THE TERRITORY OF WISCONSIN. AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT OF WISCONSIN.1 Be it enacted, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the third day of July next, the country included within the following boundaries shall constitute a separate Territory, for the purposes of temporary government, by the name of Wisconsin; that is to say: Bounded on the east, by a line drawn from the northeast corner of the State of Illinois, through the middle of Lake Michigan, to a point in the middle of said lake, and opposite the main channel of Green Bay, and through said channel and Green Bay to the mouth of the Menomonie river; thence through the middle of the main channel of said river, to that head of said river nearest to the Lake of the Desert; thence in a direct line, to the middle of said lake; thence through the middle of the main channel of the Montreal river, to its mouth; thence with a direct line across Lake Superior, to where the territorial line of the United States last touches said lake north 1 "The sovereignty of this section of the north-western territory is yet in the United States, and in pursuance of that clause of the Constitution giving to congress the power to dispose of, and make all needful rules and regulations respecting, the territory of the United States, the act establishing the territorial government of Wisconsin was passed. By that act a government was established or created, composed of executive, legislative and judicial branches. The governor is commander-in-chief of the militia, is to approve of laws passed by the legislature, can grant pardons, can commission officers, and shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed. The legislative power extends to all rightful subjects of legislation. But the laws of the governor and legislative assembly shall be submitted to, and if disapproved by the congress of the States, the same shall be null and of no effect. That is, the laws passed by the legislature are valid until annulled by the disapproval of congress. The judicial.power of the Territory is vested in a supreme and other courts, which possess chancery and common law jurisdiction. They are courts of record. And the district courts possess the same jurisdiction in all cases arising under the constitution and laws of the United States, as is vested in the circuit and district courts of the United States. Writs of error and appeals from the final டுகு west; thence on the north, with the said territorial line, to the White-earth river; on the west, by a line from the said boundary line following down the middle of the main channel of White-earth river, to the Missouri river, and down the middle of the main channel of the Missouri river to a point due west from the northwest corner of the State of Missouri; and on the south, from said point, due east to the northwest corner of the State of Missouri; and thence with the boundaries of the States of Missouri and Illinois, as already fixed by acts of Congress. And after the said third day of July next, all power and authority of the Government of Michigan in and over the Territory hereby constituted, shall cease: Provided, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed to impair the rights of person or property now appertaining to any Indians within the said Territory, so long as such rights shall remain unextinguished by treaty between the United States and such Indians, or to impair the obligations of any treaty now existing between the United States and such Indians, or to impair or any wise to affect the authority of the Government of the United States to make any regulations respecting such decisions of the supreme court are allowed to the supreme court of the United States in cases exceeding in amount $1,000. Hence it is apparent, that by this law, a municipal corporation, or government, is created, subject to the control of and immediately connected with the government of the United States. By virtue of its incorporation, and as a necessary means of protecting its rights in all contracts, the Territory can maintain an action in the courts within its limits. By virtue of its incorporation, all the powers and functions of a sovereignty exist subject only to the supervision and control of the general government. The officers in all branches of the government of the Territory are entitled to similar rights and privileges, and are subject to similar pains and penalties, to those of a sovereign State. And similar provisions are made for the settlement and adjustment of claims against the Territory, and for the disbursement of territorial funds, to those in existence as a sovereign State. For all necessary purposes of government, Wisconsin is a sovereignty, and should be entitled to the same immunites. It is a Territory of the United States, and is considered thereby a part of the United States or immediately connected therewith. For these reasons we come to the conclusion, that the Territory of Wisconsin cannot be sued in the courts of the Territory in the absence of express authority of law for that purpose." -The Territory of Wisconsin v. Doty and Others, 1 Pinney, 405. Indians, their lands, property, or other rights, by treaty, or law, or otherwise, which it would have been competent to the Government to make if this act had never been passed: Provided, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed to inhibit the Government of the United States from dividing the Territory hereby established into one or more other Territories, in such manner, and at such times, as Congress shall, in its discretion, deem convenient and proper, or from attaching any portion of said Territory to any other State or Territory of the United States. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the executive power and authority in and over the said Territory shall be vested in a Governor, who shall hold his office for three years, unless sooner removed by the President of the United States. The Governor shall reside within the said Territory, shall be commander-in-chief of the militia thereof, shall perform the duties and receive the emoluments of superintendent of Indian affairs, and shall approve of all laws passed by the Legislative Assembly before they shall take effect; he may grant pardons for offences against the laws of the said Territory, and reprieves for offences against the laws of the United States, until the decision of the President can be made known thereon; he shall commission all officers who shall be appointed to office under the laws of the said Territory, and shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed. SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That there shall be a Secretary of the said Territory, who shall reside therein, and hold his office for four years, unless sooner removed by the President of the United States; he shall record and preserve all the laws and proceedings of the Legislative Assembly hereinafter constituted, and all the acts and proceedings of the Governor in his executive department; he shall transmit one copy of the laws and one copy of the executive proceedings on or before the first Monday in December in each year, to the President of the United States; and at the same time, two copies of the laws to the Speaker of the House of Representa tives, for the use of Congress. And in case of the death, removal, resignation, or necessary absence, of the Governor from the Territory, the Secretary shall have, and he is hereby authorized and required to execute and perform, all the powers and duties of the Governor during such vacancy or necessary absence. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the Legislative power shall be vested in a Governor and a Legislative Assembly.1 The Legislative Assembly shall consist of a Council and House of Representatives. The Council shall consist of thirteen members, having the qualifications of voters as hereinafter prescribed, whose term of service shall continue four years. The House of Representatives shall consist of twenty-six members, possessing the same qualifications as prescribed for the members of the Council, and whose term of service shall continue two years. An apportionment shall be made, as nearly equal as practicable, among the several counties, for the election of the Council and Representatives, giving to each section of the Territory representation in the ratio of its population, Indians excepted, as nearly as may be. And the said members of the Council and House of Representatives shall reside in and be inhabitants of the district for which they may be elected. Previous to the first election, the Governor of the Territory shall cause the census or enumeration of the inhabitants of the several counties in the Territory to be taken and made by the sheriffs of the said counties, respectively, and returns thereof made by said sheriffs to the Governor. The first election shall be held at such time and place, and be conducted in such manner, as the Governor shall appoint and direct: and he shall, at the same time, declare the number of members of the Council and House of Representatives to which each of the counties is entitled under this act. "It [the Legislative Assembly] is the legislative branch of the government of this Territory, and its members are legally and inherently possessed of all such privileges as are necessary to enable them, with freedom and safety, to execute the trust reposed in them by the people who elected them."-Anderson v. Rountree, 1 Pinney, 122. The number of persons authorized to be elected having the greatest number of votes in each of the said counties for the Council, shall be declared, by the said Governor, to be duly elected to the said Council; and the person or persons having the greatest number of votes for the House of Representatives, equal to the number to which each county may be entitled, shall also be declared, by the Governor, to be duly elected: Provided, The Governor shall order a new election when there is a tie between two or more persons voted for, to supply the vacancy made by such tie. And the persons thus elected to the Legislative Assembly shall meet at such place on such day as he shall appoint;1 but, thereafter, the time, place, and manner of holding and conducting all elections by the people, and the apportioning the representation in the several counties to the Council and House of Representatives, according to population, shall be prescribed by law, as well as the day of the annual commencement of the session of the said Legislative Assembly; but no session, in any year, shall exceed the term of seventy-five days. SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That every free white male citizen of the United States, above the age of twenty * * * * * * * "The members of the legislative assembly of this Territory being elected by the people, and empowered by the organic law, to legislate on all rightful subjects of legislation, while assembled for the purpose of legislation, and for a reasonable time to go to, and return home from, the seat of government, ought to be considered in reason, and, from the nature and dignity of their office, as invested with equal immunities with the members of any other representative body. "All the statute law we have on the subject of this privilege is an act of the Territorial legislature, on page 157 of the Statutes of Wisconsin. It is there provided that ‘no member of the legislative assembly shall be liable to arrest on a service of any civil process issued by any of the courts of this Territory during any such session of the legislative assemby, or for ten days previous to the commencement or subsequent to the termination of any session; and any member in arrest during the period of such exemption shall be entitled to an immediate discharge on any application to any judge, supreme court commissioner or justice, in any county in which such an arrest may have been made.' There is no doubt but that the legislature may, in its discretion, abridge or take away a privilege of its own members."-Anderson v. Rountree, 1 Pinney, 121, 122, 123. * * * |