WISCONSIN. 



777 



burden too heavily the present industries of the 

 country. 



5. That, in our judgment, the most efficient and 

 satisfactory means of raising the larger portion of 

 revenue to meet the obligations of the Government 

 is from duties on imports ; that such duties should 

 be so laid, as : 1. To make sure of the amount re- 

 quired; 2. To fairly distribute the burdens of the 

 nation upon all sections of the country, all classes of 

 people ; and 3. So as never to burden one interest 

 that another may thrive. 



6. That we commend the policy of the Government 

 in abolishing the most burdensome taxes of the 

 internal revenue system ; that we favor a further re- 

 duction as the exigencies of the country will permit. 



7. That, still regarding the improvement of the 

 Fox and Wisconsin Rivers as a work of vast impor- 

 tance to the State and nation, wo again urge upon 

 Congress to provide for its early completion. 



8. That we also^ call upon Congress to renew the 

 grant of lands to aid in the construction of a railroad 

 from Lake St. Croix to Lake Superior, as an act of 

 justice to the settlers of Northwest Wisconsin. 



9. That, in view of the present rapid settlement of 

 the country, the residue of the public domain should 

 be kept mainly for actual settlers. The homestead 

 law should be so modified that, when honorably-dis- 

 charged Union soldiers and sailors claim the benefits 

 of the same, the period of their service shall be 

 deemed a part of the time of occupancy necessary to 

 acquire title. Grants of land to aid in the building 

 of railroads should be made only where necessary to 

 open the country up to settlement, and under such 

 restrictions as will facilitate the occupation of the 

 public lands. 



10. That we favor every practicable reform in the 

 public service State or national in the direction 

 of greater purity, simplicity, efficiency, and economy 

 of administration. 



11. That the administration of our State affairs by 

 our State officers, one and all, has been in every re- 

 spect characterized by such ability, honesty, and in- 

 tegrity in the discharge of their official duties, that 

 it has demonstrated the wisdom of the choice of the 

 people who have thus honored them with high and 

 responsible positions, and entitles them to the thanks, 

 esteem, and confidence of every citizen of this State. 



12. That the Administration of President Grant 

 has been wise and prudent. It has impartially exe- 

 cuted the laws, faithfully collected and honestly 

 applied the revenue, greatly reduced the public debt, 

 and enabled Congress to lighten the burden of taxa- 

 tion. It has inaugurated a humane policy in dealing 

 Avith the Indians, favorable alike to economy, to civili- 

 zation, and peace upon our border. It has preserved 

 and strengthened our friendly relations with foreign 

 powers, and has advanced the honor and dignity of 

 the United States among the governments of the 

 world. It has at all times been deferential to the 

 will of the people, and studious to promote the public 

 welfare. It deserves and receives our hearty ap- 

 proval. 



13. That we know no duty more urgent than to 

 mature and enforce new safeguards of the purity of 

 elections, and to effect a thorough reform of the civil 

 service. 



The election resulted in favor of the Repub- 

 licans, whose nominees for State officers were 

 all elected by considerable majorities, as ap- 

 pears from the following statement of the votes : 



Governor : Washburn, 78,301 ; Doolittle, 

 68,910; majority, 9,391. Lieutenant-Govern- 

 or : Pettit, 77,751 ; Rice, 68,807 ; majority, 

 8,944. Secretary of State: Breese, 77,933; 

 Montgomery, 69,449 ; majority, 8,484 ; Treas- 

 nrer: Btetz, 78,920; Klaus, 68,171; majority, 

 10,749; Attorney-General: Barlow, 78,326; 



Bragg, 68,807; majority, 9,519. State Super- 

 intendent: Fallows, 78,502; Parker, 68,614; 

 majority, 9,888. State-prison Commissioner: 

 Wheeler, 78,915; Johnson, 68,376; majority, 

 10,539. Commissioner of Immigration : John- 

 son, 78,770 ; Boden, 68,390 ; majority, 10,380. 



The whole number of votes polled for Gov- 

 ernor in 1869, had been Fairchild, 69,502, 

 and Robinson, 61,230, or nearly 9,000 and 

 8,000 less than in 1871, for the candidates re- 

 spectively. 



The Legislature-elect stands as follows : Sen- 

 ate : Republicans, 23 ; Democrats, 9 ; Inde- 

 pendent, 1. House of Assembly : Republicans, 

 58 ; Democrats, 38 ; Independents, 4. 



The constitutional amendment, excluding 

 certain matters from legislative action, was 

 submitted to the people at the same time for 

 their ratification or rejection, and the vote 

 stood 54,087 against, 3,675 for, special legis- 

 lation. 



The matters on which the Legislature is 

 forbidden by this amendment to pass, are 

 enumerated in the act as follows : 



SECTION 81. The Legislature is prohibited from 

 enacting any special or private laws in the following 

 cases: 1. lor changing the name of persons, or con- 

 stituting one person the heir-at-law of another. 2. 

 For laying out, opening, or altering highways, except 

 in cases of State roads extending into more than one 

 county, or military roads, to aid in the construction 

 of which lands may be granted by Congress. 3. 

 For authorizing persons to keep ferries across streams, 

 at points wholly within this State. 4. For authori- 

 zing the sale or mortgage of real or personal property 

 of minors or others under disability. 5. For locating 

 or changing any county-seat. 6. For assessment or 

 collection of taxes, or for extending the time for the 

 collection thereof. 7. For granting corporate powers 

 or privileges, except to cities. 8. For authorizing 

 the apportionment of any part of the school-fund. 

 9. For incorporating any town or village, or to amend 

 the charter thereof. 



SEC. 32. The Legislature shall provide general laws 

 for the transaction of any business that may be pro- 

 hibited by section 31 of this article, and all such 

 laws shall be uniform in their operation throughout 

 the State. 



The debt of the State on the 30th of Sep- 

 tember, 1871, was $2,252,057. 



The receipts from, the State tax and all other 

 sources during the year were $1,029,576.81 ; 

 the disbursements, $965,377.42. Of this sum 

 $669,295.97 were applied to State institutions, 

 and other extraordinary expenditures, leaving 

 the amount paid for ordinary expenses at 

 $296,081.45, which is over $20,000 less than in 

 the previous year. 



The State tax for 1871, including $156,000 

 levied for the building of the Northern Hos- 

 pital for the Insane, amounted to $629,143.10. 

 The valuation of property assessed for 1871 

 amounted in the aggregate to $455,900,800, on 

 which $629,143.10 of State tax was levied, at 

 the rate of IfVV mil1 P er cent - The whole 

 property assessed for 1867 had been $196,851,- 

 101, and the tax levied on it $649,258.86, at 

 the rate of 3 mills per cent. 



The whole amount of the taxable property 



