380 Meyer—Early Railroad Legislation in Wisconsin. 
connection with other comprehensive acts on railroads, would, 
undoubtedly have been satisfactory and ultimately profitable to 
both the public and to the railroads. 
Chapter 74 of the General Laws of 1854, “An Act taxing 
Rail Roads and Plank Roads ” (published April 30, 1854), was 
the first of the series of Wisconsin laws taxing railroads. Sec¬ 
tion 1 of this law required railroad companies to make aD an¬ 
nual report to the state treasurer stating the gross earnings of 
the roads during the preceding year. Section 2 levied a tax of 
one per cent, per annum on the gross earnings thus returned, 
to be paid on or before January 10 of each year. In case a com¬ 
pany did business in other states too, it paid the tax only on 
such a part of its gross earnings as its mileage in Wisconsin 
was part of its total mileage. This tax was the only tax which 
a company could be made to pay. “ Which amouut of tax shall 
take the place and be in full of all taxes of every name and kind 
upon said roads, or other property belonging to said companies , 
or the stock held by individuals therein, and it shall not be 
lawful to levy or assess thereupon any other or further assess¬ 
ment or tax for any purpose whatsoever . ” The italicized words 
mark the extraordinary feature of this section. Section 3 
imposed a fine of ten thousand dollars on failure to comply 
with the provisions of this act. Evidently the legislature was 
in earnest. Section 5 authorized the state treasurer, in case of 
failure to make proper returns, to assess one per cent, on the 
estimated gross receipts of any derelict railroad company, and 
to lay upon “ the whole or any of the property, rights, and fran¬ 
chises of said company ” to satisfy his claims. The other sec¬ 
tions of the bill have no significance for our purposes. 
The financial crisis of 1857-8 gave rise to the second act of 
the legislature on the subject of taxation. The legislature which 
met in January, 1858, was besieged with memorials from many 
parts of the state asking for an extension of time in which to 
pay taxes. 1 In Milwaukee, exciting public meetings were held, 
and a bitter war was carried on in the newspapers on matters 
growing out of taxation. The governor in his annual message 
to the legislature speaks of “ a gloomy prospect for the tax- 
See Assembly Journal, 1858. 
