38th Wisconsin Legislature

The Thirty-Eighth Wisconsin Legislature convened from to in regular session.
Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first two years of a four-year term. Assembly members were elected to a two-year term. Assembly members and odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 2, 1886. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of a four-year term, having been elected in the general election of November 4, 1884.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican Jeremiah M. Rusk, of Vernon County, serving his third two-year term, having won re-election in the 1886 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

Major events

January 26, 1887: Philetus Sawyer was re-elected as United States Senator by the Wisconsin Legislature in joint session.
February 4, 1887: U.S. President Grover Cleveland signed the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which was designed to regulate the railroad monopolies.
February 8, 1887: U.S. President Grover Cleveland signed the Dawes Act, which allowed the federal government to designate private ownership within Native American tribal land.
April 4, 1887: Susanna M. Salter was elected mayor of Argonia, Kansas, the first female mayor in the United States.
July 6, 1887: King Kalākaua of Hawaii was forced to sign the 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, which stripped the monarchy of much of its power and disenfranchised native Hawaiians, Asians, and the poor.
November 13, 1887: Police in London clashed with Irish nationalist protesters in an incident known as Bloody Sunday.
January 16, 1888: Wisconsinite William Freeman Vilas became United States Secretary of the Interior.
March 25, 1888: Opening day of an international Congress for Women's Rights organized by Susan B. Anthony in Washington, D.C. The congress led to formation of the International Council of Women.
June 15, 1888: German Emperor Frederick III died of cancer after a brief reign. He was succeeded by his son, Wilhelm II.
November 6, 1888: 1888 United States general election:
* Benjamin Harrison elected President of the United States, despite losing the popular vote.
* William D. Hoard elected Governor of Wisconsin.
* The referendum on a proposed amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution, relating to education, was defeated.

Major legislation

April 12, 1887: An Act to apportion the state into senate and assembly districts, .
Joint Resolution agreeing to a proposed amendment to section 1, of article 10, of the constitution of the state of Wisconsin, relating to education, . This was the required second legislative passage of the proposed amendment to the state constitution to update language relating to state education officers. The amendment was put to a referendum in the November 1888 general election, but was defeated by voters.
Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the constitution, . Proposed a new amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution to abolish the separate offices of "chief justice" and "associate justices" of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and instead define all members of the court as "justices" with the most senior justice acting as "chief justice".

Sessions

1st Regular session: January 12, 1887April 15, 1887

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: George W. Ryland
President pro tempore: Charles K. Erwin

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly: Thomas B. Mills

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Thirty-Eighth Wisconsin Legislature:

Dist.	Counties	Senator	Residence	Party
01	Door, Florence, Forest, Kewaunee, Langlade, Marinette,		Oconto	Rep.
02	Brown		De Pere	Rep.
03	Racine		Racine	Rep.
04	Crawford & Vernon		Chaseburg	Rep.
05	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Lab.
06	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Rep.
07	Milwaukee		Milwaukee	Rep.
08	Kenosha & Walworth		Somers	Rep.
09	Green Lake, Portage,		Berlin	Rep.
10	Waukesha		Eagle	Rep.
11	Ashland, Clark, Lincoln, Price, Oneida, Sawyer, Taylor,		Ashland	Rep.
12	Green & Lafayette		Argyle	Rep.
13	Dodge		Juneau	Ind.
14	Juneau & Sauk		Loganville	Rep.
15	Manitowoc		Meeme	Dem.
16	Grant		Millville	Rep.
17	Rock		Janesville	Rep.
18			Fond du Lac	Rep.
19	Winnebago		Oshkosh	Rep.
20	Sheboygan		Eden	Dem.
21	Marathon, Shawano,		Wausau	Rep.
22	Calumet & Outagamie		Appleton	Dem.
23	Jefferson		Fort Atkinson	Dem.
24	Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk,,		St. Croix Falls	Rep.
25	Eau Claire, Pepin,		Eau Claire	Rep.
26	Dane		Madison	Dem.
27	Adams, Columbia		Westfield	Rep.
28	Iowa & Richland		Richland Center	Rep.
29	Buffalo		Alma	Rep.
30	Chippewa			Rep.
31	La Crosse		La Crosse	Rep.
32	Jackson		Tomah	Rep.
33	Ozaukee & Washington			Dem.

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Thirty-Eighth Wisconsin Legislature:

Committees

Senate committees

Senate Committee on Agriculture
Senate Committee on Assessment and Collection of Taxes
Senate Committee on Education
Senate Committee on Enrolled Bills
Senate Committee on Engrossed Bills
Senate Committee on Federal Relations
Senate Committee on Finance, Banks, and Insurance
Senate Committee on Incorporations
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Senate Committee on Legislative Expenditures
Senate Committee on Manufacturing and Commerce
Senate Committee on Military Affairs
Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections
Senate Committee on Public Lands
Senate Committee on Railroads
Senate Committee on Roads and Bridges
Senate Committee on State Affairs
Senate Committee on Town and County Organizations

