Government. The government of this state is founded on the provisions of the Charter granted to the colony by Charles II., in 1663; and this is the only state in the Union which is without a written Constitution. The legislative power is vested in a General Assembly, consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The House of Representatives consists of 72 members, 6 from Newport, 4 from each of the towns of Providence, Portsmouth, and Warwick, and two from each of the other towns in the State ; and they are elected semi. annually in April and August. The Senate consists of 10 members, who are elected annually in April. The executive power is vested in a Governor, who is elected annually in April. A Lieutenant Governor is also elected, on whom the executive duties devolve in case of the office of governor being vacated. The General Assembly meets four times a year; at Newport on the first Wednesday in May (the commencement of the political year), and by adjournment, at the same place, in June. It meets on the last Wednesday in October, alternately at Providence and South Kingston ; and by adjournment, in January, at East Greenwich, Bristol, or Providence. The judges are appointed annually by the General Assembly. Government for the Year ending on the first Tuesday in May, 1831. Salary. $ 400 200 Henry Bowen, Secretary of State, 750 & fees. Thomas G. Fitman, Treasurer, 450 Albert C. Greene, Attorney General, Fees. Senators. Nathan Brown, Isaac Parker, Thomas Remington. John D'Wolf, Jeremiah M. Potter, Edward Barber. Noel Freeborn, George Hawkins, George Field. Each of the senators and representatives receives $1,50 a day during the session of the Assembly. Supreme Court. Salary. Samuel Eddy, Chief Justice, $650 Charles Brayton, Associate Justice, 550 Samuel Randall, do. 550 There are Courts of Common Pleas established in the several counties. The judges of these courts have no salary, but are paid by entries. do. BANKS. Capital Stock Bills in Cir- Specie. Providence, Providence $500,000 $13,290 00 $ 18,425 59 Exchange do. 500,000 22,246 00 13,783 31 Bank of N. America, do. 100,000 16,037 00 46,020 62 Eagle, do. 300,000 14,143 00 9,952 45 Roger Williams, 499,950 25,700 00 26,254 00 Union, do. 500,000 13,613 00 14,597 83 Merchants', do. 500,000 22,904 00 38,088 94 Mechanics', do. 394,600 23,216 00 17,883 67 Mechanics & Manuf. do. 103,900 13,034 00 5,190 10 High-Street Bank, do. 70,000 13,535 00 7,624 00 Smithfield Exchange 40,000 6,516 00 2,453 30 Smithfield Union 60,000 6,628 00 1,278 47 Village Bank 40,000 13,880 00 2,335 78 Burrillville 37,360 6,907 00 94 06 Smithfield Lime Rock 100,100 7,926 00 4,130 17 Cumberland 65,750 16,958 00 2,985 63 Franklin 38,000 16,313 00 3,520 51 Cranston 25,000 5,869 00 3,199 89 R. Island Agricultural 50,000 13,689 00 5,900 42 Scituate 15,660 3,838 00 1,577 00 Mount Vernon 40,000 25,478 00 11,255 98 Manufacturers' 220,000 8,842 00 4,082 69 N. E. Pacific 83,750 | 10,378 00 3,523 94 Commercial (Bristol) 150,000 9,315 00 2,473 44 Bristol 150,000 8,031 00 4,905 00 Eagle (Bristol) 50,000 2,904 00 2,064 83 Union (Bristol). 40,000 2,991 00 1,636 07 Freemen's Bank 67,000 3,142 00 1,283 94 Warren 105,350 10,668 00 5,055 57 Hope (Warren) 100,000 12,383 00 4,822 72 N. E. Commercial 75,000 28,186 00 5,729 73 Rhode Island Union 200,000 28,348 00 9,830 78 Bank of Rhode Island 100,000 13,180 00 5,672 57 Merchants’ (Newport) 50,000 31,348 00 5,020 38 Newport 120,000 32,305 00 6,085 69 Rhode Island Central 66,275 | 11,041 00 2,668 42 Warwick 20,000 5,883 00 1,937 25 Kent 20,000 17,041 50 5,705 68 Pawtuxet 87,858 10,816 00 6,411 27 North Kingston 44,485 13,851 00 5,078 56 Narragansett 50,000 8,285 00 3,056 74 Washington 75,000 23,236 00 3,875 30 Landholders' 50,000 12,584 00 2,552 42 Phenix (Westerly) 42,000 18,400 00 3,913 97 Centreville Bank 25,000 10,344 00 4,603 95 Woonsocket Falls Bank 51,269 8,649 00 2,541 11 Mount Hope (Bristol) 75,000 225 00 Total 6,098,307 675,305 50 / 342,165 74 *The Bank of the United States has an Office of Discount and Deposit at Providence. EDUCATION.' Brown University is situated at Providence; at the same place there is a seminary styled the Friends' Boarding School; and there are 8 or 10 acad. emies in the state. Increasing attention has of late been paid to education, and the state now pays annually, for the support of free schools, the sum of $10,000, which is divided among the several towns according to population. VI. CONNECTICUT. The territory of Connecticut originally comprised two colonies, the Colony of Connecticut, and the Colony of New Haven. The settlement of Hartford, in the colony of Connecticut, was commenced by emigrants from Massachusetts, in 1635 ; and that of New Haven, in 1638, by emigrants from England. In 1662, a Charter was granted by Charles II., with ample privileges, uniting the colonies of Connecticut and New Haven under one government; but the colony of New Haven refused, for some time, to accept the Charter, and the union did not take place till 1665. The Charter was suspended, in 1687, by Sir Edmund Andros; but it