BBO 



RIIODE ISLAND. 



RIANZARES, DCQUE DE. 



1873, were $191,358, making with the balance 

 of $161,7tiO in the Treasury :it .the former date, 

 a total of $353,118. The disbursements during 

 the same period were $32::, o^u. leaving a bal- 

 ance of $30,097 in the Treasury November 30, 

 1878. 



The total valuation of the several cities and 

 towns, as reported by the State Board of Valu- 

 ation, is $328,530,559, including $243,658,190 

 real and $84,872,369 personal estate. 



The amount appropriated by the towns in 

 1873 tor school purposes, in addition to the 

 amount expended for buildings, was $304,685, 

 which represents an increase daring ten years 

 of $205,569. while there has been a slight de- 

 crease within that period of the average at- 

 tendance of pupils. The increase in the length 

 of the school year to thirty-six weeks, the in- 

 crease in teachers' salaries, the improvements 

 made in school-houses and furnishings, are 

 among the reasons for this increase in school 

 expenditures in ten years; while the existence 

 of a large number of private and evening 

 schools has done much to draw from the at- 

 tendance upon the public day-schools. 



A large portion of Governor Howard*! mes- 

 sage to the Legislature of 1874 is devoted to 

 the subject of institutions for savings. The 

 opinion seems to be general that the laws 

 governing those institutions need immediate 

 reforming. It has been suggested that a max- 

 imum rate of interest on deposits should bo 

 established by law ; that receiving largo amounts 

 from corporations and others should be dis- 

 ced by limiting the amount which any 

 bank may receive from one depositor; mil 

 that the practice, prevalent among some banks, 

 of sending funds to remote States in order to 

 obtain a high rate of interest, should be pro- 

 hibited. It is the opinion of Governor How- 

 ard that " the provisions of the luw in regard to 

 State supervision are wholly inadequate. In- 

 asmuch as the appointment of a special com- 

 mittee to examine the condition of a bank, of 

 its.-lf I. -mis to discredit find injure such institu- 

 tion, it follows that examinations are not likely 

 to take place until there has been aome marked 

 violation of law or glaring mismanagement. 

 In practice, therefore, the law is remedial only, 

 when it should be preventive as well. A 

 :--i'Hi of annual appointment, the duties 

 I' which should be to make occasional visits 

 .it' inspection to all saving* and State banks, 

 would lie much more likely to discover vicious 

 :in>l imprudent, management." 



There are now thirty-seven savings institu- 

 tions in the State. Notwithstanding the finan- 

 cial troubles of the latter part of the year, the 

 deposits in the savings-banks of the State in- 

 creased during the year more than $4,000,000, 

 the aggregate at the end of the year I 

 $40,617,188. The undivided profits amount to 

 $1,780,430 more. The number of depositors 

 reached 93.124, an increase during the year 

 of 4,460 ; the average amount duo each was 

 $600.69, an increase of $20. It is claimed to 



bo the largest average shown by any of the 

 .-rage rate oi' dividend has been 



7i per cent, per annum. 



Kll'orts have been made by the Commission- 

 ers of Fisheries to reestablish within the bor- 

 ders of the State this important sour. . 

 wealth. Shod and salmon have been placed 

 in the lilackstone, 1'awtuxet, and 1'aweutuck 

 rivers, and the commUMoiu rs hope to i 

 an arrangement with the proper authority 

 Massachusetts, whereby Warren Kiver can also 

 be used for this purpose. Black bass have been 

 placed in the ponds of nine town.--, and tho 

 commissioners assert the fullest confidence in 

 their ability to stock the waters of the State 

 successfully with this valuable fish. The tish- 

 way at Pawtuxet has been completed, and is 

 likely to answer tho purpose for which it is 

 intended. 



RIAXZARES, FERNANDO MuSoz, Duqne de, 

 aSpanish soldier sprung from the lowest ranks, 

 the favorite, the husband, and subsequently 

 king-consort of Maria Christina, ex-Queen- 

 Dowagerof Spain, born at Tarrauc.m iCuenya), 

 in Spain, 1810; died near Havre, France. Sep- 

 tember 15, 1873. lie was the son of a Madrid 

 tobacconist, a private in the King's guard, and 

 his sister a laundry-maid in Madrid, when in 

 1830 ho attracted the attention of Queen Chris- 

 tina. She had married the previous year, as 

 his fourth wife, Ferdinand VII., he being forty- 

 five and she but twenty-three. She was tray, 

 unprincipled, and selfish. The young guards- 

 man, Mufioz, as one of the escort party of tho 

 Queen from liucn lietiro to Madrid, had picked 

 up her embroidered handkerchief and pre- 

 sented it to her with true Spanish grace. He 

 was handsome and had a line address, and con- 

 siderable vivacity of manner, and these quali- 

 ties attracted the Queen, who held a conversa- 

 tion of several hours with him that day, took 

 him at once into her favor, lavished on him 

 wealth 'and honors and a court position, and 

 in 1833, three months after tho death of Fer- 

 dinand VII., was privately married to him. 

 This marriage caused great scandal. After a 

 stormy regency of eight years, Queen Christina 

 was in 1840 driven from Spain, but three years 

 later she returned in triumph, and in October, 

 1844, was married in public to Mufio/.. to whom 

 she accorded tho title of Dnque de Rian, 

 Tho Queen continued in power even after her 

 daughter Isabella had attained her majority 

 and ascended tho throne, but was finally com- 

 pelled to leave tho country in 1*.VI. and n.-x.r 

 afterward regained tho ascendency she had 

 previously exercised. The duke took little part 

 in politics, .'ind was content, with the honor of 

 being the Queen's husband. It was prop 

 in 1846 to give him a Spanish-American king- 

 dom, but ho evinced little desire for the doubt- 

 ful honor. Hi' was created a L'ramlce of Spain 

 of the first, class, and a Knight of the Golden 

 '.. In 1847, at the time of the Spanish 

 marriages. King Louis Philippe of Fn 

 him the grand-cross of the Legion of Honor, 



