Chapter 97. [Published May 2.] An Act for the safe keeping of bills, memorials, or other legislative documents, and to punish offences for destroying or altering the same. The people of the State of Wisconsin, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: sible for the SECTION 1. The chief clerk of the senate shall be per- Chief clerk of sonally responsible for the safe keeping of every bill, me- senate respon morial, joint resolution or other documents or paper per safe keeping of taining to legislation which shall come to his hands, or to bills, &c. the hands of his deputy or assistant, from any member, committee or officer of the legislature, or either branch thereof; and he shall keep a record of all such bills, memo rials, joint resolutions, or other documents or paper per- To keep record taining to legislation, which shall come to his hands or of. possesession as such clerk, or which shall come to the hands of his deputy or assistant clerk, and shall enter in such record, the dispostiion made of the same. SEC. 2. The chief clerk of the assembly shall be person- Chief clerk of ally responsible for the safe keeping of every bill, memo-sponsible for assembly rerial, joint resolution or other document or paper pertaining the safe keepto legislation, which shall come to his hands from any ing of bills, &c member, committee, or officer of the legislature, or either branch thereof; and he shall keep a record of all such bills, To keep record memorials, joint resolutions, or other document or paper of pertaining to legislation which shall come to his hands or possession as such clerk, or which shall come to the hands of his deputy, assistant clerk, and shall enter in such record, the disposition made of the same. legislative doc SEC. 3. If any clerk, deputy or assistant clerk, or any Penalty for deother person or persons, shall knowingly and wilfully take stroying any or abstract from the files or possession of the chief clerk of ument. either branch of the legislature, or from the possession of any deputy or subordinate clerk of thelegislature, or of either branch of the legislature, having the custody of the same, or any bill, memorial, joint resolutiion, report or other document or paper, pertaining to, or a part of the business of the legislature, or either branch thereof, or shall knowingly and wilfully take or abstract any act, bill, memorial, joint resolution or other document or paper pertaining to or a part of the business of legislation, from the possession of the governor or his pri Penalty for altering any doc ument. vate secretary, or from the office or possession of the sec retary of state, with intent thereby to impede legisla tion or to defeat the passage of any such act, memorial or joint resolution, through the legislature or either branch thereof, or to prevent the same from taking effect or becom ing a law, such clerk, deputy, assistant or officer of either branch of the legislature, or other person so offending, shall be deemed guilty of a crime, and shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not less than three months, nor more than one year, or shall pay a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars nor less than one hundred, in the discretion of the court. SEC. 4. If any clerk, officer, or other person, shall alter, mutilate or forge any such act, bill, memorial, joint reso lution, or other document or paper, pertaining to or being a part of the business of legislation, with wilful or malicious intent to destroy the same, or so as to change the intent or meaning of the same when it passes the legislature, or either branch thereof, such clerk, officer, or other per son, shall be deemed guilty of a crime, and shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed one year nor less than six months, or by fine not exceeding five hundred dollars nor less than two hundred dollars, at the discretion of the court. SEC. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. Approved April 2, 1855. Chapter 98. [Published April 6.] An Act to pay the postage of the several State Offices. The People of the State of Wisconsin, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: SECTION 1. The secretary of state is hereby authorized Sec'y of state to audit the accounts of the postmaster at Madison, for the to audit acc't postage of the executive office, office of secretary of state, of postmaster. attorney general, state superintendent, bank comptroller, state treasurer, and clerk of the supreme court, for the year 1855, said accounts to be certified by the said postmaster by affidavit. SEC. 2. There is hereby appropriated to the postmaster Appropriation. at Madison, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, a sum sufficient for the payment of the above accounts, to be drawn quarterly from the treasury, upon the presentation of said accounts property certified to by their respective offices. Approved April 2, 1855, Chapter 99. [Published April 24.] An Act to amend an act" entitled an act to amend chapter eighty-four of the revised statutes," relating to proceedings in chancery. The people of the State of Wisconsin, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section one of an act entitled "an act to amend chapter eighty-four of the revised statutes, approved April 2, 1853, is amended so as to read as follows: "In all suits of chancery brought to compel a specific performance of a contract or foreclose any mortgage made by any person or persons, who have died, or brought by any person having the possession and legal title to land in any case where any other person while living set up any claim thereto, and his, her or their heirs, against whom the suit is brought, or any of them, are unknown to the complainant or complainants, it shall be lawful for him, her or them, to proceed against such unknown heirs as against absent defendants to the bill, by the name or description of The unknown heirs of deceased, filling the blank with the name or names of the deceased person or persons whose heirs may be proceeded against, and by such name or description notice shall be given by publication, and any decree made against such unknown heirs shall be as valid and binding as if his, her or their respective names had been inserted in the bill and proceedings. Sec. amended. SEC. 2. This act shall be in force from and after its pas Chap amended Chapter 100. [Published April 28.] An Act to amend chapter twenty-eight of the Revised Statutes relative to The people of the State of Wisconsin, represented in SEC. 1. Whenever any vacancy shall occur in any office of superintendent, whose election is provided in section thirty three, chapter twenty-eight of the revised statutes, the same may be filled in the same manner as now provided for in an original election for the aforesaid superintendent. SEO. 2. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. Approved April 2, 1855. JOINT RESOLUTIONS OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN-SESSION OF 1855. Number 1. Joint Resolution in relation to patents. Resolved, by the two Houses of the Legislature of the State of Wisconsin, in general assembly, That our senators be instructed, and our representatives in congress be requested to use all honorable means to prevent any renewal by congress or otherwise, of the patents formerly granted to Cyrus H. McCormick, More & Hascal, and Obed Hussey for reaping and mowing machines, as such extension would operate to the great detriment of the agricultural interests of this State. Resolved, That the Governor be requested to forward to each of our senators and representatives in congress, a copy of the foregoing resolutions. Approved, Jan. 29, 1855. In relation to patents. Number 2. Joint Resolution concerning the naturalization law. To naturaliza 1. esolved by the Senate of the State of Wisconsin, the Asembly concurring. That we are opposed to the alteration law. tion of the law on the subject of naturalization, and that our senators be instructed and representatives in Congress |