684 



EHODE ISLAND. 



eased animals have been killed. The very im- 

 portant work of this department in endeavoring to 

 eliminate disease arising from tuberculosis in cattle 

 will have to be discontinued if an additional appro- 

 priation is not provided. 



" The appropriation for the militia, made at the 

 January session, has already been exhausted. A 

 large number of unpaid bills are outstanding and a 

 portion of the troops are still unpaid for duty ren- 

 dered at the State camp. 



" The State Auditor reports that further appro- 

 priations will be required for the use of the courts 

 and for various purposes connected with printing, 

 the courthouses, Board of Health, etc. 



" The United State contributes annually over 

 40,000 toward the maintenance of the College of 

 Agriculture and Mechanic Arts and the education 

 of its undergraduates. It has also furnished arms 

 for the use of the students and an officer of the regu- 

 lar army as an instructor. No shelter has been pro- 

 vided for these arms. Two members of the Board 

 of Managers have been obliged to give bonds for 

 them to the extent of $8,600. The omission on the 

 part of the State seemingly to appreciate the money 

 and facilities placed at the disposal of the college 

 by the United States Government, if it should be 

 continued, may lead to the recommendation on the 

 part of the resident military instructor for discon- 

 tinuance of the military department. 



" The appropriation made at the May session for 

 the 'State Normal School will be exhausted before 

 the end of the year. Work upon this building 

 should be pushed as rapidly as possible to enable 

 the State at the earliest day to secure a proper re- 

 turn from the large sums that have been expended. 

 Up to the first of September, 1896, $162,628 had 

 been spent upon this building, leaving of its esti- 

 mated cost $184,033." 



Further, the Governor said, about $160,000 would 

 be needed to pay for 7 sample half miles of road 

 which had been applied for, to be done early in 

 1897, and rebuilding 16 miles of main highway, as 

 the appropriation would be only sufficient to pay 

 for 11 half miles that had been completed. More- 

 over, to continue the work upon the State Normal 

 School during the coming year will require a further 

 appropriation of $144,000. 



The message continued : 



"By vote of the General Assembly at its May 

 session the General Treasurer was authorized to 

 hire for a time not exceeding one year the sum of 

 $50,000, which is the limit of indebtedness in time 

 of peace that the General Assembly can authorize 

 in behalf of the State without the consent of the 

 people. This sum will not be sufficient to meet the 

 emergency that will arise during the next three 

 months. I renew the recommendation made in the 

 message presented at the May session to submit to 

 the people the right to issue Normal-school bonds, 

 to an amount not exceeding $500,000, containing 

 the right to repay into the general treasury of the 

 State the money that may have been already ad- 

 vanced for this enterprise at the time the proceeds 

 of the bonds are received, and also any surplus that 

 may remain after the Normal School is completed." 



The loan proposition was submitted at the No- 

 vember election and was carried by a vote of 2:1. 523 

 to 15,594. It authorized the General Assembly to 

 provide for borrowing from time to time such sums 

 of money as may be necessary to pay the authorized 

 expenditures of the State, not to exceed the amount 

 of $250,000. 



A new insolvency law went into effect with the 

 revised statutes Feb. 1. Under the old law a debtor 

 might make an assignment to any one he chose, and 

 the creditors had no security against dishonesty, 

 except to file a bill in equity in the Supreme Court, 



asking for a complete accounting before the court. 

 By the new law the debtor may still assign in the 

 old way, if his creditors consent; otherwise the as- 

 signment is under the jurisdiction of the Supreme 

 Court. During the five years previous to Feb. 1, 

 18'J6, there was an average of 100 cases a year in 

 which inventories and schedules were filed by 

 assignees in the Supreme Court ; but during the 

 first ten months in which the new law was in effect, 

 a period of extreme financial depression, but 18 

 petitions in insolvency were filed. 



Among the acts passed were several relating to 

 the city of Providence, including acts authorizing 

 the city to hire $100,000 for the purpose of improv- 

 ing Davis Park ; authorizing the City Council to ap- 

 propriate annually money to provide for firemen and 

 policemen disabled in the discharge of their duties; 

 making the board of canvassers and registration a 

 returning board ; authorizing the city to borrow 

 $300,000 for providing school lands and buildings, 

 and to expend $1,000 for a pedestal for the statue 

 of Admiral Hopkins ; an act in regard to the in- 

 spector of buildings ; and to enlarge, straighten, and 

 otherwise alter streets. 



At the May session the date of the municipal 

 election in Providence was changed to the first 

 Tuesday in November. 



Other acts were : 



Amending the law in regard to the close time for 

 lobster fishing. 



Imposing $20 fine or three months' imprisonment 

 for throwing anything on highways or bridges in- 

 jurious to the feet of persons or animals or to the 

 tires of bicycles or other vehicles. 



Regulating the sale of goods marked " sterling " 

 or " sterling silver " or " coin " or " coin silver." 



Providing that a married woman may make any 

 contract the same as if she were unmarried, with 

 the same rights and liabilities. 



Providing that habitual criminals those con- 

 victed a third time shall be punished by twenty- 

 five years' imprisonment in addition to the sentence 

 imposed for the last offense ; but the Governor, with 

 the consent of the Senate, may give any such con- 

 vict a permit to be at liberty, which permit may be 

 revoked at any time at the discretion of the Gov- 

 ernor ; and in case it is revoked, the time the con- 

 vict has been at liberty shall not be deducted from 

 the sentence. 



Imposing a fine for using any other explosive 

 than gunpowder in firecrackers. 



Enacting that the State shall pay half of the 

 appraised value of any animal killed on account 

 of tuberculosis, and full value if it be found that 

 the animal was not so affected ; but the animal 

 must have been owned by some one in the State, 

 and found in the State three months previous to 

 the time it was killed ; also providing for tests for 

 animals to be shipped through the State. 



Enacting that bicycles be regarded as baggage, 

 and be included in the 80 pounds that the railroads 

 are required to carry free for each passenger. 



Providing penalties for adulteration of candies. 



To establish a board of commissioners for promo- 

 tion of uniformity of legislation in the United 

 States, to confer with boards of other States in 

 order to draft laws to be submitted for approval 

 and adoption to the several States on the subjects 

 of marriage and divorce, insolvency, the form of 

 notarial certificates, the descent and distribution of 

 property, the acknowledgment of deeds, the execu- 

 tion and probate of wills, and other subjects. 



Imposing a fine of $5 for taking or killing any 

 hare, rabbit, or gray squirrel between Jan. 1 and 

 Oct. 1. 



Amending the laws on insurance. 



Making it obligatory on parents and guardians of 



