ABSTRACT OF CONSTITUTION,

Ratified by the People, Nov. 21, 22, and 23, 1844.

Every male citizen of the United States, 21 years old, resident in the state for one year, and in the town or city where he offers his vote six months next before the election, and owning real estate in such town or city, worth $134 above all incumbrances, or of the clear yearly value of $7, may "vote in the election of all civil officers, and on all questions in all legal town or ward meetings;" or if the estate lie without such town or city, but within the state, he may vote for "all general officers and members of the general assembly," in the town or city where he has resided for the last six months. Every male, native, citizen of the United States, 21 years old, resident in the state for two years, and in the town or city where he offers his vote six months next before the time of voting, and whose name is registered in such town on or before Dec. 31st in that year, and who shall have paid taxes to the amount of one dollar, or done military duty for one day during such year, may vote in the election of all civil officers, and on town or ward questions; provided that no person vote "in the election of the city council of Providence, or upon any proposition to impose a tax, or for the expenditure of money in any town or city," unless he have paid a tax on property therein valued at $134. A tax of one dollar, or of such sum as, with his other taxes, will amount to one dollar, shall be annually assessed upon every person registered, and shall be appropriated to the support of public schools in the town where it is paid; but no process shall issue for its collection, and it shall be remitted to persons who have performed one day's military duty, and to sailors at sea, during the year. No person in the marine, naval, or military service of the United States, can gain a residence by being stationed in the states; and no Narragansett Indian can vote.

Representatives (not exceeding 72 in number), one for every 1,530 inhabitants, shall be chosen on the first Wednesday of April. Every fraction above one-half may elect a member; and every town or city shall be entitled to not less than one representative, nor more than twelve. The senate, chosen at the same time, consists of the licutenant-governor, and one member from each town or city. The governor, and in his absence the lieutenant-governor, presides therein, and also in convention, which is called the 'grand committee" of both Houses, and has only a casting vote; and, if no There was no choice of governor or lieutenant-governor, in April, 1839. Mr. King, who had the highest number of votes as senator, acted as governor.

governor be chosen by the people, the grand committee shall elect one of the highest two candidates, unless such a result is produced by rejecting the entire vote of a town, city, or ward, for informality or illegality, in which case a new election shall be ordered. If no lieutenant-governor be chosen, one of the highest two candidates shall be elected by the grand committee. No veto is granted to the governor by the constitution. The governor and lieutenant are annually chosen on the first Wednesday in April. The governor may grant reprieves, except in cases of impeachment. If the office of governor be vacant, the lieutenant-governor, and after him the president of the senate, shall act as governor. There are two sessions of the general assembly, every year; one at Newport, on the first Tuesday of May; the other on the last Monday of October, once in two years, at South Kingstown, and the intermediate years, alternately, at Bristol and East Greenwich; and this second session adjourns, every year, to Providence. The members are allowed one dollar per diem, and eight cents per mile for travel. The general assembly cannot authorize any new lottery; they cannot incur state debts exceeding $50,000, except in time of war, insurrection, or invasion; or pledge the faith of the state for the obligations of others without the express consent of the people; they cannot appropriate public money to local or private purposes, without a vote of two-thirds of the members elected; neither can they create "a corporation for any other than for religious, literary, or charitable purposes, or for a military or fire company," until after another election of members, and such public notice as may be required by law. In all elections of state officers by the people, a majority of votes is necessary to a choice. The judges of the supreme court (on which alone chancery powers may be conferred) shall be elected by the grand committee, shall receive a fixed compensation, and shall hold office until the office is declared vacant by a majority of the members chosen to each House. Wardens, or justices of the peace, are elected in towns by the people. Slavery is not permitted in the state. Imprisonment for debt is allowed only on strong presumption of fraud." In libel cases, “the truth, unless published from malicious motives, shall be sufficient defence." Every elector for an office is qualified to hold that office.

A majority of the members elected to each House may propose amendments to the constitution, which shall be published in the newspapers; and printed copies, with the names of all the members who voted on them, shall be sent to every town and city clerk, who shall insert them in the warrants for, and read them at, the next annual town-meeting. If they be approved by a majority of those afterwards elected to each House, they shall again be published; and, if afterwards sanctioned by two thirds of the votes cast by the people, shall be adopted.

The Court of Common Pleas in each of the five counties consists of a justice of the Supreme Court, who sits as chief justice, and two associate justices, who are elected for each county.

FINANCES.

When the state first received the deposit fund or surplus revenue from the United States, they invested it for schools. For the state prison and the Dorr war the state has since used $152,719.21 of it, and this is sometimes spoken of as a debt. There is also a claim of about $40,000 for some old Revolutionary certificates. There is no state debt, properly speaking.

Public Schools. The state has a school fund, invested in bank stock, of $51,300. By an act passed 1836, the interest of this state's part of the United States surplus revenue (commonly called the Deposit Fund) was set apart for public schools. $25,000 is annually paid from the state treasury for schools; and each town, in 1846, according to the requisitions of the revised school law, voted to raise by tax one-third as much as they receive from the state, and many of the towns raise a much larger sum. The amount expended for schools in 1844 (exclusive of academics and private schools)

was over $54,000. For several years past, great exertions have been made in all parts of the state in improving the schools, and a very large sum has been expended in erecting district school-houses, and repairing old ones.

Providence Athenæum. - The charter of this institution was granted in January, 1836; and in September, 1846, its library contained 13,002 volumes. Of this number, 12,200 have been purchased, and 802 given. The total outlay has been $19,036.62; making the average cost per volume, $1.56. 817 volumes were added in the year ending September, 1846, of which 783 were purchased at a cost of $1,485.01, or 1.89 per volume. The number of volumes in the public libraries of Providence is $43,200.

Library of Brown University. — The library contained, in September, 1846, (exclusive of odd volumes and pamphlets unbound), 19,317 volumes. Of this number, 401 were purchased at home during the year; and 5,609 volumes were obtained, with great economy and judgment, by Professor Jewett, in Europe. The following table, exhibiting the price of the foreign books, is abridged from the Report of the library committee, submitted in Sept. 1846:

State Prison (Dr. Thomas Cleveland, Warden). — The number of convicts in the state prison in October, 1846, was 20, of whom 17 were natives of Rhode Island, 4 of other states, and 2 of Ireland; 9 were received, 3 discharged, 2 were set free by the general assembly, and 1 escaped. 3 were committed for murder; 4 for manslaughter; 2 for burglary; 6 for shopbreaking; 2 for felonious assaults; 2 for counterfeiting; and 1 for perjury.

VI. CONNECTICUT.

The territory of Connecticut originally comprised two colonies, the Colony of Connecticut, and the Colony of New Haven.

The settlement of Hartford, in the colony of Connecticut, was commenced by emigrants from Massachusetts, in 1635; and that of New Haven, in 1638, by emigrants from England.

In 1662, a charter was granted by Charles II., with ample privileges, uniting the colonies of Connecticut and New Haven, under one government;

but the colony of New Haven refused, for some time, to accept the charter, and the union did not take place till 1665.

The charter was suspended, in 1687, by Sir Edmund Andros; but it was restored again after the Revolution of 1688 in England; and it formed the basis of the government till 1818.

The charter granted in 1662, by Charles II., formed the basis of the government of Connecticut till 1818, when the present constitution was framed.