8th Wisconsin Legislature
The Eighth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 10, 1855, to April 2, 1855, in regular session.
| 8th Wisconsin Legislature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| Overview | |||||
| Legislative body | Wisconsin Legislature | ||||
| Meeting place | Wisconsin State Capitol | ||||
| Term | January 10, 1855 – January 9, 1856 | ||||
| Election | November 7, 1854 | ||||
| Senate | |||||
| Members | 25 | ||||
| Senate President | James T. Lewis (R) | ||||
| President pro tempore | Eleazer Wakeley (D) | ||||
| Party control | Democratic | ||||
| Assembly | |||||
| Members | 82 | ||||
| Assembly Speaker | Charles C. Sholes (R) | ||||
| Party control | Republican | ||||
| Sessions | |||||
| |||||
This was the first Wisconsin legislature seated after the establishment of the Republican Party of Wisconsin.
Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Assemblymembers were elected to a one-year term. Assemblymembers and odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 7, 1854. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 8, 1853.[1]
Major events
- February 1, 1855: Charles Durkee elected United States Senator by the Wisconsin Legislature in Joint Session.[2]
- November 6, 1855: In the 1855 Wisconsin gubernatorial election, incumbent William A. Barstow was initially declared the winner. The election results were contested and eventually Coles Bashford, the Republican candidate, prevailed and became the next Governor of Wisconsin.
Major legislation
- March 8, 1855: Act to provide for the division of the County of Adams, and to submit the question to a Vote of the people, 1855 Act 28. The referendum passed and resulted in the creation of Juneau County from the western half of Adams County.
- March 23, 1855: Act relative to the rights of married women, 1855 Act 49. Granted married women the rights to own property and conduct business in circumstances where the husband had been negligent or otherwise irresponsible.
Party summary
Senate
Senate Partisan composition
Democratic: 13 seats
Independent: 1 seat
Republican: 11 seats
| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Free Soil | Whig | Ind. | Republican | Vacant | ||
| End of previous Legislature | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| 1st Session | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 25 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 52% | 0% | 0% | 4% | 44% | ||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 25 | 0 |
Assembly
Assembly Partisan composition
Democratic: 34 seats
Whig: 2 seats
Independent: 2 seats
Republican: 44 seats
| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Free Soil | Whig | Ind. | Republican | Vacant | ||
| End of previous Legislature | 51 | 4 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 0 |
| 1st Session | 34 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 44 | 82 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 41.46% | 0.0% | 2.44% | 2.44% | 53.66% | ||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 46 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 82 | 0 |
Sessions
- 1st Regular session: January 10, 1855 – April 2, 1855
Leaders
Senate
- President of the Senate: James T. Lewis, Lieutenant Governor
- President pro tempore: Eleazer Wakeley
Assembly
- Speaker of the Assembly: Charles C. Sholes
Members
Senate
Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the Eighth Wisconsin Legislature:
Assembly
Members of the Assembly for the Eighth Wisconsin Legislature:
| Counties | Representative | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams, Sauk | Richard H. Davis | Republican | |
| Bad Ax, Crawford | James Fisher | Democrat | |
| Brown, Door, Kewaunee | Morgan Lewis Martin | Independent | |
