RHODE ISLAND. 



Court of Massachusetts, asking that the 

 boundary line between the two States be so de- 

 flected as to make it pass along the northeastern 

 line of thrir M ttlement. A -mnlar petition was 

 t.> U- -. nt to the Khode Island Legis- 

 after the flrst should have been acted 



Block Inland. -The great Salt pond, Block 

 Island, was formally opened Sept 81 as a harbor 

 ' .*. The State appropriated $60,000 for 

 work on the harbor, and the town $45,000, of 



-W has been expended. The I 

 is a natural formation <f extensive proportion*. 

 J3 to 85 feet at low water. A low 

 strvtrh of sand separates it from the ocean. 



New Statehonse, Ground was broken Sept. 

 16 for a new State house <>n Smith's Hill in 

 .nee. The commission to do the work 

 was appointed at the January session of 1898. 

 The city appropriated $300,000 for a site, pro- 

 Tided one were selected within certain limits. 

 The design was made by New York architect*, 

 and calls for marble as the material. The con- 

 tract price for construction is $1.576,000. 



Initiative Seflslon. The January session 

 began Jan. 80 and ended May 25. Among the 

 mot* important bills was one called t he St ri k*> 

 act," amending and adding to the chapter < T 

 apt rate Pro|H-rtv," providing 



imprisonment for willfully obstructing 

 railway company in the use of its tracks 

 or willfully and maliciously delay ing or obstruct- 

 ing the pawing of its cars or carriages thereon, 

 and for willfully and maliciously cutting, de- 

 stroying, or injuring any machine, appliance, or 

 apparatus used for generating electric currents, 

 or any electric wire or other appliance or appa- 

 ratus used for the purpose of conducting or trans- 

 mitting electric currents for using and furni-h- 

 ing power, motive power, light, heat, or used for 

 the purpose of transmitting intelligence, etc. 



It was prohibited, under penalty of $25 to 

 $100, to - display the flag or emblem of any for- 

 eign country on any State, county, city, or town 

 building or public-school house within 'the State: 

 Provided, however, that when any foreigner 

 shall become the guest of the United States, or of 

 this State, the flag of the country of which such 

 public guest shall be a citizen or subject may be 

 displayed upon public buildings, except public- 

 school bouses." 



An addition was made to the statutes on 

 buds, forbidding the killing or trapping of car- 



A report was received by the Committee on 

 Roads and Public Highways appointed at the 

 January session in 1898. The committee in ex- 

 amininjf the principal highways of the 

 loand little to commend. In the western part 

 W of the highways traverse very steep hills. 

 A fJooaUon of many of these roads is recom- 



!* J ;<*} number of miles of highways in the 



|M*A 1* :.! _. A *m* M \ \ A *A. * 



which 248 miles are of 



^~: AcU making provision for im- 

 * Btds and for maintaining and 

 * ? W?^' <! ne office of 

 mtrndmt of Highways was created. 

 Tne statute on oystci flsheries was amendpd 

 .loprarid. thrt tt I-tbtam. *2lel^ 



5 commissioners of shellfisheri. 1 fron 

 county. The statute on inland iMi.-i:. 

 also amended, and tines inmosed for 

 traps; weirs, etc.. during the close season. 



Provideooe was authorised to borrow $ri> 

 for highway work. $400,000 for school purpose!, 

 and $150.000 for park purposes. A 



.^rrsand registration f.-r the city o! 

 dence was created. Tin- Ma\.-r wa- autl 

 to contract with tii- Rhode Island II 

 the construction and maintenance < 

 for the cure of contagious di-i-as, >. nil. 

 of the session were : 



lin-_r for a standard t'<>rni of tin- insurance 

 policy. 



.iatimr tho admission of foreign Luil.i 



vision of ,-ueh u>s.-iat 

 Amending th- trame laws with r- 

 Beqniring signboards at railroad cm-- 



ten* at least n inches long u Railroad Crowiin- 



Look, and I.istm." 



An act was pass.-d providini: for M 

 tions as an amendment to the r..n-titu; 

 be submitted to the popular vote if also passed 

 at the May session. 



Among the appropriations were the fl! 



Public BchoolA, $120,000; Normal S,-h....|. * 

 traveling cxpenttes of students of tin- .Nonnul 

 $2,(KX); institut*-.-*. ?.'.""; 



$5,000; Khodc Island School 

 annual sum provided by the pul>ii 

 fees of beneficiaries, $8,000 ; purchase of chi>< 

 ratus, as provided by the public .-tat utc*, $:!,< 

 cation ofblind and imbecile child) 

 the public laws, $12,000; tree j.uhlie libram-.-. 

 State home and school, $20,000; support 

 ircnt inane, $12,000; State printing, $30,OCKi 

 binding, $5.000; advertising and pubi; 

 laws, $10,000; militia and milit:i!. 

 unimry rent.-. $''..7<'<'; heatinu' and lighting jr. 

 $1,750; Statelil.r. .-,v library. > 



Historical Society, $1.500; Newport 

 $500 j State Board <-t Health. $.V,MI : State r, 

 Chanties, $225,000, besides in ved b^^^H 



which are appropriated to their u 

 Prevention of Cruelty to Children, $2,5*' 

 Aid Association, $500: State Board of A-.'ri.-ultiirc, 

 $15,000; Society for t nn -.1' < r 



AnimaU, $1,000; Soldier.- 1 lielief fund. > 

 diers' Home fund, $22,000; .\^:rieiilturul College, 

 $10,000; Institute for the Deaf, $15,000. 



The May session opened at Newport, M 

 The 2 branches were organized, the ballots cast 

 for State officers at the April election 

 counted, the officers-elect were sworn \\ 

 the new Governor was inaugurated. I Miring 

 the two days of the session the bill for .- 

 ting the proposed biennial-elections n 

 was passed, additional appropriations were 

 for the expenses of the State Government, as well 

 as one of $10.000 for taking the census. $ 

 for the Board of Agriculture, $10,000 for 

 the armory at Bristol, $500 for a bounty 

 foxes, and $10,000 for having t ) 

 represented at the various expositioi 

 in Mexico and other places. 



Political. The Republ; 

 was held in Providence, March 14. The r 

 tions, after declaring in favor of the part\ 

 on national questions, favored the plan for bien- 

 nial elections. All the State officers except the 

 Governor were renoruinated. The new 



