654 



RHODE ISLAND. 



Another very important measure passed by 

 the General Assembly was the abolition of im- 

 prisonment for debt, by a vote of 56 yeas to 

 2 nays; this reform has been discussed and 

 pressed for years, but opinion in the State has 

 been so conservative that the Legislature of 

 this year has been the first to take the respon- 

 sibility of the measure. 



The Judiciary Committee deliberated upon 

 a petition for the extension of the elective 

 franchise to women, and the prominent female 

 advocates of the movement had a hearing in 

 the House ; they urged the State Legislature, 

 which had been the first to grant religious tol- 

 eration and to abolish capital punishment, not 

 to be behind in going one step farther, and 

 granting the ballot to women. The petition 

 was reported back, with the recommendation 

 of the majority of the committee that the peti- 

 tioners bo granted leave to withdraw their 

 memorial from the files of the House, as it was 

 considered that to comply with it would be 

 wrong, because the privilege was claimed as a 

 natural right; in this opinion the committee 

 were unable to coincide, franchise being con- 

 sidered a social trust which society confers 

 upon its citizens ; and in the present case there 

 was not sufficient general demand to show that 

 it was important. 



There were two State Conventions held 

 during the year, at both of which the attend- 

 ance was unusually large. At the Democratic 

 Convention, Lyman Pierce was nominated for 

 Governor, and the following resolutions were 

 unanimously adopted : 



Resolved, That the Democracy of Rhode Island 

 now, as heretofore, adhere to the principles of the 

 Constitution of the United States, and demand, and 

 will maintain for others, as far as in them lies, the 

 rights and privileges guaranteed the several States 

 and the people thereof, by the fundamental law. 



Risolved, That the naturalized citizens ought, by 

 the constitutional law of the State, to be permitted 

 and allowed the exercise of the right of suffrage on 

 the same terms as native-born citizens. 



Resolved, That the present tariff is a gross outrage 

 upon the people of the United States giving no sat- 

 isfaction to the manufacturer, and robbing the people 

 by compelling them to pay unnecessarily exorbitant 

 prices for the necessaries of life. 



Resolved, That the internal revenue system is blun- 

 deringly continued ; annoying and expensive, and 

 not nearly so advantageous to the Treasury as' would 

 be one less inquisitorial, and giving excuse for a less 

 number of officials. 



Resolved, That the Republican party, and the pres- 

 ent Administration, preach economy so frequently, 

 that they deem themselves excused from practising 

 it ; and Mr. Dawes, of Massachusetts, was honest and 

 truthful when he said that neither the Senate nor the 

 President would do any thing in the way of retrench- 

 ment and reform. 



Resolved, That the Democratic party of the State 

 of Rhode Island holds now, as ever, that the national 

 debt should be paid exactly according to the contract. 



Resolved, That the fact, that after five years of peace 

 the Union still remains unrestored and military rule 

 is still maintained in a large portion of the republic, 

 is in itself proof that the party in power has not the 

 disposition to reestablish the Union in its ancient 

 symmetry, and to restore real peace, with its attend- 

 ant blessings, to all the people, and that such a party 



is unfit to be longer intrusted with the control of the 

 Government. 



The Republican Convention also assembled 

 in Providence, and renominated Seth Padclford 

 for Governor, Pardon "W. Stevens for Lieuten- 

 ant-Governor, John R. Bartlett for Secretary 

 of State, Willard Sayles for Attorney-General, 

 and Samuel A. Parker for General Treasurer. 

 No platform was adopted. 



At the election, Padelford (Republican) re- 

 ceived 10,493 votes for Governor, and Pierce 

 6,295. Republican majority, 4,198. The Le- 

 gislature was divided as follows : Senate, Re- 

 publicans, 25 ; House, 54 ; Democrats, Senate, 

 9 ; House, 18. 



The funded debt of the State at the close of 

 the war was $4,000,000, of which sum, $1,072,- 

 500 had been paid principally from collections 

 made from the General Government for State 

 dues, accruing from military services rendered 

 and supplies furnished, leaving an outstanding 

 balance of $2,927,500 due in State bonds, bear- 

 ing interest at six per cent, per annum, payable 

 semi-annually. None of these bonds are pay- 

 able previous to the year 1882, and some of 

 them not until 1893 and 1894. The Treasurer 

 has redeemed of this amount $152,000, thereby 

 reducing the State debt to $2,775,500. 



There are twenty-five institutions for savings 

 in the State. The number of depositors in the 

 aggregate is 67,238, and the amount deposited 

 is $27,067,072.18. The Providence Institution 

 for Savings has the largest amount, upward of 

 five million dollars standing to the credit of 

 16,551 depositors. 



Providence contains almost one-third of the 

 inhabitants of the State. The assessed value 

 of its wealth is as follows : Real estate, $52,- 

 638,700; personal estate, $40,565,100: total, 

 $93,103,800. The amount of tax is $1,256,901.- 

 30, and the ratio of taxation $1.35 on each 

 $100. The number of industrial establishments 

 in the State of all kinds is 1,180, against 1,459 

 in 1805, and 1,191 in 1860. 



The cause of education is in a prosperous 

 condition. The town appropriations for the 

 year 'are $16,000 more than in 1869 ; more and 

 better school-buildings have been erected than 

 in any previous year, and the number of weeks 

 of school have been increased ; the State Board 

 of Education has been organized, and has en- 

 tered upon its work with earnestness, fidelit}-, 

 and zeal. The Governor recommends the es- 

 tablishment of a Normal and Training School 

 for teachers, and an Industrial School for the 

 benefit of the more than 8,000 children between 

 the ages of five and fifteen who are growing 

 up in ignorance, without any school instruc- 

 tion. The Superintendent of Schools makes 

 some statements concerning the evening schools, 

 which show them to have been eminently suc- 

 cessful. They were attended by nearly two 

 thousand persons from the ages of ten years 

 to that of forty. 



An appointment of a Board of Female Visit- 

 ors, to the penal and correctional institutions 



