History of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens.

              HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
39
third session of the second Legislative Assem¬ bly of the territory. The term for which mem¬ bers of the house were elected would soon expire ; it was therefore desirable that a new apportionment should be made. As the census would be taken the ensuing June, by the United States, it would be unnecessary for the territory to make an additional enumeration. A short session was resolved upon, and then an adjournment until after the completion of the census. One of the subjects occupying largely -the attention of the members, was the condition of the capitol, and the conduct of the commissioners intrusted with the money ap¬ propriated by Congress to defray the cost of its construction. These commissioners were James Duane Doty, A. A. Bird and John F. O'Neill. They received their appointment from the general government. Work began on the building in June, 1837, the corner stone being laid with appropriate ceremonies July 4. During that year and the previous one. Congress ap¬ propriated $40,000, Dane county $4,000, and the territorial Legislature, about $16,000, for the structure ; so that the entire cost was about $60,000. The building, when finished, was a substantial structure, which, in architectural design and convenience of arrangement, com¬ pared favorably with the capitols of adjacent and older States. The capitol proving inade¬ quate to the growing wants of the State, the Legislature of 1857 provided for its enlarge¬ ment. By this act, the commissioners of school and university lands were directed to sell the ten sections of land appropriated by Congress "for the completion of public buildings," and apply the proceeds toward enlarging and im¬ proving the State capitol. The State also ap¬ propriated $30,000 for the same object, and $50,000 was given by the city of Madison. The governor and secretary of State were made commissioners for conducting the work, which was begun in the fall of 1857, and con¬ tinued from year to year until 1869, when the dome was completed.    The Legislature of 1882
appropriated $200,000 for the construction of two transverse wings to the capitol building, one on the north and the other on the south sides thereof, in order to provide additional room for the State historical society, the supreme court, the State library, and for the increasing work of the State offices. The gov¬ ernor, secretary of State, attorney general, with others, representing the supreme court and the historical society, were made commis¬ sioners for carrying out the work. The cost will be within the amount appropriated by ihe State. The total appropriations for the en¬ largement of the capitol and for the improve¬ ment of the park, to the present time, are $629, 992.51. This does not include the sum of $6,500 appropriated in 1875, for macadamizing to the center of the streets around the park, nor the $200,000 appropriated in 1882. The park is 914 feet square, cornering north, south, east and west, contains fourteen and four-tenths acres, and is situated on an elevation command¬ ing a view of the third and fourth lakes and the surrounding country. In the center of the square stands the capitol. The height of the building from the basement to the top of the flag staff is 225^ feet, while the total length of its north and south wings, exclusive of steps and porticoes, with the addition of the new wings, is 396 feet, and of the east and west wings, 226 feet.
The Legislature of 1839-40, adjourned Janu¬ ary 13, to meet again on the 3d of the ensuing August. The completion of the federal census of 1840 showed a population for the territory of 30,744. Upon the re-assembling of the Legisla¬ ture—which is known as the extra session of the second Legislative Assembly—some changes were made in the apportionment of members to the House of Representatives. The session lasted but a few days, a final adjournment taking place Aug. 14, 1840. The first session of the third Legislative Assembly began Dec. 7, 1840, and ended Feb. 19, 1841, with only three members who had served in the previous Assem-