RESOLVES PASSED BY THE Legislative Assembly. 1 Resolutions in relation to the business of the Legislature. Resolved by the Senate and Assembly, That the revision and compilation of the laws be completed at the present session of the legislature. That the commissioners appointed to revise the laws, be requested to complete the revision of that portion of the Statutes which they had intended to report upon at the present session, and that they report the same to the legislature as soon as convenient. That said commissioners be requested immediately after making such report, to collate and arrange all the general laws now in force in this state, which have not been revised, and to suggest such amendments as may occur to them to be necessary. That immediately upon the close of the present session, one of said commissioners, to be designated by them, be requested to superintend the printing, in book form, of all the general laws of this state, compare the proof sheets thereof, and make a full and complete index thereto. That inasmuch as the revision and compilation of the laws is by far the most important work of the present session, the senate and assembly do devote the whole of the forenoon of each day, after the reading of the journal, to the consideration of the same, whenever any portion of it shall be in readiness to be acted upon, and that the general orders of the day be postponed to the afternoon session. That the joint committee to whom was referred the reports of the revisers, be authorized to absent themselves from the afternoon sessions, and that they be requested to bring the work of the revisers before the legislature as speedily as possible. That the work of the revisers be acted upon in chapters, as reported by them, and that the same be passed through the ordinary steps of legislation, and be placed in the hands of the enrolling Chap. 1. Chap. 2. Chap. 3. committees, but that said committee shall not present the same to the governor for his signature, until the whole shall have passed. HARRISON C. HOBART, Speaker of the Assembly. WM. M. DENNIS, President of the Senate, pro tem. Approved, February 6, 1849. NELSON DEWEY. Resolutions relative to Slavery and the Slave trade. Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of Wisconsin, That our senators in congress be, any they are hereby instructed, and our representatives requested: First, To oppose the passage of any act for the government of New Mexico and California, or any territory now belonging to the United States, or which may hereafter be acquired, unless it shall contain a provision forever prohibiting the introduction of slavery or involuntary servitude into said territories, except as a punishment for crimes. Second, To oppose the admission of any more slave states into the Federal Union. Third, To exert their influence to procure the repeal of all laws sustaining slavery and the slave trade in the District of Columbia, or in any other place under the control of the national government, and to secure the passage of laws prohibiting slavery and the slave trade in all places under the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government. Resolved, That his excellency, the governor, is hereby requested immediately to forward a copy of the foregoing resolutions to each of our senators and representatives in congress, to be by them laid before congress. HARRISON C. HOBART, Speaker of the Assembly. JOHN E. HOLMES, Lt. Governor and President of the Senate. Adopted by the legislature, February 8, 1849. NELSON DEWEY. Joint Resolutions relative to Seals. Resolved, (the senate concurring) That a select committee of two from the assembly and one from the senate be appointed to examine the several seals which have been engraved and delivered to the secretary of state, in pursuance of a joint resolution relative to seals, approved August 12, 1848, and if said seals be approved by said committee, the secretary of state be, and he is hereby di rected to deliver the same to the several officers properly entitled to the custody of them. HARRISON C. HOBART, Speaker of the Assembly. J. E. HOLMES, Lt. Governor and President of the Senate. Approved, February 17, 1849. NELSON DEWEY. Joint Resolutions relative to salaries of officers of the University, and in Chap. 4. relation to approving of the proposed site and plan of the University buildings. Resolved, by the Senate and Assembly of the State of Wis consin, That the salaries of the officers of the University, as determined by the board of regents and submitted to the legislature, be, and the same are hereby approved. Resolved, That the site selected by said regents for the erection of the University buildings, and the plan of the buildings submitted by said regents to the legislature, be, and the same are hereby approved. HARRISON C. HOBART, J. E. HOLMES, Lt. Governor and President of the Senate. Approved, February 22, 1849. NELSON DEWEY. Joint Resolutions relative to a proposed amendment to the constitution of Chap. 5. the United States, concerning the election of Senators in congress. Whereas, It is more in accordance with our republican institutions to give to the people the power of electing all officers of government, as far as practicable: Therefore Resolved, That our senators in congress be instructed, and our represenatives requested to propose, in congress an amendment to the constitution of the United States, to the effect that the people, instead of the the legislatures of the several states, shall hereafter elect their senators in congress by general ticket. HARRISON C. HOBART, Speaker of the Aessmbly. J. E. HOLMES, Lt. Governor and President of the Senate. Approved, March 10, 1849. NELSON DEWEY. Chap. 6. Joint Resolutions relative to a proposed amendment to the constitution of the United States, concerning Postmasters. Whereas, It is more in accordance with our republican institutions to give the people the power of election of all officers of government, as far as practicable: Therefore Resolved, That our senators in congress be instructed and our representatives requested, to propose in congress such an amendment to the constitution of the United States, as will confer upon the people the power of electing all postmasters. HARRISON C. HOBART, JOHN E. HOLMES, Lt. Governor and President of the Senate. Passed the legislature of the state of Wisconsin, March 20, 1849. Chap. 7. Joint Resolutions relative to the Public Lands. Resolved, by the Senate and Assembly of the State of Wisconsin: That the toleration and protection by the government of the monopoly of the soil in this country, is greatly to be deplored, and we believe it inexpedient and unjust for our national government to dispose of the public domain to any persons except actual settlers. Resolved, That our senators in congress be and they hereby are instructed and our representatives requested, to use all their influence to secure the passage of a law transferring to the several states all public lands lying within the same, on condition that the said lands shall be conveyed to actual settlers only, and in limited quantities, for a price not exceeding cost and transfer; and for the survey of lands lying in the territories, into lots suitable for farming or village purposes, and the conveyance of the same to actual settlers only, and in limited quantities free of cost. Resolved, That the governor is hereby requested, immediately upon the passage of these resolutions, to forward a copy to each of our senators and representatives in congress. HARRISON C. HOBART, Lt. Governor and President of the Senate. NELSON DEWEY. Chap. 8. Joint Resolution relative to the Military Reserve at Fort Winnebago, Resolved, by the Senate and Assembly: That our representatives in congress are hereby requested, and our senators instructed, to use their exertions to procure the passage of a law making a grant of the Military Reserve at Fort Winnebago to this state, for the purpose of aiding in the erection of a penitentiary. Resolved, That the governor is requested to furnish each of our senators and representatives with a copy of this resolution, as soon as passed. HARRISON C. HOBART, Speaker of the Assembly. J. E. HOLMES, Lt. Governor and President of the Senate. Approved, March 31, 1849. NELSON DEWEY. Joint Resolutions, instructing the Hon. Isaac P. Walker, to resign his seat Chap. 9. as United States Senator. Resolved, by the Senate and Assembly of the State of Wisconsin, That the course of Hon. I. P. Walker, one of the senators of this state in the congress of the United States, in presenting and voting for an amendment to the general appropriation bill, providing for a government in California and New Mexico, west of the Rio Grande, which did not contain a provision forever prohibiting the introduction of slavery or involuntary servitude, in said territories, has violated his oft repeated, as well as his solemn written pledge, given before his election, on that subject, and outraged the feelings and misrepresented those who elected him to that station; and has openly violated the instructions, contained in the resolutions passsd by this body on the subject of slavery, at its present session: Therefore Resolved, That Mr. Walker is hereby instructed to immediately resign his seat in the United States senate. Resolved, That the Hon. Henry Dodge, our other senator, in voting against the proposition of Mr. Walker, as he did, on the 20th February last, has represented the views and wishes of his constituents on that subject, for which we express to him our most cordial approval of his course. Resolved, That the governor is requested to forward a copy of the foregoing resolutions to the the president of the senate, and each of our senators and representatives in congress. HARRISON C. HOBART, Speaker of the Assembly. JOHN E. HOLMES, Lt. Governor and President of the Senate. Passed the legislature of the state of? Wisconsin, March 31, 1849. NELSON DEWEY. |