31st Wisconsin Legislature

The Thirty-First Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 9, 1878, to March 21, 1878, in regular session, and later re-convened from June 4 to June 7, 1878, in special session, to complete the revision of the statutes. This was the first extra session of the Wisconsin Legislature since 1862.

This was the first and only session of the Legislature to have an Assembly speaker from the Greenback Party—Augustus Barrows. Despite the Greenbackers holding only 13% of the Assembly seats, neither major party had enough seats to form a majority without Greenback support. The Democrats thus formed a coalition with the Greenbacks for the 31st Legislature with Barrows acting as speaker.

Senators representing even-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 even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 6, 1877. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 7, 1876.

The governor of Wisconsin during this entire term was Republican William E. Smith, of Milwaukee County, serving the first year of a two-year term, having won election in the 1877 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.

• January 7, 1878: Inauguration of William E. Smith as the 14th Governor of Wisconsin.

• February 7, 1878: Pope Pius IX died at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City.

• February 28, 1878: The Bland–Allison Act became law in the United States, with the United States Congress overriding the veto of President Rutherford B. Hayes. The act restored the monetary status of silver coins, a key priority of the Free silver movement.

• March 3, 1878: Cardinal Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci was crowned Pope Leo XIII.

• March 3, 1878: The Treaty of San Stefano was signed, ending the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and establishing an independent Principality of Bulgaria.

• April 29, 1878: U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes signed the National Quarantine Act of 1878, which created regulations to prevent the introduction of contagious diseases into the United States. The law also established the Marine Hospital Service, the forerunner of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the National Institutes of Health.

• June 18, 1878: U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes signed the Posse Comitatus Act, which limited the power of the President to use the United States military to enforce domestic policies.

• July 13, 1878: The Treaty of Berlin (1878) was signed, making Serbia, Montenegro, and Romania completely independent from the Ottoman Empire, confirming the independence of Bulgaria, transferring Cyprus to British control, and allowing Austria-Hungary to garrison the Bosnia Vilayet. The treaty settled regional issues left open by the Treaty of San Stefano.

• October 1, 1878: The United States Supreme Court decided the case Ex parte Jackson, extending Fourth Amendment protections to private letters and packages.

• February 12, 1878: Joint Resolution relating to the remonetization of silver, 1878 Joint Resolution 3. Endorsed congressional action to restore the monetary value of silver currency, and resume minting silver coins.

• March 12, 1878: An Act to amend sections thirty-one and thirty-two of chapter fifty-six, of the general laws of 1870, entitled "An act to provide for the incorporation and government of fire and inland navigation insurance companies." 1878 Act 214. Created the appointed position of state insurance commissioner.

• March 21, 1878: An Act to authorize the granting of state certificates to graduates of the state university, 1878 Act 333. Created a certification process to enable any graduate of the University of Wisconsin to become authorized to work as a teacher at any public school in Wisconsin.

Senate partisan composition .mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}  Democratic: 10 seats   Liberal Republican: 2 seats   Republican: 21 seats

Assembly partisan composition   Democratic: 41 seats   Socialist: 1 seat   Greenback: 13 seats  Republican: 45 seats

• 1st Regular session: January 9, 1878 – March 21, 1878

• June Special session: June 4, 1878 – June 7, 1878

• President of the Senate: James M. Bingham (R)

• President pro tempore: Levi W. Barden (R)

• Speaker of the Assembly: Augustus Barrows (GB)

Members of the Senate for the Thirty-First Wisconsin Legislature:

Senate partisan representation   Democratic: 10 seats   Liberal Republican: 2 seats   Republican: 21 seats

Members of the Assembly for the Thirty-First Wisconsin Legislature:

Assembly partisan composition   Democratic: 41 seats   Socialist: 1 seat   Greenback: 13 seats  Republican: 45 seats

• Chief Clerk: Andrew Jackson Turner until February 7, 1878, then Charles E. Bross

  • Assistant Clerk: F. J. Stockwell
  • Bookkeeper: I. F. Stickle
  • Engrossing Clerk: J. W. Bates
  • Enrolling Clerk: John W. DeGroff

• Sergeant-at-Arms: L. J. Brayton

  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: D. D. Polleys

• Postmaster: Fred Badger

  • Assistant Postmaster: J. A. Neavill

• Gallery Attendant: George M. Laing

  • Assistant Attendant: John Beck
  • Committee Room Attendants:
    • William Reese
    • W. A. Mills
    • D. H. Pulcifer

• Doorkeepers:

  • R. B. Winsor
  • W. F. Bingman
  • G. W. McDougal
  • L. L. Gunderson

• Porter: John Benson

• Night Watch: C. L. Smith

• Messengers:

  • Charles Marsden
  • Welcome Smith
  • George Buehner
  • E. Hubbell
  • Harry Meeker
  • Louis Loper
  • Prentiss S. Brannan
  • Eddie Torrey
  • P. L. Jerdee
  • Lucien Pickarts
  • Thomas Lucas

• Chief Clerk: Jabez R. Hunter

  • Assistant Clerk: Sam Ryan Jr.
  • Bookkeeper: Roger C. Spooner
  • Engrossing Clerk: Michael Bohan
    • Asst. Engrossing Clerk: George Cox
  • Enrolling Clerk: H. G. Fischbein
    • Asst. Enrolling Clerk: John Meehan
  • Proof Reader: Michael Walsh

• Sergeant-at-Arms: Anton Klaus

  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: M. J. Egan
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Hugh Lewis

• Postmaster: D. W. C. Wilson

  • Assistant Postmaster: George W. Dart
  • Assistant Postmaster: Anthony G. Froner

• Doorkeepers:

  • J. A. Allen
  • Thomas Hobbins
  • O. H. Hestehurn
  • N. Sullivan

• Committee Room Attendants:

  • Ed. Flaherty
  • Anton Klaus Jr.
  • Richard Donevan
  • William Mahoney
  • S. S. Hills
  • Ed. Jannush

• Gallery Attendants:

  • John Kane
  • A. Tideman

• Porters:

  • B. Coyne
  • Henry Ebert

• Night Watch: F. B. Brundage

• Night Watch: Francis Fitzgerald

• Fireman: George Burns

• Janitor: Peter Labonde

• Wash Room Attendant: James Whitty

• Messengers:

  • Clinton Snow
  • Charles Whitton
  • Harry Cutler
  • Willie Krueger
  • Fred T. Lee
  • Jas. Foran
  • Herman Schum
  • George Gewecke
  • Robert Gilroy
  • Marcus L. Moody
  • William Burnett
  • John Roberts
  • Edward Cavanaugh
  • Charles Klaus

• 1878: Related Documents from Wisconsin Legislature