was restored again after the Revolution of 1688 in England; and it formed the basis of the government till 1818. GOVERNORS. New Haven. elected 1639 Theophilus Eaton, elected' 1639 Edward Hopkins, do. 1640 Do. (Theophilus 1640 John Haynes, do. 1641 Do. Eaton was 1641 Edward Hopkins, do. Do. elected an 1642 John Haynes, do. 1643 Do. nually till 1643 Edward Hopkins, do. 1644 Do. his death, 1644 John Haynes, do. 1645 Do. 1645 Edward Hopkins, do. 1646 Do. 1646 John Haynes, do. 1647 1647 Edward Hopkins, 1648 1648 John Haynes, do. 1649 Edward Hopkins, do. 1650 Do. 1650 John Haynes, do. 1651 1651 Edward Hopkins, do. 1652 Do. 1652 John Haynes, do. 1653 Edward Hopkins, do. 1654 Do. 1654 Thomas Wells, do. 1655 John Webster, do. 1656 1656 John Winthrop, do. 1657 Thomas Wells, do. 1658 Francis Newman, elected 1658 John Winthrop, do. 1659 | William Leet, do. 1661 do. The Colonies united in 1665. John Winthrop, elected 1665 Joseph Talcot, William Leet, do. 1676 Jonathan Law, Robert Treat, do. 1680 Roger Wolcott, [Sir Edmund Andros] 1687 | Thomas Fitch, Robert Treat, do. 1689 William Pitkin, John Winthrop, do. 1696 Jonathan Trumbull, Gurdon Saltonstall, do. 1707 After the Revolution. OUTLINES OF THE CONSTITUTION. The Charter granted in 1662 by Charles II., formed the basis of the government of Connecticut till 1818, when the present Constitution was framed. The legislative power is vested in a Senate and House of Representatives, which together are styled the General Assembly. The members of the House of Representatives are chosen by the different towns in the state : the more ancient towns, the majority of the whole num. ber, send each two representatives ; the rest only one each. The present number is 208. The Senate must consist of not less than 18, nor more than 24 members, who are chosen by districts. The present number is 21. · The executive power is vested in a Governor. A Licutenant Governor is also chosen, who is President of the Senate, and on whom the duties of the governor devolve in case of his death, resignation, or absence. The representatives, senators, govemor, and lieutenant governor are all elected annually by the people on the first Monday in April. The General Assembly has one stated session every year, on the first Wede nesday in May, alternately at Hartford (1831) and at New Haven (1832.) « Every white male citizen of the United States, who shall have gained a settlement in this state, attained the age of 21 years, and resided in the town in which he may offer himself to be admitted to the privilege of an elector, at least six months preceding, and have a freehold estate of the yearly value of seven dollars, in this state ; or having been enrolled in the militia, shall have performed military duty therein for the term of one year next preceding the time he shall offer himself for admission, or being liable thereto, shall have been, by authority of law, excused therefrom; or shall have paid a state tax within the year next preceding the time he shall present himself for such admission, and shall sustain a good moral character, shall, on his taking such an oath as may be prescribed by law, be an elector." The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court of Errors, a Superior Court, and such inferior courts as the General Assembly may, from time to time, establish. The judges are appointed by the General Assembly; and those of the Supreme and Superior Courts hold their offices during good behavior ; but not beyond the age of 70 years. No person is compelled to join, or support, or to be classed with, or associated to any congregation, church, or religious association. But every person may be compelled to pay his proportion of the expenses of the society to which he may belong: he may, however, separate himself from the society by leaving a written notice of his wish with the clerk of such society. Government for the Year ending on the first Tuesday in May, 1831. Salary. Gideon Tomlinson, Governor, $1,100 John S. Peters, Lieutenant Governor, 300 Isaac Spencer, Treasurer, 1,000 Thomas Day, Secretary, 84 & fees. Elisha Phipps, Comptroller, 1,000 Seth P. Beers, Commissioner of the School Fund, 1,250 The pay of the senators is $2 a day each, during the session of the legislature, and of the representatives $1,50 a day; and both receive 9 cents a mile for travel. The Speaker of the House of Representatives receives $2,50 a day. JUDICIARY. Salary. $1,100 John T. Peters, Associate Justice, 1,050 David Daggett, do. 1,050 Thomas S. Williams. do. 1,050 Clark Bissel, do. 1,050 Thomas Day, Reporter, 350 The Supreme Court of Errors is composed of the five judges, and is held in each of the eight counties. The Superior Court is a court held in each of the counties by one of the judges of the Supreme Court. There is also a County Court in each county, composed of a chief judge and two associate judges, who are appointed annually by the legislature. The chief judges of these courts receive $3,50 a day, and the associate judges $3 a day, during the session of the court, and 9 cents a mile for travel. |