9th Wisconsin Legislature

The Ninth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 9, 1856, to March 31, 1856, in regular session, and re-convened from September 3, 1856, to October 14, 1856.
This was a pivotal legislative session in the fall of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin and the rise of the new Republican Party—the Republicans would dominate the state government for most of the next 100 years. The start of the session saw the dispute over the 1855 Wisconsin gubernatorial election, in which the Democratic incumbent governor, William A. Barstow, was forced to resign from office three months into this term after the Wisconsin Supreme Court threw out a number of apparently fraudulent votes.
Before he left office however, Barstow was involved in an extensive railroad bribery scandal, which ultimately also implicated his Republican challenger, Coles Bashford, and a huge portion of the members of the 9th Wisconsin Legislature. The scheme saw railroad promoters, led by Milwaukee mayor Byron Kilbourn, bribing legislators and other state officials with railroad company bonds and stock in exchange for securing land grants for the [Milwaukee Road|La Crosse and Milwaukee County, Wisconsin|Milwaukee Railroad] route. An 1858 investigation found $900,000 worth of bribes had been paid, averaging $10,000 per official. Although legislators from both parties received the corrupt bonds, Democrats ultimately took the bulk of the blame.
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 6, 1855. 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 7, 1854.
Due to the controversies over the gubernatorial election, the governor for nearly all of this term's regular legislative session was the previous incumbent, Democrat of Waukesha County, who asserted that he was the rightful governor until March 21, 1856, when he resigned. At that time, the lieutenant governor, Democrat Arthur MacArthur Sr., of Milwaukee County, then ascended to become governor until the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Republican Coles Bashford, of Winnebago County, had actually won the 1855 election and was entitled to the seat. Bashford was sworn in March 25, 1856, and served for the remainder of this legislative term, in the first year of a two-year gubernatorial term.

Major events

January 7, 1856: Resulting from a dispute over the 1855 gubernatorial election, both Coles Bashford and William A. Barstow were sworn in as Governor of Wisconsin in separate ceremonies.
January 15, 1856: Assemblymember William Brunquest, representing Oconto, Outagamie, and Waupaca counties, resigned his seat after it was demonstrated that he had actually lost his election to Louis Bostedo.
March 21, 1856: Barstow officially withdrew his claim to the Governorship, leaving Lieutenant Governor Arthur MacArthur Sr. as governor.
March 24, 1856: The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued its decision in the case Atty. Gen. ex rel. Bashford v. Barstow, ruling that Bashford had won the 1855 gubernatorial election.
March 25, 1856: Bashford was sworn in as the 5th Governor of Wisconsin. MacArthur returned to his previous office as Lieutenant Governor.
November 4, 1856: James Buchanan was elected 15th president of the United States.

Major legislation

March 20, 1856: Act to annex a part of the county of Dodge to the county of Jefferson,
March 22, 1856: Joint Resolution in relation to Islands in the Mississippi river,
March 28, 1856: Act to define the boundaries of the county of Winnebago,
March 29, 1856: Act to divide the county of Portage and erect the county of Wood,
March 31, 1856: Joint Resolution of the Senate and Assembly of the State of Wisconsin to the United States, in relation to the removal of the Stockbridge Indians,
March 31, 1856: Act to set apart and incorporate the county of Burnette,
September 16, 1856: Joint Resolution in relation to the Stockbridge and Munsee Indians,
September 30, 1856: Act to apportion and district anew the Members of the Senate and Assembly of the State of Wisconsin, . Expanded the Wisconsin Senate to 30 members, and the Assembly to 97.
October 6, 1856: Act to organize the county of Eau Claire,
October 14, 1856: Act to regulate the boundaries of La Crosse, Jackson and Monroe Counties,

Sessions

1st Regular session: January 9, 1856 - March 31, 18562nd Regular session: September 3, 1856 - October 14, 1856

Leaders

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: Arthur MacArthur Sr., Lieutenant Governor
President pro tempore: Louis P. Harvey

Assembly leadership

Speaker of the Assembly: William Hull

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the Ninth Wisconsin Legislature:

District	Counties	Senator	Party	Residence
01	Calumet, Manitowoc, Sheboygan		Rep.	Sheboygan
02	Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Marathon, Oconto, Outagamie, Portage, Waupaca		Dem.	Appleton
03	Ozaukee		Dem.	Grafton
04	Washington		Dem.	Schleisingerville
05	Milwaukee		Dem.	Milwaukee
06	Milwaukee		Dem.	Milwaukee
07	Racine		Rep.	Racine
08	Kenosha		Rep.	Kenosha
09	Waukesha		Rep.	Summit
10	Waukesha		Dem.	Genesee
11	Dane		Rep.	Stoughton
12	Walworth		Rep.	Elkhorn
13	Lafayette		Dem.	Cottage Inn
14	Jefferson		Dem.	Waterloo
15	Iowa & Richland		Rep.	Mineral Point
16	Grant		Rep.	Lancaster
17	Rock		Rep.	Janesville
18	Rock		Rep.	Shopiere
19	Bad Ax, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Crawford, Jackson,,, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix		Dem.
20	Fond du Lac		Rep.
21	Winnebago		Dem.	Oshkosh
22	Dodge		Dem.	Beaver Dam
23	Adams, Marquette, Sauk, Waushara		Dem.	Montello
24	Green		Rep.	Monroe
25	Columbia		Rep.	Fall River

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Ninth Wisconsin Legislature:

Employees

Senate employees

Chief Clerk: Byron Paine
Sergeant-at-Arms: Joseph Baker

Assembly employees

Chief Clerk: James Armstrong
Sergeant-at-Arms: Egbert Moseley