RHODE ISLAND. 



689 



$100,000 forfeit of the Boston, Hartford & 

 Erie Railroad failed, because the House did 

 not act upon the Senate's resolution. The 

 State Board of Valuation was continued an- 

 other year, to complete its work, and there was 

 voted a State tax of twenty cents on the hun- 

 dred dollars of ratable property, according to 

 the valuation of 1872. 



The General Assembly completed its May 

 session at Newport, on the 30th of May, and 

 adjourned to meet in Providence, on the third 

 Tuesday of January, 1874. 



The Democratic State Convention assembled 

 in Providence on the 18th of March, and nom- 

 inated Charles R. Cutler, of Warren, for Gov- 

 ernor; Samuel H. Wales, of Providence, for 

 Lieutenant-Governor; William J. Miller, of 

 Bristol, for Secretary of State ; George N. 

 Bliss, of East Providence, for Attorney-General ; 

 and William P. Congdon, of Newport, for Gen- 

 eral Treasurer. Benjamin G. Chace subse- 

 quently became the candidate for Governor, 

 nnd Charles E. Gorham for Secretary of State. 

 The following declaration of principles was 

 adopted: 



Retained, That this convention condemns and 

 denounces the action of the majority of the Senators 

 and Representatives of the Forty-second Congress 

 in passing the measure increasing the salaries of 

 members of Congress and others as a national dis- 

 honor, and a disgraceful robbery of the public funds. 



Retained, That the recent developments in Con- 

 gress, and the action of Congress thereon, in refer- 

 ence to the Credit Mobilier plot demonstrated to the 

 people of this nation the real high sense of purity, 

 morality, and integrity entertained by the represent- 

 atives of the party in power at Washington t and calls 

 for the hearty denunciation of all honest citizens. 



Ketolceti, That we sympathize with the situation 

 of the people of the State of Louisiana, and deplore 

 the military rule and reign of terror inaugurated and 

 sustained by the Federal " Ku-klnx," and we hereby 

 reaffirm the time-honored principle of the Demo- 

 cratic party, that a majority of the loyal people of 

 each State have the authority to exercise the inalien- 

 able right guaranteed to them by the Constitution 

 of the United States. 



Retohtd, That the naturalized citizens of the United 

 State* ought to have the same civil and political 

 rights aa the native-born citizen ; and that the con- 

 stitution of the State of Rhode Island, requiring as 

 it does the naturalized citizen to own real estate as a 

 qualification for tlie exercise of the right of suffrage. 

 is an invidious distinction and entirely unjust, and 

 should be so amended as to give equal rights to all. 



The Republican Convention had assembled 

 a few days previously and nominated the fol- 

 lowing ticket: for Governor, Henry Howard, 

 of Coventry ; for Lieutenant-Governor, Charles 

 C. Van Zandt, of Newport ; for Secretary of 

 State, Joshua M. Addeman, of Providence ; for 

 Attorney-General, Willard Sayles, of Provi- 

 dence; for General Treasurer, Samnel Clark, 

 of Lincoln. 



The following resolutions were made part 

 of the proceedings of the convention : 



Boohed, That this convention commends the ac- 

 tion of the Senator! and Representatives in Congress 

 from this State in opposing the measure to increase 

 the salaries of members of Congress and others, and 

 thereby denounces the passage of this bill by the 

 vot. mi. 44 A 



Forty-second Congress as a national dishonor and a 

 disgraceful robbery of the public funds. 



Resolved, That we appeal to the constituents of 

 those members who assisted in the consummation of 

 this great wrong to spare the country the mortifica- 

 tion of seeing those individuals occupying seats in 

 Congress after their present term ol olhce expires. 



On the 19th of March a Prohibitory State 

 Convention was held in Providence, and was 

 attended by 155 delegates, representing 24 

 towns. The convention nominated for Gov- 

 ernor, Henry Howard ; for Lieutenant-Gov- 

 ernor, Latimer W. Ballon; for Secretary of 

 State, Joshua M. Addeman ; for Attorney- 

 General, Willard Sayles; and for General 

 Treasurer, Henry Goff. The following reso- 

 lutions were adopted : 



Keiohed, That the ballot-box being the means 

 through which a citizen is permitted to effect the 

 government under which he lives, he is bound to use 

 it for an expression of his opinion on a political 

 question, as the indiscriminate salu of intoxienting 

 beverages. 



Retohed, That the system of licensing the sale of 

 intoxicating liquors as a beverage, is at war with the 

 material prosperity of the State, and opposed to 

 morals and religion ', that itdoeanot, in reality, check 

 the indulgence in wnat it professes to keep in sub- 

 jection, notwithstanding a large sum of money may 

 be paid by each licence ; that it does discriminate in 

 favor of tne wealthy dealers in liquors, and tends to 

 demoralize every citizen. 



Resolved, That we hail with much satisfaction the 

 introduction of the temperance question in the sphere 

 of national legislation, and we call upon Senators and 

 Representatives in Congress from Rhode Island to 

 give their influence acd votes in favor of prohibition 

 of the traffic in intoxicating liquors, as a bevenigc, 

 in the Territories of the United States nnd the Dis- 

 trict of Columbia ; also, for a National Commission 

 of Inquiry concerning the liquor-traffic, and the re- 

 sults of restrictive and prohibitory legislation for 

 the suppression of intemperance. 



The election, held on the 2d of April, re- 

 sulted in the success of the Republican ticket. 

 Henry Howard, who was the candidate of the 

 Republican party and had also been indorsed 

 by the Prohibitory Convention, received a ma- 

 jority of 5,870 in a total vote of 18,442; 3,786 

 votes were cast for Mr. Chace, the Democratic 

 nominee. The political complexion of the 

 State Legislature chosen is as follows : 



The bonded debt of the State, April 30, 

 1873, was as follows: 



Bonds of October I 1861, payable 1881. 

 186S, payable 1884. 

 1863, payable 18b3. 



1863, payable 1S93. 



1864, payable 1894. 



Bonds of Sept'r 

 Bonds of April 

 Bonds of July 



Bonds of August 1 



$500 00 



1,019,000 CO 



805,0(10 00 



668,000 00 



746,000 00 



Total $2,638,500 00 



The General Treasurer has purchased during 

 the year State bonds to the amonntof $75,000, 

 reducing the State debt to $2,563,500. 



The receipts from the usual sources of reve- 

 nue from April 30, 1873, to November 80, 



