712 



KHODE ISLAND. 



$4,895, and had expended $4,716. The work 

 is mainly in the country, among the laborers in 

 the rice and cotton fields. The jurisdiction 

 owns 82 lots with 31 church-buildings, valued 

 in all at about $17,000, which are free of debt 

 except to their own people. 



The Foreign Mission Committee had received 

 $2,755, all of which had been applied toward 

 the support of the station of the Woman's 

 Union Missionary Society at Cawnpore, India. 



The eleventh General Council of the Re- 

 formed Episcopal Church met in Philadelphia, 

 May 25. Presiding Bishop James A. Latane, 

 D. D., presided. The bishops made reports of 

 the condition and work of the several juris- 

 dictions under their charge, viz. : Bishop 

 Cheney, of the Synod of Chicago ; Bishop 

 Nicholson, of the Synod of New York and 

 Philadelphia; Bishop Cridge, of the jurisdiction 

 of the Pacific; Bishop Fellows, of the juris- 

 diction of the Northwest and West; Bishop 

 Stevens, of the special jurisdiction of the South ; 

 Bishop Latane, of the missionary jurisdiction 

 of the South ; and Bishop Wilson, of the Synod 

 of Canada. On the subject of marriage and 

 divorce, the Synod resolved "that the Re- 

 formed Episcopal Church recognizes adultery 

 as the only scriptural ground for divorce ; that 

 this Church forbids its ministers to perform the 

 marriage ceremony for any divorced party, 

 unless the person from whom that party is 

 divorced, has been guilty of or is living in 

 adultery " ; and " that nothing in these resolu- 

 tions forbids the remarriage of a former hus- 

 band and wife." Evangelistic services were 

 recognized as a potent factor in the aggressive 

 work of the Church, and evangelistic unions 

 were approved as useful, wherever practicable, 

 for the more systematic and efficient conduct 

 of such services. Collections were ordered 

 taken regularly in the churches every year 

 for the Board of Missions and the current ex- 

 penses of the theological seminary. The Coun- 

 cil declared, by resolution, " that all Christian 

 men and women should, both by precept and 

 example, uphold the cause of temperance, and 

 do all in their power to suppress the liquor- 

 traffic; that no Christian can consistently en- 

 gage in this traffic, or profit by it, either by 

 leasing or letting the building in which to carry 

 it on, or otherwise ; and that no Christian can 

 consistently aid this traffic by signing petitions 

 for license to engage in the same." 



The General Synod of Great Britain and 

 Ireland of this Church has a separate and in- 

 dependent existence, which was granted by a 

 resolution of the General Conncil of 1883. 



RHODE ISLAND. State Government. The fol- 

 lowing were the State officers during the year: 

 Governor, George P. Wetmore, Republican, 

 succeeded by JohnW. Davis, Democrat; Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor, Lucius B. Darling, succeeded 

 by Samuel R. Honey ; Secretary of State, Josh- 

 ua M. Addeman, succeeded by Edwin D. Mc- 

 Guinness; Treasurer, Samuel Clark, succeeded 

 by John G. Perry ; Auditor and Insurance Com- 



missioner, Samuel H. Cross, succeeded by E. 

 W. Bucklin ; Attorney-General, Edwin Metcalf, 

 succeeded by Ziba O. Slocum ; Railroad Com- 

 missioner, Walter R. Stiness; Chief-Justice of 

 the Supreme Court, Thomas Durfee; Associate 

 Justices, Pardon E. Tillinghast, Charles Matte- 

 son, John H. Stiness, and George A. Wilbur. 



Legislative Sessions. The adjourned session of 

 the Legislature of 1886 continued from January 

 18 to May 6. A woman-suffrage amendment 

 to the Constitution, proposed by the preceding 

 Legislature, was approved, and provision made 

 for its submission to the people in April. Con- 

 siderable changes were made in the liquor law 

 passed at the May session, with the object of 

 removing difficulties and detects preventing its 

 complete enforcement. The chief of State po- 

 lice may now designate as his assistants ten 

 members of the State police, for service outside 

 of their usual jurisdiction. Any officer may, 

 without warrant, seize liquor, or arrest persona 

 illegally selling or handling liquor, provided a 

 warrant be sworn out within twenty-four hours 

 in case of arrest. Except on railroads and 

 steamships, there can be no transportation of 

 liquor by night, and all receptacles containing 

 it must be fully marked, to show the contents 

 and destination. The dispensing of liquor at 

 clubs is made a common nuisance, punishable by 

 a heavy fine or imprisonment. Annual reports 

 from the various local sheriffs and from the 

 chief of State police are required. 



Other acts of the session were as follow : 



Making additional regulations for the treatment of 

 diseased cattle. 



Amending the election laws, to prevent fraud and 

 irregularity. 



Regulating the powers of orphanages. 



Establishing the boundary-line between this State 

 and Connecticut from the mouth of Ashaway river 

 through the waters of the Pawcatuck river and the 

 waters of the sea. 



Establishing " Arbor-day " as a holiday. 



To punish false pretenses in securing the registration 

 of cattle and other animals, and to punish giving false 

 pedigrees. 



Annexing a part of the town of Cranston to the 

 city of Providence. 



Amending and revising the truant law. 



The new Legislature elected in April met at 

 Newport on May 31, for its first session, and 

 adjourned June 17 to meet in January, 1888, 

 at Providence. Only six public laws were 

 passed, among them the following: 



Authorizing the city of Providence to borrow $200,- 

 000, to be expended on highways. 



Giving the Secretary of State full control and 

 management of the State-House at Providence. 



Prohibiting the sale of liquors or merchandise within 

 one mile of out-door religious meetings or associations 

 without consent of such religious society. 



Authorizing the town of Woonsocket' to issue $200,- 

 000 of bonds. 



Before the end of the year, it was found 

 that the appropriation for paying jurors in the 

 county courts had been exhausted, as well as 

 the miscellaneous fund. The Governor there- 

 fore called an extra session. This session met 

 at Providence November 15, and continued 

 four days. The amendment relative to qualifi- 



