WISCONSIN. One of the new states of the United States.
2. It was originally a part of the territory north west of the Ohio rivor, and aubjeot to the ordi nance of July 13, 1787, establishing that territory. It was made a separate territory, with the name of Wisoonsin by aot of congress approved April 20, I836. Said territory was afterwards divided, nnd the territory of Iowa set off, June 12, 1838. It was admitted into the Union as a state May 29, 1848, with the following boundaries,—viz.: begin ning at the northeast corner of the state of Illinois, i.e. a point in the centre of lake Miohigan where the line of forty-two degrees and thirty minutes crosses the same, thenoe running with the bound ary-line of the state of Michigan, through lake Michigan and Green Bay, to the mouth of Meno monee river, thenoe up the channel of said river to the Brule River, thence up said last-mentioned river to lake Brule, thence along the southern shore of lake Brule in a direct line to the centre of the channel between Middle and South Islands in the lake of the Desert, thenoe in a direct line to the head-waters of the Montreal River, as marked upon the survey made by Captain Crawm, thence down the main channel of Montreal river to the middle of lake Superior, thence through the centre of lake Superior to the mouth of the St. Louis river, thence up the main ohannel of said river to the first rapids in the same above the Indian village, according to Nicollet's map, thence due south to the main branch of the river St. Croix, thence down the main channel of said river to the Missis sippi thence down the centre of the main channel of th$at river to the northwest corner of the state of Illinois, thence due east with the northern boundary of the state of Illinois to the place of beginning.
3. The constitution of Wisconsin was adopted by a convention at Madison, on the first day of February, 1848. The constitution is prefaoed by a bill of rights, which deolares that all men are born free and equal ; that there shall be no slavery or involuntary servitude but for crime; that thero shall be freedom of speech and of the press; that the rights of petition ought to exist; that indict ment must precede trial; that there should be remedies for injury to property or person; that there shall be security from unreasonable aearches of house or person; defines treason ; makes all ten ures allodial; gives aliens the same rights of pro perty as subjects; abolishes imprisonment for debts; forbids religious tests of fitness for office and citi zenship. Every male person, twenty-one years old or
more, who has resided in the state one year next preceding an election, and who is a white oitizen of the United States, or a white person of foreign birth v ho has declared his intention to become a oitizen, or a person of Indian blood who has once been declared by law of congress to be a citizen of the United States, any subsequent act of oongress to the contrary notwithstanding, or a oivilized per son of Indian descent not a member of any tribe. And the right may be extended to other persons by act of legislature approved by a majority of the voters at a general eleotion. All persons under guardianship, non compoa mentis, or insane, all persons convicted of treason or felony, unless re stored to civil rights, are excluded. No soldier, seaman, or marine in the army or navy of the United States shall be deemed a resident in conse quence of being stationed within the state.
The Legislative Power.
4. The Senate is to be composed of not more tha,, one-third nor less than one-fourth the num ber of the representatives. The present number ts thirty, elected by the. people of their respective districts for one year. A senator must be a quali fied voter, and have lived in the state one year next preceding the election.
The Aesembly is to be oomposed of not less than fifty-four and not more than one hundred (the present number is ninety-six), elected annually in each of the districts into which the state is divided for the purpose. The qualifications to be the same as those of the senators.