teeming earth has brought forth in great profusion all the products of the soil usually cultivated; our climate is of the most genial and salubrious char. acter, with a population, intelligent, industrious and enterprising. Our march must be onward; and the time is not far distant when Wisconsin will form one of the most wealthy and populous states of this Union.

As the members of the House of Representatives have been recently elected by the people, it is presumed they will bring with them a knowledge of the wants of their constituents, to enable them, with the Council, to enact such laws as are suited to their condition; and you may rely on my co-operation in support of such measures as have for their object the good of our constituents.

At the last annual session of the Legislative Assembly, I submitted to your consideration, and you recommended by your resolution, to the qualified electors, at the late elections for members of the House of Representatives, to determine by their own votes cast at that time, whether they were for or against the orga. nization of a State government. I am not advised that there has been any action on the part of the people of the Territory on that subject. From the recent census returns made by the United States' Marshal, it appears that Wisconsin has a population of more than thirty thousand people, and it is submitted to the repre

、sentatives of the people whether any further action should be taken at present preparatory to the formation of a State government.

In my message to the Legislative Assembly of 1838, I recommended the propriety of memorializing Congress, asking them to amend the organic law of this Territory, so that the Council may be composed of members elected every second year, and the House of Representatives, to be composed of members elected annually. This subject has received no definite action on the part of Congress. I would again respectfully recommend your memorializing Congress on that subject at the present session. From the recent returns made by the United States' Marshal, of the census of the inhabitants, it appears that the population has increased since 1838, more than twelve thousand, who have`no' representation in the Council. Taxation and representation should go together, and every qualified elector should be entitled, by law, to his voice in the selection of those who represent his interests in the Legislative Assembly. In the most populous county in this Territory there was an understanding between the electors and their candidates for the Council and House of Representatives, 7 that they were to serve, if elected, for the term of two years in the Council, and one year in the House of Representatives. The 7th section of the Organic Law of this Territory prescribes "that all township officers and all county officers, except judicial offi. cers, justices of the peace, sheriffs, and clerks of the courts, shall be elected by the people, in such manner as may be prescribed by the Governor and Legislative Assembly. The Governor shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Legis. ...lative Council, shall appoint all judicial officers, justices of the peace, sheriffs, and all militia officers not herein provided for." I would respectfully recommend to the Legislative Assembly to memorialize Congress, asking them to so amend the Organic Law of this Territory as to permit the qualified electors in each county,

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to elect all their county officers, civil and military, which are now nominated by the Governor and Legislative Assembly. The ap pointment of county officers is now made by the Executive on the recommendation of the members of the Legislative Assembly representing the different counties. It would be more satisfactory to the people to elect all their county officers; and it would be more in accordance with the spirit of our republican institutions. I have always believed the people competent to govern them. selves. The Organic Law creating the Territory of Iowa, has been so amended by Congress as to permit the qualified electors in that Territory to elect all their county officers; and no good reason can be assigned why Congress should not grant to the people of Wisconsin all the rights and privileges extended to the people of Iowa.

At the late session of the Legislative Assembly I deemed it an act of duty to submit the following communication on the subject of the Bank of Mineral Point:

"It is submitted to your consideration whether it would not be advisable to appoint commissioners by law to examine the state and condition of the Bank of Mineral Point at such times as they may deem the interests of the people to require it, and to make their reports at the commencement of each session of the Legislative Assembly. If the Bank acts in conformity with the provisions of her charter she will be interested in letting that fact be known to the public; and if she violates her provisions, the interests of the community require that legal steps should be taken to arrest a state of things so injurious to the best interests of the people."

My views, as submitted on the occasion referred to, are not changed. The 21st section of the act to incorporate the stock. holders of the Bank of Mineral Point, reads as follows:

"Be it enacted, That if the Legislative Assembly of this Territory, or the Legislative authorities which may hereafter exist in

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