The Ninth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 9, 1856, to March 31, 1856, in regular session, and re-convened from September 3, 1856, to October 14, 1856.
This was a pivotal legislative session in the fall of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin and the rise of the new Republican Party—the Republicans would dominate the state government for most of the next 100 years. The start of the session saw the dispute over the 1855 Wisconsin gubernatorial election, in which the Democratic incumbent governor, William A. Barstow, was forced to resign from office three months into this term after the Wisconsin Supreme Court threw out a number of apparently fraudulent votes.
Before he left office however, Barstow was involved in an extensive railroad bribery scandal, which ultimately also implicated his Republican challenger, Coles Bashford, and a huge portion of the members of the 9th Wisconsin Legislature. The scheme saw railroad promoters, led by Milwaukee mayor Byron Kilbourn, bribing legislators and other state officials with railroad company bonds and stock in exchange for securing land grants for the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad route. An 1858 investigation found $900,000 worth of bribes had been paid (nearly $33,000,000 adjusted for inflation), averaging $10,000 per official. Although legislators from both parties received the corrupt bonds, Democrats ultimately took the bulk of the blame.
Senators representing even-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first year of a two-year term. Assemblymembers were elected to a one-year term. Assemblymembers and even-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 6, 1855. Senators representing odd-numbered districts were serving the second year of their two-year term, having been elected in the general election held on November 7, 1854.
Due to the controversies over the gubernatorial election, the governor for nearly all of this term's regular legislative session was the previous incumbent, Democrat of Waukesha County, who asserted that he was the rightful governor until March 21, 1856, when he resigned. At that time, the lieutenant governor, Democrat Arthur MacArthur Sr., of Milwaukee County, then ascended to become governor until the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Republican Coles Bashford, of Winnebago County, had actually won the 1855 election and was entitled to the seat. Bashford was sworn in March 25, 1856, and served for the remainder of this legislative term, in the first year of a two-year gubernatorial term.
Members of the Wisconsin Senate for the Ninth Wisconsin Legislature:
Members of the Assembly for the Ninth Wisconsin Legislature: