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STATE OF WISCONSIN.

SENATE JOURNAL.

FORTY-FOURTH SESSION.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1899. The forty-fourth session of the legislature of the state of Wisconsin began at Madison, the capital city of said state, on the second Wednesday, being the 11th day of January, 1899.

Pursuant to law, at 12 o'clock M., of said day, the senate was called to order by the Hon. Jesse Stone, president of the senate, who addressed the senate as follows:

SENATORS: I tender to you sincere and cordial greetings. We meet at a time and under conditions of happy promise. You have been called here from thrifty and prosperous communities, enjoying the tokens of their evident favor and confidence. They have entrusted to you a most important duty, that of considering and enacting such legislation as may be conducive to the well-being of our beloved state. That you will one and all give to the discharge of your duties as senators your best thoughts and most honest purpose, no one can doubt. I need scarcely call to your remembrance the fact that the processes of legislation are of necessity costly to the taxpayers of the state, and that an unduly lengthened session would impose unexcusable hardships. Neither should it be forgotten that hasty, illconsidered legislation is the most costly of all legislation. I feel assured that our session will be one of pleasant official and personal associations. I pledge you that my small part in its work shall to the utmost limit of my ability be done faithfully and impartially, but I solicit your kindly tolerance in the discharge of the unaccustomed duties of my office.

The roll of the senators holding over from 1897 and of the senators-elect as transmitted to the senate by the Hon. Wm. H. Froehlich, secretary of state, was read by the clerk as follows: