Petition for allowing voters the right to decide the question of bridges on the Milwaukee River

To the Honorabel Legislature of the State of Wisconsin:

Your petitioners have learned that an effort is making to procure an ammendment to the Charter, authorising Thomas P. Williams and others, to build a Bridge across the Milwaukee River, (the amendment is to allow the City to vote on the question - bridge or no bridge,) if this is true, your petitioners would ask that the amendment be so worded that the vote shall be taken on the question, shall all the bridges be taken down or all stand?

Now our city is so situated that the crossing the river is actually necessary in passing from the country to the business part of the city. Twelve years have built up our city, and also built four bridges. The first bridge was built when the town was small, about three miles from the mouth of the river, and since this bridge (the red bridge,) was built, three others have been built below, as the business of the town has crowded down the river, and now there are four bridges in about one and one-forth miles, and the business has now gone down so far that about 1000 petitioners have asked your honorable body to pass a law authorising and additional bridge to be built by Thos. P. Williams. Your honorable body have granted the prayer of the petitioners, and now is it just or fair that this law should be submitted to a vote of the city, without putting in all the bridges? Put hem all in and it will show whether they are wanted or not; and if four are wanted, why should not one thousand men, interested, be allowed to build the fifth? Now this bridge is to be built at the expense of one or more individuals, and can there be any injustice in allowing the bridge to be built? The Legislature have passed similar laws for each bridge, and why not do the same for us? Bridges advance the value of property in each neighborhood, and why not allow us the same privileges that you have granted to others? Or are we to be forbid improving our property by bridging the river, while others are allowed that privilege? The clamor about this bridge is confined to a few that have been benefited by bridges, and are now unwilling that others should enjoy this, (ought to be) a common privilege.

MILWAUKEE, March 9, 1849

L.C. Reed Allen Johnson C.A. Pember F.J. Martin WH Perry CA Rheese Daniel Hait H.A. Burts Joseph KP Porter Giles A Wait James Douglas Martin Carrell M.L. Root A.P. Jones WB Robeson Wm Naround CN Vosburgh MA Perrigo Alex Roney John McCormick L.H. Law Joseph H Arnold Darius H Orton R.P. [illegible] James Muellen John Browning Peter Summay Garrett Schuck DR Lawton J.P. Sheldon

James N Webster Thos. A. Gerry Wm B Williams H.M. Kavanaugh JC Kavanaugh I Baldwin Thomas Garrick Milo Montgomery O. Weerdl D Hall PC Turner Hiram Farmin WM Braird Thomas Platt Anson Stoddard Jeremiah Smith Wm P Phillips R.H. Bryant