| Buffalo, Chippewa, La Crosse | Chase A. Stevens | Democrat | |
| Calumet | Almond Merrill | Republican | |
| Columbia | 1 | Alfred Topliff | Republican |
| 2 | William T. Whirry | Democrat | |
| Dane | 1 | Jonathan Mosher | Republican |
| 2 | William Robert Taylor | Democrat | |
| 3 | Samuel G. Abbott | Republican | |
| 4 | George P. Thompson | Democrat | |
| 5 | Levi Baker Vilas | Democrat | |
| Dodge | 1 | Solomon L. Rose | Democrat |
| 2 | John M. Sherman | Republican | |
| 3 | Narcisse M. Juneau | Democrat | |
| 4 | John D. Griffin | Democrat | |
| 5 | John B. Ribble | Democrat | |
| 6 | Fred F. Schwefel | Independent | |
| Fond du Lac | 1 | John Boyd | Democrat |
| 2 | Benjamin R. Harrington | Republican | |
| 3 | George W. Parker | Republican | |
| 4 | William H. Ebbets | Democrat | |
| Grant | 1 | Allen Taylor | Republican |
| 2 | William Hull | Democrat | |
| 3 | Noah H. Virgin | Republican | |
| 4 | William W. Field | Republican | |
| 5 | William Cole | Republican | |
| Green | Amos D. Kirkpatrick | Republican | |
| Iowa | 1 | John Love | Republican |
| 2 | Stephen P. Hollenbeck | Republican | |
| Jefferson | 1 | Patrick Rogan | Democrat |
| 2 | John Gibb | Democrat | |
| 3 | A. H. Van Norstrand | Democrat | |
| 4 | John G. Merriam | Republican | |
| 5 | Willard Grant | Republican | |
| Kenosha | 1 | Charles C. Sholes | Republican |
| 2 | Philander Judson | Republican | |
| Lafayette | 1 | Joseph White | Democrat |
| 2 | James Earnest | Democrat | |
| 3 | A. A. Townsend | Republican | |
| La Pointe, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix | Smith R. Gunn | Republican | |
| Manitowoc | James Bennett | Republican | |
| Marathon, Portage | Walter D. McIndoe | Republican | |
| Marquette, Waushara | 1 | Harvey Grant | Republican |
| 2 | Samuel R. Rood | Democrat | |
| Milwaukee | 1 | James B. Cross | Democrat |
| 2 | Jasper Vliet | Democrat | |
| 3 | I. E. Goodall | Republican | |
| 4 | Edwin De Wolf | Whig | |
| 5 | John Ruan | Democrat | |
| 6 | Edward O'Neill | Democrat | |
| 7 | Peter Lavis | Democrat | |
| 8 | Reuben Chase | Republican | |
| 9 | Frederick Moskowitt | Democrat | |
| Oconto, Outagamie, Waupaca | David Scott | Democrat | |
| Ozaukee | 1 | William H. Ramsey | Democrat |
| 2 | Henry Blazer | Democrat | |
| Racine | 1 | Thomas Falvey | Democrat |
| 2 | Alanson Filer | Republican | |
| 3 | Ebenezer Adams | Republican | |
| 4 | Caleb P. Barns | Democrat | |
| Richland | Daniel L. Downs | Democrat | |
| Rock | 1 | Nathan B. Howard | Republican |
| 2 | George H. Williston | Republican | |
| 3 | Samuel G. Colley | Republican | |
| 4 | Joseph Goodrich | Republican | |
| Sheboygan | 1 | Joseph Schrage | Republican |
| 2 | Luther H. Cary | Republican | |
| Walworth | 1 | Solmous Wakeley | Republican |
| 2 | Levi Lee | Republican | |
| 3 | Samuel Pratt | Republican | |
| 4 | Daniel Hooper | Republican | |
| 5 | Willard W. Isham | Republican | |
| 6 | George Allen | Republican | |
| Washington | 1 | Mitchell L. Delaney | Republican |
| 2 | Byron Smith | Democrat | |
| Waukesha | 1 | Alexander W. Randall | Democrat |
| 2 | Joseph Bond | Democrat | |
| 3 | Stephen Warren | Republican | |
| 4 | Benjamin F. Goss | Whig | |
| Winnebago | 1 | Ebenezer S. Welch | Republican |
| 2 | George Gary | Republican | |
Employees
Senate
- Chief Clerk: Samuel G. Bugh
- Sergeant-at-Arms: William H. Gleason
Assembly
- Chief Clerk: David Atwood
- Sergeant-at-Arms: William Blake
References
- "Annals of the legislature". The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin 1881 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 187–188.
- Journal of the Assembly of Wisconsin (Report). Beriah Brown, Printer. 1855. p. 199. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
External links
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