l8o THE GRANGER MOVEMENT 



the note of complaint against extortionate and discriminating 

 rates was heard, 1 but it was not until about the close of the 

 Civil War that the legislature began to consider seriously the 

 advisability of making use of these reserved powers. In 1864 

 acts were passed to compel railroad companies to carry cord 

 wood, to carry grain and deliver it to the consignee as directed, 

 and to allow any warehouseman to build a side-track connecting 

 with the company's line. Several bills for the establishment 

 of a schedule of maximum rates were also introduced at this 

 session but failed to receive favorable action in either house. 2 

 From this beginning in 1864 to nearly the end of the next decade, 

 the railroad question occupied a prominent part in every session 

 of the legislature, and innumerable bills were introduced touching 

 upon the various aspects of the problem. 



In the legislative session of 1866, the Assembly passed a 

 rate bill and the Senate a bill to provide for the establishment 

 of a commission of the advisory type. This latter measure was 

 amended by the Assembly in such a way as to give the proposed 

 commission some power over rates; but the Senate refused to 

 accept the amendment, and neither measure became a law. 3 

 In 1867 the Assembly again passed a rate bill, the vote at this 

 time being 71 to n; but the Senate rejected it by vote of 17 

 to p. 4 In 1870 a joint committee was appointed to investigate 

 railroad problems, but no legislation ensued. 5 During 1872 



1 H. C. Campbell, in Wisconsin in Three Centuries, iv. 256. 



2 Wisconsin, Assembly Journal, 1864, pp. 214, 312, 394, 600, 604, 606, 659, 662- 

 664, 681, 717-735, 760, 801-804; Senate Journal, 1864, pp. 22, 88, 178, 214, 272, 

 319, 448, 465, 632, 637, 638, 653, 668, 690, 694; Wisconsin, Laws, 1864, chs. xlix, 

 cccxv, cccclxxii. 



3 On railways in the session of 1865, see Assembly Journal, 1865, pp. 160, 169, 

 192-194, 213, 214, 234, 3i5> 368, 489, 49S> 562, 570, 811-813, 986, 987; Senate 

 Journal, 1865, pp. 123, 255, 316, 465, 514, 570, 803, 812. For the session of 1866, 

 see Assembly Journal, 1866, pp. 39, 172, 279, 289, 296, 324-337, 345, 356, 412, 478, 

 589, 594, 700, 732, 1125, 1135; Senate Journal, 1866, pp. 178, 521, 525, 653, 754, 

 782, 867, 883-897, 962-972, 984, ion, 1029, 1034; Wisconsin Democrat, March 

 30, 1866; C. R. Tuttle, Illustrated History of Wisconsin, 600-602. 



4 Assembly Journal, 1867, pp. 488, 490, 1179; Senate Journal, 1867, pp. 21, 483, 

 641-649, 778, 784, 903. 



5 Assembly Journal, 1868, pp. 83, 736; ibid., 1869, pp. 558-560; ibid., 1870, 

 pp. 30, 50, 442, 536. See also J. H. Howe, Statement in Behalf of the Chicago and 



