676 



RHODE ISLAND. 



also for medals to be given to honorably discharged 

 soldiers and sailors of the Spanish war. 



W. H. Walker was chosen quartermaster gen- 

 eral, and Olney Arnold commissioner of the sink- 

 ing fund. 



The completed State census of 1895 was presented 

 at the May session by the superintendent, Henry E. 

 Tiepke. 



A resolution was passed favoring the resolution 

 introduced in Congress proposing an amendment 

 to the Constitution giving Congress power to fix 

 uniform hours of labor in factories throughout the 

 United States. 



A new law in regard to the collection of taxes 

 protects investors in mortgages. Heretofore a rule 

 has been in force that where property on which a 

 tax was due to the municipality had been disposed 

 of, the tax might be levied on other property in 

 which the one against whom it was assessed had an 

 interest; so that a piece of mortgaged property 

 might become liable for a large amount of taxes 

 due on other property which the owner had dis- 

 posed of. The new law provides that if any person 

 is taxed for several parcels of real estate, each of 

 such parcels shall be liable for the payment of the 

 tax assessed against it, even though the same may 

 have been aliened; and no such parcel shall be 

 liable for any tax assessed against any other parcel. 

 If any person is taxed for real estate and for per- 

 sonal estate in the same tax, the whole of such per- 

 son's tax may be collected either out of the real or 

 personal estate. If any person is taxed for several 

 parcels of real estate and for personal estate in the 

 same tax, and the tax on personal estate can, in the 

 opinion of the collector, be best collected out of 

 the real estate, each of such parcels shall be liable 

 for the payment of the tax assessed against it, 

 together with such portion of the tax on the per- 

 sonal estate as the assessed value of such parcel 

 bears to the aggregate assessed values of all of such 

 parcels. 



A law regarding education provides that all 

 teachers hereafter must have certificates from the 

 State board. State aid is to be provided for towns 

 consolidating ungraded schools to form graded 

 schools, and to those making provision for attend- 

 ance of their pupils at other high schools and 

 academies. Towns consolidating their schools may 

 pay for conveyance of pupils to and from school. 



An act applying to street railways that should 

 accept its provisions before Oct. 1, 1898, provides 

 that in lieu of all other special State taxes, compa- 

 nies paying a dividend of 8 per cent, or less shall 

 pay a State tax of 1 per cent, of their gross receipts. 

 Those paying dividends greater than 8 per cent, pay 

 an amount equal to the excess of the dividend over 

 8 per cent. The contract can not be altered without 

 consent of both parties. Issues of capital stock are 

 subject to the approval of theRailroad Commissioner. 

 Cities and towns may not revoke the franchise, but 

 may order change of route with the approval of the 

 commissioner; appeal may be taken to the Appel- 

 late Division of the Supreme Court. 



Other acts were : 



Providing that the law on commercial fertilizers 

 be inforced by the Board of Managers of the Agri- 

 cultural College. 



Prohibiting the confinement of juvenile offenders 

 with older prisoners. Children under thirteen, when 

 held for trial, must be committed to the custody of 

 the Board of Charities or some specified charitable 

 society; and if convicted must be sent to reform 

 schools, except for offenses punishable by imprison- 

 ment for life. 



Providing that soldiers and sailors in service in 

 time of war may vote. 



Allowing persons to petition the Supreme Court 



for a judgment declaring their citizenship and their 

 residence and domicile in the State. 



Providing that there shall be no days of grace on 

 notes, etc.. unless expressly provided for, except 

 three days for bills of exchange and one day in 

 case of evidences of indebtedness falling due on 

 holidays. 



Providing that the Governor may draw on the 

 Treasurer for $3,000 annually, instead of $2,000 as 

 heretofore, for payment of any special services of a 

 public nature. 



Appropriating $14,000 annually, instead of $12,- 

 000, for education of deaf, blind, and imbecile chil- 

 dren. 



Providing for the procuring of lists of soldiers in 

 Colonial and Revolutionary wars by the Commis- 

 sioner of Records. 



Making taxes assessed in fire districts a lien 

 against real estate, to continue two years if estate is 

 aliened. 



Political. State officers were elected April 6, 

 and a Legislature. 



The first candidates to be put in nomination were 

 those of the Prohibition party, which held its con- 

 vention in Providence, Feb. 22. Besides reaffirm- 

 ing the central principle of the party, the resolutions 

 declared in favor of womon suffrage, Sunday ob- 

 servance, radical changes in taxation laws, an 

 amendment to the election laws insuring to al 1 

 parties having place on the official ballot an equal 

 right to supervisors of elections, and the no-license 

 movement ; and said also : 



" We deplore the continuance of hard times, and 

 declare it to be our firm conviction that the annual 

 expenditure of more than one billion dollars by the 

 people of the United States for that which is not 

 bread and which satisfieth not is the greatest cause 

 of hard times. 



" We condemn the lax manner in which the laws 

 of the State are being enforced, and especially the 

 practice of attorney-generals whereby the impris- 

 onment fixed by law is remitted by said official. 

 As declared by the Supreme Court, the practice is a 

 vicious one." 



The nominations were: For Governor, Edwin A. 

 Lewis ; Lieutenant Governor, C. D. Harp ; Secre- 

 tary of State, Joseph A. Peckham ; Treasurer, 

 Elisha T. Read : Attorney-General, James A. Wil- 

 liams. 



The Democratic Convention met March 14. The 

 resolutions cited the important acts passed by the 

 last Legislature with a Democratic majority four 

 years ago ; among which were an amendment to the 

 Constitution giving registry voters in cities the 

 right to vote for city council, an act for the calling 

 of a constitutional convention, and a corrupt-prac- 

 tices act ; they then condemned the acts of the Re- 

 publican Legislature since, naming the franchise 

 grant to the Providence street railway, and said : 



'This year, owing to a revolt against bossism in 

 the cities of Providence and Pawtucket, the oppo- 

 sition numbers about 20 per cent, of the Legisla- 

 ture. The result has been an exposure of machine 

 politics such as modern Rhode Island has never be- 

 fore witnessed." 



After mentioning the bills introduced in the Leg- 

 islature by the opposition and not acted upon in 

 consequence of the recess taken by the Assembly, 

 the resolutions closed with the following : 



"We pledge our party against the repeal of the 

 ten-hour law, or its amendment to lengthen the 

 hours of labor ; and in behalf of our great manu- 

 facturing population we call upon the Republican 

 State Convention, which meets in this city two days 

 hence, to pledge that party also against repealing 

 the ten-hour law for women and children, or length- 

 ening their hours of labor. 



