No. 6.

A MEMORIAL

To Congress to extend the jurisdiction of Justices of the Peace. To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled:

The memorial of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Wisconsin respectfully represents to your honorable bodies, That by the act of Congress of the United States organizing the said Territory, entitled "An act establishing the Territorial Govern. ment of Wisconsin," approved April 20th, 1836, it is provided, in the ninth section of said act, "that justices of the peace shall not have jurisdiction of any matter of controversy where the debt or sum claimed exceeds fifty dollars." Your memorialists would state that the cheap and expeditious administration of justice in the Territory is greatly retarded in consequence of the jurisdiction of justices of the peace being limited to so small a sum in such cases, and that such limitation of the jurisdiction of justices of the peace is a source of great and unnecessary expense and trouble to suitors in obtaining their just rights, by compelling them to seek their legal remedy, where the debt or sum claimed to be due exceeds fifty dollars, in the United States District Court of the United States of the Territory, which is burdensome to the people and a great hinderance to the due administration of justice. Your memorialists would further represent, that the collection of debts and the equitable administration of justice would be greatly facilitated, and the expense attending the same greatly decreased, by extending the jurisdiction of justices of the peace in the Terri tory to one hundred dollars, and that no evil or prejudice would arise to parties by such extension of their jurisdiction. Your memorialists would, therefore, pray your honorable bodies to amend

the said act so as to extend the jurisdiction of justices of the peace in this Territory, where the debt, damages or sum claimed to be due shall not exceed the sum of one hundred dollars; and your memorialists, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

Joint Resolutions of the two Houses.

Resolution relative to settlement of the accounts of the Agent appointed to procure and superintend the publication of the Revised Statutes of Wisconsin..

Resolved, by the Council and House of Representatives, That a committee of two from each House be appointed to examine the accounts of Edward V. Whiton, appointed by the Legislative As. sembly to superintend the publication of the laws of the Territory; that said committee ascertain the amount of money received by him and the amount disbursed, and report the same to the two Houses, respectively.

Joint resolution relating to printing reports and other documents, made to both Houses.

Resolved, by the Council and House of Representatives, That whenever any report of a joint committee, or other documents, shall be presented to both Houses of the Legislative Assembly; the House first acting upon the same, if it shall be thought neces sary to have it printed, shall order a sufficient number of copies for both branches, and shall immediately inform the other House of its action upon the subject.

Resolution relative to the committees on Public Buildings. Resolved, by the Council and House of Representatives, That the select committees, in both branches, to which were referred so much of the Governor's message as relates to the Public Buildings, be constituted a joint committee on the Public Buildings; and that all matters referred to them by either branch be acted on jointly, and reports made to both Houses of the Legislative As. sembly.

Resolution relating to the election of Canul Commissioners, and filling vacancies that may exist in the board of visitors of the University of Wisconsin.

Resolved, by the Council and House of Representatives, That the two Houses of the Legislative Assembly meet on the 11th instant, at 3 o'clock, P. M., for the purpose of electing, on joint ballot, three Canal Commissioners, and filling vacancies that may exist in the board of visitors of the University of Wisconsin.

Joint Resolutions calling upon the Secretary of the Territory for certain information.

It being provided by the third section of an act of Congress, entitled "An act respecting the government of the Territorics of the United States north-west and south of the river Ohio," ap proved May 8, 1792, that the official duties of the Secretaries of the said Territories shall be under the control of Legislative authority; therefore, be it

Resolved, by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Wisconsin, That the Secretary of the Territory be requested to communicate to the Assembly immediate answers to the following enquiries, to wit:

Have you, in accordance with the act of Congress establishing this Territory, and under the third section of that act prescribing the duties of the Secretary, recorded and preserved the laws and proceedings of the Legislative Assembly?

Have you, in accordance with the same act, recorded all the acts and proceedings of the Governor in his executive department? And have you transmitted, annually, on or before the 1st Monday of December in each year, one copy of the laws and one copy of the executive proceedings to the President of the United States; and two copies of the laws to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, for the use of Congress?

And further, that he be requested to communicate fully upon each of the two first mentioned enquiries, stating the particular manner in which the same has been done; whether in books prepared for the purpose or not, or whether the record is merely an abstract, or a complete transcript of the proceedings: and, generally, to state such matters in relation to the performance of the duties of his office, as will enable this House to judge whether the same have been performed according to law.

Resolved, That the chief clerk of the House of Representatives do furnish the Secretary [with] a copy of these resolutions, immediately after their passage.

Joint resolution tendering thanks to the Hon. E. V. Whiton. Resolved, by the Council and House of Representatives, Tha: the thanks of the Legislative Assembly are due, and are hereby tendered to the Hon. E. V. Whiton, for the able, satisfactory, and economical manner in which he has performed his duties as agent to prepare for the press, and to procure the publication of, the Re. vised Statutes of the Territory.

Communications

Relative to the Territorial Printing.

ENQUIRER OFFICE,

Madison, Dec. 9, 1839.

To the Hon. William A. Prentiss, James R. Vineyard, Morgan L. Martin, Charles C. Sholes, Joseph H. D. Street, and Augustus Story, committee, &c.

GENTLEMEN-I had the honor to receive, on Saturday last, your note informing me that you had been appointed a committee, on the part of the Legislative Assembly, "to call on the several printers at the seat of governmert, to make inquiries, and report to the Legislative Assembly such information in relation to the price of labor, materials, &c., as will enable the Assembly to determine as to the proper compensation to be allowed for the printing of the Legislative Assembly."

I am well aware that there is a general desire on the part of the people of the Territory to have the subject of the prices hitherto paid for printing enquired into by their legislators, and, if possible, in future have the Territorial printing done at lower rates. I was last year appointed by the Legislative Assembly to do the incidental printing, with an implied understanding that I should be paid the same price that had previously been paid for Territorial printing. Near the close of the session, however, when the question came up for allowing my demand, several of the honorable members were opposed to voting an appropriation to pay my demand, because they conceived the price charged to be too high. To avoid a similar difficulty, the present season, I have taken some pains to collect such information respecting the price paid for printing by Congress, and by several states, and the prices paid to journeymen at different places, as I think will enable the Legislative Assembly to fix upon a proper price to be paid for public printing in this Ter ritory in future.