670 



RHODE ISLAND. 



town and to seat a Democrat in his place, on the 

 ground that certain votes cast in the April elec- 

 tion for the Democratic candidate had been er- 

 roneously rejected in the count, and that these, 

 if counted, would give the latter a majority. 

 They then unseated the hold-over Republican 

 member from Westerly, on the ground of his 

 election to the Senate, leaving a vacancy in the 

 representation from that town. By these tactics 

 they secured 41 members of the House and a 

 majority of the grand committee. Thereupon, on 

 the third day of the session the House sent an 

 invitation to the Senate to join with it in grand 

 committee for the purpose of canvassing the re- 

 turns of the April election and declaring the 

 result. This the Senate refused to do, on the 

 ground that the House, by unwarrantable action, 

 had changed the political character of the grand 

 committee. There being no choice for State 

 officers by the people hi the April election, the 

 duty of selecting them would devolve upon the 

 grand committee, as provided by the Constitu- 

 tion, and for this reason its political character 

 became important. Before refusing to meet the 

 House, the Republicans had carried through the 

 Senate a resolution of adjournment to January, 

 1894, which the House, upon its reception, laid 

 upon the table. The Senate then certified to the 

 Governor that a difference existed between the 

 two Houses as to the date of adjournment, and, 

 in accordance with section 6 of Article VII of 

 the State Constitution, he issued his order ad- 

 journing both Houses till the last Tuesday of 

 January, 1894. The House refused to recognize 

 this order, but, continuing in session, passed an 

 order submitting to the State Supreme Court the 

 following questions : 



1. Has the Senate the constitutional power at the 

 May session to pass a resolution of adjournment for a 

 longer period than two days until after it has joined 

 with the House of Kepresentatives in grand commit- 

 tee, request having been made to the Senate by the 

 House of Representatives to join in such grand com- 

 mittee for the purpose of counting and declaring the 

 votes cast for general officers at the preceding April 

 election ? 



2. In case a resolution of adjournment to the city of 

 Providence to the fourth Tuesday in January follow- 

 ing should have been adopted by the Senate before 

 joining the House of Representatives in grand com- 

 mittee at the annual May session, for the purpose of 

 counting and declaring the votes cast for general offi- 

 cers at the preceding general election, should not 

 have been acted upon by the House of Representa- 

 tives, does such a state of things constitute a " dis- 

 agreement" on the subject of adjournment, which 

 confers upon the Governor the power to adjourn the 

 General Assembly under section 6, Article VII, of the 

 Constitution ? 



3. Can the General Assembly at the May session 

 be adjourned by the Governor, under the power con- 

 ferred upon him by section 6, Article \ II, of the 

 Constitution, until after the two Houses have joined 

 in grand committee, for the purpose of counting and 

 declaring the votes cast for general officers at the pre- 

 ceding April election? 



An answer to these questions was given by the 

 court on Aug. 12. The first and third questions 

 were answered in the affirmative, while upon the 

 second no direct decision was given, the Court 

 holding that the Governor was sole judge of what 

 constituted a disagreement, and that his action 

 could not be reviewed by the Court. The Demo- 

 cratic majority of the House had, meanwhile, 



kept up its sessions from week to week, but on 

 Aug. 17, in view of the opinion of the Court, 

 they decided to adjourn to the time fixed by the 

 Governor. 



The only important action taken by the two 

 Houses concurrently at this session related to 

 the plurality election amendment to the State 

 Constitution which was proposed at the January 

 session. This amendment was concurred in, and 

 provision was made for its submission to the peo- 

 ple on the fourth Tuesday of November. 



Education. During the year the sum of $1,- 

 332,414.83 was expended for education, of which 

 $300,371.15 was devoted to building and equip- 

 ment. Of this total there was drawn directly 

 from the State treasury $274,476.79, and the re- 

 mainder was derived from the treasuries of 

 cities, towns, and districts. 



The number of children enrolled during the 

 year in public schools was 53,695, an increase of 

 958 over 1892. In addition to this number, 13,- 

 660 in 64 private institutions. 



The most important events of the educational 

 year were the completion of the Manual Train- 

 ing School in Providence, and the occupancy by 

 the Rhode Island School of Design of its new 

 quarters on Waterman Street, in Providence, 

 which was the generous donation of a public- 

 spirited citizen. 



The new State establishment known as the In- 

 stitute for the Deaf, in Providence, was dedicated 

 on Feb. 21. It began the first year with 52 

 pupils. The cost of maintenance during the 

 year was $13,315.94. 



There are at the Perkins Institution for the 

 Blind, at South Boston, and its kindergarten, in 

 Jamaica Plain, 9 boys and 11 girls supported by 

 the State. 



At the School for Feeble Minded, in Waverly, 

 Mass.. there are 6 boys and 5 girls. 



Charities and Prisons. The number of in- 

 mates at the State institutions on Dec. 31 was as 

 follows : 



The building for the insane is finished and 

 occupied, but it will only answer present re- 

 quirements. Temporary barracks for about 150 

 men are being constructed to relieve the over- 

 crowded condition of the Providence County 

 jail. 



Militia. The returns of the active militia at 

 the close of the year are as follow: Commis- 

 sioned officers, 170; noncommissioned officers, 

 329 ; musicians, 62 ; privates, 915 ; total, l,47d. 

 The number of men available in the State for 

 militia service is 130,566. The expenditures for 

 military purposes in 1893 were $38,739. 



Banks. The deposits in the institutions for 

 savings on Nov. 16, 1893, amounted to $69,053,- 

 724.17, distributed among 130,610 depositors. 

 The deposits in the trust companies, participa- 



