Mr. Ellis in the chair,

Having under consideration bill No. 9, (C.) entitled

“A bill to amend the act to provide for the election of sheriffs, judges of probate, and justices of the peace, and for other purposes;"

And after some time spent therein, the committee rose and by their chairman reported the same with amendments;

Which were agreed to, and the bill ordered to a third reading. On motion of Mr. Olin,

The house adjourned.

THURSDAY, January 4, 1844.

The Journal of yesterday was read and corrected.

The speaker laid before the house the petition of Solomon Ju neau and John White, Esquires, and twelve hundred and eighteen others, relative to state government and the right of foreign born citizens to vote.

And the said petition having been read,

A motion was made by Mr. Hunkins, that the same be referred to the committee on territorial affairs;

When Mr. Platt moved to amend the motion to refer the petition to the committee on territorial affairs, by substituting the following:

"Resolved, For the purpose of giving to the petition all the advantages which can be conferred by this house at the present stage of the business, that the petition be referred to the joint committee of the two houses to whom was referred so much of the governor's message as relates to a state government."

Pending the question thereon, the following message was received from the council by their secretary, to wit:

"Mr. Speaker: The council have passed

No. 20, (C.) "A bill to repeal an act to establish the University of Wisconsin," and also,

No. 12, (H.) "A bill for an act amendatory of an act entitled 'an act to prescribe the mode of proceeding in chancery;'

The latter with an amendment, in which I am directed to ask the concurrence of this house."

The question was then put on the amendment moved by Mr. Platt to the motion of Mr. Hunkins,

And passed in the negative.

And the ayes and noes having been called for by Mr. Platt, Those who voted in the affirmative, were

Messrs. Capron, Hicks, Hopkins, Messersmith, Palmer, Platt, and Thompson-7.

Those who voted in the negative, were

Messrs. Agry, Bartlett, Crossman, Darling, Ellis, Grant, Hunkins, Manahan, Masters, Meeker, Olin, Parsons, Price, Trowbridge, and Walker (spk')—15.

Mr. Thompson moved to amend the motion by striking out the words "territorial affairs," and inserting the word "judiciary.” When the Speaker decided that the chair had been in error in putting the question moved by Mr. Platt before the motion made by Mr. Hunkins, the question being one of privilege.

The question was then put on the motion of Mr. Hunkins,
And passed in the affirmative.

So the petition was referred to the committee on territorial affairs. Mr. Masters, from the joint committee on enrolled bills, reported as correctly enrolled

"An act to authorize the collector of the town of Janesville to collect certain taxes, and for other purposes."

Which was signed by the speaker.

Mr. Hunkins, from the same committee, reported that the said committee did on yesterday present to the governor for his approval,

"An act to amend the act to incorporate the Fox river improvement company;" also,

"An act to authorize the register of deeds of the county of Grant to procure certain records in the office of the register of deeds of the county of Iowa."

Mr. Crossmau, from the committee on engrossed bills, reported to be correctly engrossed,

No. 4, (H.) "A bill to change the time of holding the annual meetings of the several boards of county supervisors."

Mr. Agry, from the judiciary committee, to which a petition and remonstrance were referred, reported bill No. 18, (H.) which was read the first and second times, to wit:

"A bill to empower the president and trustees of the village of Southport to discontinue a street."

Mr. Agry, from the same committee, to which the petition of Webster Pease was referred, reported the following bill, to wit: No. 19, (H.) "A bill to divorce Webster Pease from his wife Lucinda Pease."

Mr. Darling, from the committee to which the subject was referred, made the following report, to wit:

"The committee on territorial affairs, to whom was referred a resolution of the house of representatives instructing the committee to inquire into the expediency of levying a tax for the purpose of building a penitentiary, and for taking measures for that purpose, have attended to the duty assigned them, and report:

That however desirable it may be speedily to have a well regulated penitentiary in the territory, still your committee do not feel it their duty to recommend the erection of one by a special tax, at the present time. It will be recollected that the territory is already, to some considerable extent, involved in debt, to cancel which it has no other means than a resort to direct taxation. Under these circumstances, they are of the opinion that provision should first be made for the payment of its honest debts, before it should engage in any new projects which it is possible to dispense with.

