26th Wisconsin Legislature
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 26th Wisconsin Legislature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
Wisconsin State Capitol, 1863 | |||||
| Overview | |||||
| Legislative body | Wisconsin Legislature | ||||
| Meeting place | Wisconsin State Capitol | ||||
| Term | January 6, 1873 – January 5, 1874 | ||||
| Election | November 5, 1872 | ||||
| Senate | |||||
| Members | 33 | ||||
| Senate President | Milton Pettit (R) | ||||
| President pro tempore | Henry L. Eaton (R) | ||||
| Party control | Republican | ||||
| Assembly | |||||
| Members | 100 | ||||
| Assembly Speaker | Henry D. Barron (R) | ||||
| Party control | Republican | ||||
| Sessions | |||||
| |||||
The Twenty-Sixth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 8, 1873, to March 20, 1873, in regular session.
Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Assembly members were elected to a one-year term. Assembly members and odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 5, 1872. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 7, 1871.[1]
The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican Cadwallader C. Washburn, of La Crosse County, serving the second year of a two-year term, having won election in the 1871 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.
- January 22, 1873: Timothy O. Howe re-elected as United States Senator by the Wisconsin Legislature in Joint Session.
- February 11, 1873: King Amadeo I of Spain was deposed and the First Spanish Republic was proclaimed.
- March 4, 1873: Second inauguration of President Ulysses S. Grant.
- March 23, 1873: Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Milton Pettit died in office.
- May 7, 1873: Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice of the United States, died of a stroke at New York City.
- September 18, 1873: The New York stock market crashed, leading to the Panic of 1873 and the Long Depression.
- September 24, 1873: Wisconsin Democrats convened in Milwaukee with Grangers and Liberal Republicans to form the short-lived Reform Party, and nominated William Robert Taylor as their candidate for Governor.
- November 5, 1873: William Robert Taylor elected Governor of Wisconsin.
- December 23, 1873: The Woman's Christian Temperance Union was founded at Hillsboro, Ohio.
Major legislation
- March 14, 1873: An Act to provide for finishing the state capitol, protecting the same against fire, for the improvement of the capitol park, and appropriating money to pay for the same, 1873 Act 168.
- March 17, 1873: An Act to provide for the collection of certain statistics with a view of more fully equalizing the state taxes, 1873 Act 210.
- March 17, 1873: An Act to prevent the careless use of firearms, 1873 Act 212.
- March 18, 1873: An Act to provide for annexing and excluding territory to and from cities, towns and villages, and to unite cities, towns and villages, 1873 Act 234.
- March 18, 1873: Joint Resolution ratifying proposed constitutional amendment prohibiting counties, towns, villages, etc., from becoming indebted for any purpose to an amount exceeding five percent of the value of taxable property, 1873 Joint Resolution 4.
Party summary
Senate summary

| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dem. | Ref. | Lib.R. | Rep. | Vacant | ||
| End of previous Legislature | 10 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 33 | 0 |
| 1st Session | 10 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 33 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 30.3% | 69.7% | ||||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 12 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 33 | 0 |
Assembly summary

| Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) |
Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dem. | Ref. | Ind. | Lib.R. | Rep. | Vacant | ||
| End of previous Legislature | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 100 | 0 |
| 1st Session | 32 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 61 | 100 | 0 |
| Final voting share | 32% | 0% | 0% | 7% | 61% | ||
| Beginning of the next Legislature | 29 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 41 | 100 | 0 |
Sessions
- 1st Regular session: January 8, 1873 – March 20, 1873
Leaders
Senate leadership
- President of the Senate: Milton Pettit (R)
- President pro tempore: Henry L. Eaton (R)
Assembly leadership
Members
Members of the Senate
Members of the Senate for the Twenty-Sixth Wisconsin Legislature:[2]

Members of the Assembly
Members of the Assembly for the Twenty-Sixth Wisconsin Legislature:[2]