Assembly committees

Assembly Committee on AgricultureG. G. Cox, chair
Assembly Committee on Assessment and Collection of TaxesG. A. Dreutzer, chair
Assembly Committee on Bills on their Third ReadingFrank Challoner, chair
Assembly Committee on CitiesJ. R. Brigham, chair
Assembly Committee on EducationJ. C. Bartholf, chair
Assembly Committee on Engrossed BillsC. E. Hooker, chair
Assembly Committee on Enrolled BillsGeorge Spratt, chair
Assembly Committee on Federal RelationsHugh Porter, chair
Assembly Committee on IncorporationsCharles M. Hall, chair
Assembly Committee on Insurance, Banks, and BankingG. A. Knapp, chair
Assembly Committee on the JudiciaryH. L. Humphrey, chair
Assembly Committee on Legislative ExpendituresSam S. Miller, chair
Assembly Committee on Labor and ManufacturesFrank Avery, chair
Assembly Committee on Lumber and MiningA. S. McDonald, chair
Assembly Committee on Medical SocietiesH. Powell, chair
Assembly Committee on MilitiaJ. B. McCoy, chair
Assembly Committee on Privileges and ElectionsW. B. La Selle, chair
Assembly Committee on Public ImprovementsSamuel Sloggy, chair
Assembly Committee on RailroadsJ. C. Reynolds, chair
Assembly Committee on Roads and BridgesR. M. Day, chair
Assembly Committee on State LandsC. F. Mohr, chair
Assembly Committee on State AffairsW. J. McElroy, chair
Assembly Committee on Town and County OrganizationH. C. Hetzel, chair
Assembly Committee on Ways and MeansR. W. Jackson, chair

Joint committees

Joint Committee on Charitable and Penal Institutions
Joint Committee on Claims
Joint Committee on Printing
Joint Committee on Apportionment of the State

Employees

Senate employees

Chief Clerk: Charles E. Bross
* Assistant Clerk: J. O. Warriner
* Bookkeeper: Oliver Munson
* Engrossing Clerk: L. W. Jacobs
* Enrolling Clerk: E. R. Smith
* Transcribing Clerk: C. E. Webster
* Proofreader: M. A. Hoyt
* Index Clerk: H. S. Ball
* Clerk for the Judiciary Committee: Thomas Norton
* Clerk for the Committee on Incorporations: W. E. Webster
* Clerk for the Committee on Claims: George B. Blair
* Document Clerk: M. M. Conant
Sergeant-at-Arms: T. J. George
* Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: W. W. Baker
Postmaster: H. Stone Richardson
* Assistant Postmaster: John R. Smyth
Gallery Attendant: Mark W. Baker
Document Room Attendant: Samuel Chase
Committee Room Attendants:
* H. L. Westenhaven
* J. H. Holcomb
Doorkeepers:
* S. N. Knudson
* Nelson Darling
* John Dishmaker
* H. C. Fulton
Porter: John Malone
Night Watch: Marcus H. Barnum
Janitor: F. D. Johnson
Messengers:
* Prentice Flint
* Dexter Baker
* Julius Seresse
* Harvey Hulburt
* Joseph Rupp
* Ernest Micklist
* Louis Hammond
* Frank Bancroft

Assembly employees

Chief Clerk: Edwin Coe
* 1st Assistant Clerk: C. A. Coon
** 2nd Assistant Clerk: Walter L. Houser
* Bookkeeper: J. T. Huntington
* Engrossing Clerk: Egbert Wyman
** Assistant Engrossing Clerk: Archie McMillan
* Enrolling Clerk: L. J. Burlingame
** Assistant Enrolling Clerk: Jos. Albrecht
* Transcribing Clerk: George W. Currier
** Assistant Transcribing Clerk: W. J. Egbert
* Index Clerk: George P. Smith
* Comparing Clerk: E. A. Charlton
* Clerk for the Judiciary Committee: S. J. Morse
* Clerk for the Committee on Enrolled Bills: G. S. Putnam
* Clerk for the Committee on Engrossed Bills: J. M. Hayden
* Clerk for the Committee on State Affairs: Robert W. Chapin
* Clerk for the Committee on Third Reading: C. J. Hicks
* Document Clerk: E. A. Hanks
* Custodian of the Engrossing and Enrolling Rooms: J. J. Marshall
Sergeant-at-Arms: William A. Adamson
* Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: M. C. Matson
Postmaster: C. W. McMillan
* Assistant Postmaster: G. R. Hall
Doorkeepers:
* James Sharp
* John H. Vivian
* G. W. Dart
* D. F. Cleaveland
Gallery Attendants:
* Ira S. Vaughn
* H. H. Lampman
Committee Room Attendants:
* V. A. Henwood
* George Campbell
Document Room Attendant: C. Schneider
Porter: A. B. Lynn
Policeman: R. M. Burke
Flagman: N. P. Nelson
Night Watch: George Hanover
Wash Room Attendant: Lucian H. Palmer
Messengers:
* Lewis Olson
* Willie Gillet
* M. E. Lynch
* Gifford Best
* Fred Willett
* Anton Peterson
* Christ Doehring
* Ralph Norriss
* Willie Shaver
* James Whitty
* Willie Berg
* Willie Hughes