WISCONSIN. 



803 



164; value of materials consumed, $14,503,701 ; 

 of products, $24,102,201. 



The whole number of newspapers and peri- 

 odicals was 59, having an aggregate circula- 

 tion of 54,432, and issuing annually 4,012,400 

 copies. There were 4 daily, with a circulation 

 of 5,192 ; 2 tri- weekly, circulation 550 ; 48 

 weekly, circulation 43,390; 2 semi-monthly, 

 circulation 3,100; 3 monthly, circulation 3,200. 



There were 1,728 libraries, having 372,745 

 volumes. Of these, 1,090, with 220,562 vol- 

 umes, were private; and 638, with 152,183 

 volumes, were other than private, including 

 three circulating libraries, with 1,700 volumes. 



The total number of religious organizations 

 was 1,529, having 1,018 edifices, with 297,315 

 sittings, and property valued at $1,835,720. 

 The leading denominations were : 



The condition of pauperism and crime is 

 shown in the following statistics: 



Total population 442,014 



Number of persons receiving support during the 



year ending June 1, 1870 1,102 



Cost of annual support $80,628 



Total number receiving support, June 1, 1870 994 



Native ?......... 948 



White 839 



Colored 103 



Foreign 46 



Number of persons convicted during the year 155 



Total number of persons in prison June 1, 1870. . 191 



Native '. 175 



White 138 



Colored 37 



Foreign 16 



WISCONSIN". The annual session of the 

 Wisconsin Legislature began on the 10th of 

 January, and closed on the 25th of March. 

 That body was composed of 23 Republicans 

 and 10 Democrats in the Senate, and 60 Re- 

 publicans and 40 Democrats in the Assembly. 

 Its work was unusually difficult, on account of 

 the number of general laws required by an 

 amendment of the constitution, which pro- 

 hibited a large class of special legislation. 

 Among the general laws passed were those 

 providing for the incorporation of towns and 

 villages, railroad companies, religious societies, 

 and companies for manufacturing and other 

 purposes. The general railroad act carefully 

 defines and limits the powers and duties of 

 the companies, and holds them strictly amena- 

 ble to the State authorities. An act authori- 

 zing municipal corporations to aid in the con- 

 struction of railroads, by the issue of bonds, 

 limits the amount to be issued, together with 

 all other indebtedness of the town or city, to 

 ten per cent, of the valuation of taxable prop- 

 erty therein. Such issue of bonds can be made 

 only with the approval of a majority of the 

 legal voters obtained at an election, of which 



at least thirty days' notice has been given. An 

 amendment to the constitution, limiting the 

 power of municipalities to contract debts to 

 live per cent, of their valuation, was proposed 

 by joint resolution, but must receive the ap- 

 proval of the next Legislature, and the sanc- 

 tion of the people at the election of 1873, before 

 it becomes part of the organic law. An amend- 

 ment of the constitution, proposed by the pre- 

 ceding Legislature, increasing the number of 

 judges of the Supreme Court from three to 

 five, was approved, and provision made for 

 submitting if! to a vote of the people. The 

 general act for the incorporation of manufac- 

 turing and other companies provides that any 

 number of persons may unite under articles of 

 association, for almost every industrial pur- 

 pose, and defines specifically their responsi- 

 bilities and powers. A new law was passed 

 making provision for the government of hos- 

 pitals for the insane, and laying down all gen- 

 eral regulations for the reception and treat- 

 ment of patients. 



An act, which occupied a large share of at- 

 tention, was entitled "An act to provide 

 against the evils resulting from the sale of 

 intoxicating liquors." It provides that no one 

 shall sell these liquors except under a license 

 obtained by giving a bond "for the payment 

 of all damages, to any person or persons, which 

 may be inflicted upon or suffered by them, 

 either in person or property, or means of sup- 

 port, by reason of so obtaining a license, selling, 

 or giving away intoxicating liquors, or dealing, 

 therein ; and such bond may be sued or re- 

 covered upon for the use of any person or 

 persons, or their legal representatives, who 

 may be injured by reason of the selling or giv- 

 ing away of intoxicating liquors by the person 

 or his agent so obtaining the license." It is 

 made unlawful "for any person to become 

 intoxicated, and any person found in a state or 

 condition of intoxication shall, on conviction 

 thereof, be punished therefor by being held in 

 custody by order of the court, before which 

 such person may be so convicted, or by im- 

 prisonment in the county jail, not less than 

 one day, nor more than sixty days, and may, 

 in addition thereto, in the discretion of the 

 court, be required to pay the costs of j>rose- 

 cution, and may be retained in jail, or in cus- 

 tody, until such costs are fully paid." Among 

 the other provisions of the law were the fol- 

 lowing: 



SECTION 5. Every person who shall, by the sale or 

 giving away of intoxicating liquors with or without 

 a license, cause the intoxication of any other person, 



a reasonable 

 or to anv 

 e for such 



intoxicated person, and two dollars per day in addi- 

 tion thereto for every day such intoxicated person 

 shall be kept, in consequence of such intoxication, 

 which sum may be recovered before any court having 

 competent Jurisdiction. 



SEC. 6. Every husband, wife, child, parent guar- 

 dian, employer, or other person, who shall 

 jured in person or property, or means of support, by 



