5th Wisconsin Legislature

The Fifth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 14, 1852, to April 19, 1852, in regular session. Senators representing even-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 even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 4, 1851. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 5, 1850.
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Whig Leonard J. Farwell, of Dane County, serving the first year of a two-year term, having won election in the 1851 Wisconsin gubernatorial election. He was Wisconsin's only Whig governor.

Major events

January 5, 1852: Inauguration of Leonard J. Farwell as the 2nd Governor of Wisconsin.
January 5, 1852: Inauguration of Timothy Burns as the 3rd Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin.
January 30, 1852: Assemblymember Matthew Murphy of Lafayette County resigned his seat after it was demonstrated that he had actually lost his election to George W. Hammett.
November 2, 1852: Franklin Pierce elected President of the United States

Major legislation

March 3, 1852: Act to incorporate Racine College,
March 4, 1852: Act to incorporate the Milwaukee University,
April 16, 1852: Act to set apart and incorporate the County of Kewaunee,
April 17, 1852: Act to provide for the organization of a separate Supreme Court and for the election of Justices thereof,
April 19, 1852: Act to authorize the business of Banking,
April 19, 1852: Act to provide for the registration of Marriages, Births, and Deaths,
April 19, 1852: Act to apportion and district anew the members of the Senate and Assembly of the State of Wisconsin,, increased the size of the Senate to 25 members, and the Assembly to 82.
April 19, 1852: Act relating to Printing,

Sessions

1st Regular session: January 14, 1852 - April 19, 1852

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Samuel Beall, Lieutenant Governor
President pro tempore: Eliab B. Dean Jr.

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly: James McMillan Shafter

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the Fifth Wisconsin Legislature:

District	Counties	Senator	Party	Residence
01	Brown, Calumet, Door, Manitowoc, Oconto, Outagamie, Sheboygan		Dem.	Appleton
02	Columbia, Marathon, Marquette, Portage, Sauk, Waushara		Whig	Plover
03	Bad Ax, Chippewa, Crawford, La Crosse, St. Croix, La Pointe		Dem.
04	Fond du Lac, Waupaca, Winnebago		Whig	Rosendale
05	Iowa, Richland		Whig	Mineral Point
06	Grant		Dem.	Lancaster
07	Lafayette		Dem.	Shullsburg
08	Green		Dem.	Waupun
09	Dane		Dem.	Madison
10	Dodge		Whig	Watertown
11	Washington		Dem.	Ozaukee
12	Jefferson		Whig	Fort Atkinson
13	Waukesha		Whig	Waukesha
14	Walworth		Dem.	Whitewater
15	Rock		Dem.	Janesville
16	Kenosha		Dem.	Milwaukee
17	Racine		Free Soil	Racine
18	Milwaukee		Dem.	Milwaukee
19	Milwaukee		Dem.	Milwaukee

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Fifth Wisconsin Legislature:

Employees

Senate employees

Chief Clerk: John K. Williams
Sergeant-at-Arms: Patrick Cosgrove

Assembly employees

Chief Clerk: Alexander T. Gray
Sergeant-at-Arms: Elisha Starr