RHODE ISLAND. 



721 



gate number of votes polled for Governor was 

 15,523, of which Mr. Littlefield received 10,056. 



REORGANIZATION. On May 30th the Legis- 

 lature met again at Newport, " to proceed to 

 the reorganization of the State government for 

 the ensuing year." The Senate was called to 

 order by the Governor, as its usual President, 

 and John B. Sanborn, the last year's presiding 

 officer of the House of Representatives, was 

 re-elected Speaker. A numerous committee, 

 consisting of five members from the county of 

 Providence and three from each of the other 

 counties, together with the Secretary of State 

 and the Clerks of both Houses, was appointed 

 "to count the ballots for Governor and general 

 State officers, and report to grand commit- 

 tee "; which committee, on canvass, made 

 their report to the General Assembly in grand 

 committee on the same day, declaring the offi- 

 cers actually elected, namely : Governor, Alfred 

 H. Littlefield ; Lieutenant- Governor, Henry H. 

 Fay ; Secretary of State, Joshua M. Addeman ; 

 Attorney-General, Samuel B. Colt; General 

 Treasurer, Samuel Clark. All of these officers 

 were legally sworn in immediately afterward. 



The following State officers were elected 

 by the General Assembly on May 31st, both 

 Houses having then met again in grand com- 

 mittee for that purpose : State Auditor, Samuel 

 H. Cross ; Assistant Attorney-General, Benja- 

 min M. Bos worth, Jr. ; State Inspector of Beef 

 and Pork, Henry M. Kimball ; State Inspector 

 of Lime, Gilbert E. Whittmore ; State Inspector 

 of Scythe-stones, 0. E. Chickering; State In- 

 spector of Cables, Joseph P. Morton. 



The same grand committee, on May 31st, 

 elected two Associate Justices of the State Su- 

 preme Court, Pardon E. Tillinghast and George 

 M. Carpenter. They elected also trial justices, 

 a long list of justices of the peace, sheriffs and 

 clerks of the several counties, members of the 

 State Board of Education to fill vacancies, and 

 notaries public. 



The next General Assembly in either House 

 will stand as follows : In the Senate, Republi- 

 cans 27, Democrats 8 ; in the House of Repre- 

 sentatives, Republicans 68, Democrats 8. 



On June 2d the General Assembly adjourned 

 to June 13th, that the legal time prescribed by 

 the statute of Congress for an election of Sena- 

 tor might elapse. Upon their meeting again, 

 on June 13th, Senator Anthony was re-elected 

 for a fifth term. 



On the same day both Houses passed " an 

 act to approve, and publish, and submit to the 

 electors a proposition of amendment to the 

 Constitution of this State." The act declared 

 the above-mentioned amendment approved by 

 both Houses ; and fixed " the first Tuesday after 

 the first Monday in November, 1882," as the 

 day of election. 



Several acts and resolutions of minor impor- 

 tance were passed on June 14th, relating espe- 

 cially to appropriations, and the Newport ses- 

 sion was closed on the same day. 



CONGRESSMEN. For the November election 

 VOL. xxu. 46 A 



in 1882 the Republicans and the Democrats 

 residing within the two congressional districts 

 of Rhode Island severally met in convention 

 at Providence, the former on October 20th, the 

 latter on the 26th, to nominate their respective 

 candidates for Congressmen. All of these four 

 conventions were held, not only in the same 

 city, but also in the same room the Slade 

 Hall, the convention for the second district 

 having begun its work immediately after the 

 first had adjourned, the delegates to the former 

 waiting for the departure of those of the lat- 

 ter, to occupy the chairs vacated. The Repub- 

 licans from either district unanimously re- 

 nominated the incumbents, namely, Henry J. 

 Spooner, of Providence, for the First District ; 

 and Jonathan Chace, of Lincoln, for the Second 

 District. The Democrats as unanimously nom- 

 inated Oscar Lapham, of Providence, for the 

 First District ; and Jonathan M. Wheeler, of 

 Cranston, for the Second District. 



COLORED VOTERS. The colored voters of 

 Rhode Island, who have long complained of 

 the treatment which they have steadily re- 

 ceived at the hands of the Republican party in 

 the State they being unrecognized as citizens, 

 neglected, and totally ignored in regard to their 

 political rights, excepting that of suffrage, 

 which is eagerly sought for assembled in con- 

 vention at Newport on the 18th of October, 

 1882, to express and make publicly known 

 their sentiments. About fifty delegates from 

 the various parts of the State attended this 

 convention, a large number of other colored 

 men being also present as interested specta- 

 tors. Several public speakers of high repute 

 among them addressed the convention, set forth 

 in plain language, besides other causes of com- 

 plaint, that the colored voters were highly in- 

 sulted by the party in power, as they were con- 

 sidered not worthy being voted for for any of 

 the public offices in the gift of the people; de- 

 claring also that henceforward they intended 

 to act independently of the Republican party 

 on all political occasions, but vote for the per- 

 son, whatever the party to which he might be- 

 long, who would recognize them as citizens. 



An " address to the people," recounting their 

 grievances, together with a series of resolutions, 

 was unanimously adopted by this convention, 

 the resolutions being as follow : 



Resolved, That the Kepublican party of pur State 

 has failed to properly recognize the worthiness and 

 faithful devotion of it's colored adherents ; that it con- 

 tinues to do so in the face of earnest but respectful 

 remonstrances. 



Resolved, That while we cling to those principles 

 which have made the party acceptable to the people, 

 and would adhere steadfastly to its nominations, we 

 affirm our determination to support that person, let 

 him be allied to whatever party he may be, if he shall 

 convince us that he has the most regard for our rights 

 and feelings as citizens of the State. 



Resolved, That we demand common respect, and a 

 fair representation in the apportionment of prominent 

 and other offices ; not simply because of the money 

 considerations that usually accompany office, but that 

 it may be seen that our class is respected and deferred 

 to as are other citizens. 