They are further strengthened in this conclusion by the belief that congress will yet grant aid to the territory in accomplishing so desirable an object, and thus prevent the necessity of resorting to direct taxation.

With these views, they repectfully ask to be discharged from ⚫ further consideration of the subject.

Respectfully submitted."

On motion of Mr. Hunkins,

The said report was accepted and the committee discharged

from the further consideration of the subject.

Mr. Darling, from the judiciary committee, to which a petition was referred, by leave reported

No. 20, (H.) "A bill for the relief of the town of Sharon, in Walworth county,"

Which was read the first and second times."

Mr. Hunkins gave notice that he should, on a future day, by leave, introduce a bill to amend an act of the statutes entitled "an act regulating marriages."

Mr. Graut gave notice that he should, on a future day, by leave, introduce a bill to change the time of holding annual town meetings.. Bills on their passage being announced,

The undermentioned bills were severally read the third time, passed, and their titles agreed to, to wit:

No. 9, (C.) “A bill to amend the act to provide for the election of sheriffs, judges of probate, and justices of the peace, and for other purposes;"

No. 4, (H.) "A bill to change the time of holding the annual meetings of the several boards of county supervisors."

6

On motion of Mr. Agry,

The message from the council was taken up, when

The amendments made by the council to bill

No. 12, (H.) "A bill for an act amendatory of an act entitled

an act to prescribe the mode of proceeding in chancery,'" Were read and concurred in.

No. 20, (C.) "A bill to repeal an act to establish the University of Wisconsin,"

Was read the first and second times.

On motion of Mr. Hicks,

The house resolved itself into the committee of the whole house, for the consideration of bill

No. 18, (H.) "A bill to establish a ferry across the Mississippi river,"

Mr. Parsons in the chair.

And after some time spent therein, the committee rose, and by their chairman reported the said bill without amendment.

On motion of Mr. Hicks,

Ordered, that said bill do lie on the table.

Mr. Hopkins moved that the house do now adjourn until half past two o'clock, P. M., when

Mr. Hunkins moved to adjourn;

And the question of adjournment being privileged, was first put on the motion of Mr. Hunkins,

And passed in the affirmative.

So the house adjourned.

FRIDAY, January 5, 1844.

Mr. Long, a member from the county of Iowa, appeared and took his seat.

The undermentioned petitions were severally presented and referred, as fallows, to wit:

By Mr. Hunkins, the petition of inhabitants of the town of New Berlin, praying for the construction of a bridge across the Milwaukee river, at Walker's Point;

Referred to the committee on internal improvements.

By Mr. Elmore, the petition of Ira Blood, G. W. Yearly, and one hundred and four others, praying for the same object; Referred to the same committee.

By Mr. Birchard, the petition of fifty-three inhabitants of Wisconsin, praying for the same object;

Referred to the same committee.

By Mr. Tripp, the petition of inhabitants of the town of Geneva, praying for a division of said town;

Referred to the committee on corporations.

By Mr. Trowbridge, the petition of Seth Warner, and other citizens of school district No. 1, in the town of Rochester, praying for an act to enable said district to raise money to pay the debts of said district;

Referred to the committee on the judiciary.

By Mr. Platt, the petition of B. R. Sanders, and other citizens. of the county of Grant, praying for the appointment of new commissioners to lay out a territorial road;

Referred to the committee on roads.

By Mr. Darling, the petition of Elbert Dickason, and two hundred and fifty other citizens of Wisconsin, praying for the passage of a memorial to congress, asking remuneration for property destroyed by the Winnebago Indians, accompanied by a letter from the secretary of war;

Referred to the judiciary committee,

The undermentioned petitions were severally presented, and ordered to lie on the table, to wit.