MEMORIALS.

NUMBER 1.

MEMORIAL to congress for the re-granting of the land heretofore granted to aid in the construction of railroads from lake St. Croix to Superior and Bayfield.

To the honorable the senate and house of representatives of the United States in congress assembled:

The memorial of the people of Wisconsin, represented in the senate and assembly, respectfully showeth :

That in the year 1856 a grant of public lands was made by congress to the state of Wisconsin to aid in the construction of a railroad from the St. Croix river or lake, between townships twenty-five and thirty-one, and from thence to the west end of lake Superior and to Bayfield, in said state.

That said grant embraced the odd numbered sections for six miles in width on each side of the line of said road, and the time for the completion of said road was limited to ten years from the date of said grant.

That in 1864, by an act of congress, the time for the completion of said railroad was extended four years, and also an additional grant of land consisting of the odd numbered sections in four other miles of territory on each side of the line of said railroad was made to aid in its construction.

That the state of Wisconsin has heretofore chartered two several railroad companies successively, and conferred upon them the said grant of land, upon condition of the completion of the said railroad by them respectively within the time fixed in the act of congress; but the said companies have each in turn failed to comply in any great degree with the terms of their said charters, and with the acts conferring upon them the said grants of lands, and that such delay and failure of the said companies have rendered the state of Wisconsin incapable of securing the completion of the said railroad within the time fixed by act of congress.

That the state of Wisconsin did in February 1869, grant another charter to a number of able and responsible capitalists, under the name and style of the "Northern Wisconsin Railway Company," who by their charter agreed to complete and equip twenty miles of said railroad each and every year until said railroad was completed.

That the state of Wisconsin did also, at the same session of the legislature, in March, 1869, grant another charter to a number of able and responsible capitalists, under the name and style of the "Bayfield and St. Croix Railroad Company," who agreed by their charter to complete and equip twenty miles of said railroad in each and every year from the acceptance of said charter.

That in the opinion of your memorialists, all the wise rea sons of public policy that existed for making the original grant, and for its subsequent extension, now exist in greater force for a further extension of the time for building the said road, and for a continuance of the grant of land in aid thereof.

Your memorialists therefore pray for such action on the part of your honorable body, to re-grant the lands heretofore granted to aid in the construction of a railroad from lake St. Croix between townships twenty-five and thirty-one, and the west end of lake Superior, and also from St. Croix river to Bayfield. That said grant be made for such reasonable period of not less than five years, to the state of Wisconsin, for the "Northern Wisconsin Railway Company," and the "Bay. field and St. Croix Railroad Company."

Approved January 24, 1870.

NUMBER 2.

MEMORIAL to congress for the improvement of the Wisconsin and Fox rivers.

To the honorable, the senate and house of representatives of the United States, in congress assembled:

The memorial of the legislature of Wisconsin respectfully repre

sents:

That the project of connecting the Mississippi river and Lake Michigan by navigable channels through the Wis

consin and Fox rivers, appears to your memorialists to be one of great importance to the country, and that in the prayer of the memorial in relation thereto, submitted to congress by the conventions which met in Wisconsin at Prairie du Chien on the 10th day of November, A. D. 1868, and at Portage City on the 20th day of October, A. D. 1869, your memorialist most fully concurs; be it therefore

Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the governor be and he is hereby authorized and requested to affix his official signature hereto and forward a copy of this memorial to the president of the United States, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and to each of the senators and representatives in congress of the United States.

Approved January 26, 1870.

NUMBER 3.

MEMORIAL to congress to refund to the city of Milwaukee certain moneys advanced for the construction of the "Straight Cut" harbor at Milwaukee.

To the honorable, the senate and house of representative of the United States, in congress assembled:

The memorial of the legislature of the state of Wisconsin respectfully represents to your honorable bodies:

That the city of Milwaukee has at its own expense, constructed an artificial harbor near the mouth of Milwaukee river, known as the "Straight Cut;" that said harbor was designed and constructed according to the plans and under the direction of United States government engineers, and is built in a substantial and durable manner.

That the port of Milwaukee affords an outlet and inlet for the trade of a large portion of the northwest, and is the largest primary wheat market in the world, and that its harbor is an immediate benefit and accommodation not only to the people of Wisconsin but to several adjoining states as well.

That said harbor is the only harbor of refuge on Lake Michigan, and affords shelter in stormy weather for the whole fleet of vessels employed in the navigation of that lake, and is capable of sheltering all the shipping on the lakes.

That as other harbors on the lakes, (many of them entirely local in their character) have been built and paid for by the gov ernment of the United States, your memorialists respectfully submit that the harbor of Milwaukee ought not to be made an exception to the general rule.

That your memorialists are informed that the city authori ties of Milwaukee have forwarded to your honorable bodies a full and complete statement, accompanied by accounts, vouchers and other documents relating to the costs of constructing said harbor, and that the same are now in the hands of committee of one of your honorable bodies, having the subject matter of this memorial under consideration, to which statement and accompanying papers your memorialists respectfully beg leave to refer.

Your memorialists therefore pray, that the city of Milwaukee be reimbursed for moneys expended, and liabilities incurred in the construction of said harbor, and that your honorable bodies may pass the bill introduced for that purpose by Hon. Halbert E. Paine, member of congress from the first district of Wisconsin.

Approved January 27, 1870.

NUMBER 4.

MEMORIAL to the congress of the United States in relation to an appropri ation for a barbor at Port Washington, in the state of Wisconsin.

To the honorable, the senate and house of representatives of the United States, in congress assembled:

The memorial of the legislature of the state of Wisconsin respectfully represents :

That the port of Port Washington, on lake Michigan is situated on the west side of the lake, about twenty five miles north from Milwaukee, and 25 miles from Sheboygan; that the exports and imports at the said port for the year 1869 have been ascertained from a careful collection of statistics, and found to have been to the amount of one million dollars, not having been one hundred thousand dollars short of the same; that such exports consist of every variety of manufactured articles; that the imports are mostly of merchandize; that the exports of wheat were about 400,000 bushels; of oats 50,000 bushels,