of fire

pulled

freemen of said towns respectively shall annually choose Presidents and appoint three or more persons, on whose fidelity, wards to judgment and impartiality they can rely, to be called be chosen. presidents of the firewards; and that they, the said pre- Their sidents, or any one of them, who shall be present when power. any fire shall happen to break out in the said towns, shall and may, and they are hereby empowered, to give directions for the pulling down or blowing up any house or houses, as shall be by them judged meet and necessary to be pulled down or blown up for preventing the further spread of fire; and if it shall happen that the pulling Owners of down or blowing up of any such house or houses, by direction as aforesaid, shall be the occasion of stopping the down to be paid. progress of such fire, or that the fire stop before it comes to the same, that then all and every the owner or owners of such house or houses, shall be reasonably paid therefor, by the rest of the inhabitants of said towns respectively, whose houses shall not be burnt; and they are hereby authorized and fully empowered to make a tax or taxes for levying and raising such a sum of money as shall be, by the court of general sessions of the peace for the county of Bristol, thought sufficient for that end; which court are hereby fully empowered and authorized, on application to them in this behalf made, to determine and make order thereon: Provided always, that if the house or houses where Proviso. the fire shall first begin and break out, shall be judged fit to be pulled down or blown up, to hinder the further spreading of the flames, then the owner or owners of such house or houses shall receive no manner of satisfaction for the same, any thing in this act contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That it shall and may Fire wards be lawful for the freemen of said towns respectively, at their aforesaid annual meetings, to appoint such a number of prudent persons, of known fidelity, in the several parts of the town, as they may think proper, who shall be denominated and called firewards, and have a proper badge assigned to distinguish them in their offices, to wit: a speaking trumpet painted red and at the times of the Their breaking forth of fire, and during the continuance there- power. of, they shall be and are hereby authorized and fully empowered, to require and command assistance for suppressing and extinguishing the fire; for removing household stuff and furniture, goods and merchandize, out of

:

any dwellinghouses, storehouses, or other buildings actually on fire, or in danger thereof, and to appoint proper guards for taking care of and securing the same; and also to require and command assistance for pulling down or blowing up of any house or houses, and performing all and every service or services relative thereto, by the direction of the presidents aforesaid, or any one of them, to prevent and stop the further spreading of the fire, and to suppress all tumults and disorders; and the said firewards, from time to time appointed as aforesaid, are required, upon notice of the breaking forth of fire, to take each one his badge, and repair immediately to the place, and vigorously exert their authority for obtaining assistance, and to use their utmost endeavors to extinguish or prevent the spreading of the fire, and to preserve and secure the estates of the inhabitants: due obedience is hereby required to be yielded to them, and each of them, how pun in the said service; and all disobedience, neglect or refusal, in any person or persons, shall be informed of to some of the justices of the peace of the said towns, within two days next after: and if any person or persons shall offend, contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act, he or they, upon conviction thereof before any two justices of the peace, shall forfeit and pay as a fine, the sum of two dollars each, to be levied and distributed, at the discretion of the town-councils of said towns of Bristol and Warren, among such poor persons as shall be most distressed by the fire: and in case any offender shall be unable to pay such fine, he shall suffer ten days' imprisonment.

Disobedience

ished.

Stealing in

time of fire.

any

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That if any evilminded person or persons shall take advantage of such calamity, either by robbing, plundering, purloining, embezzling, conveying away or concealing any goods, wares, merchandize, effects or things whatsoever, belonging to inhabitant or inhabitants of the said towns of Bristol or Warren, whose house or houses is or are on fire, or endangered thereby, so as to put such person or persons upon removing his or their goods or effects, and shall not restore or give notice thereof unto the owner or owners (if known) or bring them to such public place or places as shall be assigned by the presidents of the firewards, or any one of them, within the space of two days next after proclamation made for that purpose, the person or

persons so offending shall, on conviction thereof, be deemed thieves, and suffer the utmost severities of the law.

1822.

An act to prevent damage being done to Weybosset Bridge in 1757, Providence by fastening Vessels to the same.

for fasten

bosset

Be it enacted by the General Assembly, and by the authority Penalty thereof it is enacted, That whoever shall fasten any vessel ing vessels to any part of Weybosset Bridge, shall forfeit and pay as to Weya fine, the sum of twenty dollars for every offence, to bridge. be recovered by the town-treasurer of Providence for the time being, by an action of debt, at a court of justices; and that all fines so recovered be appropriated towards keeping the said bridge in repair.

1798.

fast boats

tuxet

An act to prevent Canoes and Boats being made fast to the abut- 1757, ments or any part of the Bridge at Pawtuxet Falls. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, and by Penalty the authority thereof it is enacted, That no person shall for making make fast any canoe or boat to either of the abutments or to Pawany part of the bridge at Pawtuxet falls, or throw any bridge. stones off from the same, on the penalty of forfeiting and paying as a fine, the sum of five dollars, to be recovered by an action of debt before any one justice of the peace of either of the towns of Warwick or Cranston, to whom complaint shall be made; one half thereof to and for the use of the complainant, and the other half to and for the use of the poor of the town where such complaint shall be made.

take care

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the towns of Persons to Warwick and Cranston respectively shall be empowered of the to appoint each one suitable person to take care of said bridge. bridge, and to prevent damage or injury being done thereto; that each of the said persons, so appointed, shall have power, and it shall be their special duty, to prosecute for any penalties incurred under this act: Provided Proviso, nevertheless, That nothing in this act contained shall be construed to subject or render the State, in any manner whatever, liable to maintain said bridge, or to keep the same in repair.

1760.

Penalty

for laying

An act to prevent laying Vessels to, and lading and unlading Wood, or heavy Wares, or Merchandize, upon the Bridge over Apponaug River.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly, and by the authorVessels at ity thereof it is enacted, That no person, on any pretence Apponaug whatsoever, shall lay or bring any sloop or other vessel bridge. unto the bridge aforesaid, or there lade or unlade wood,

or other heavy wares or merchandize, upon the penalty of four dollars for every such offence, to be recovered of the person so offending before any two justices of the peace in the town of Warwick; one half thereof to the use of him who shall inform and sue for the same, and the other half to and for the use of the poor of the said town of Warwick.

1783.

Expences

of repair how ap

portioned.

An act apportioning the expence of repairing Hunt's Bridge among the towns of North-Kingstown, Warwick and EastGreenwich.

Whereas doubts and disputes have arisen respecting the building and repairing of the bridge commonly called Hunt's bridge, which divides the towns of East-Greenwich, Warwick and North-Kingstown, by reason whereof the said bridge is frequently impassable:

Be it enacted by the General Assembly, and by the authority thereof it is enacted, That whenever the said bridge shall not be in repair, the same shall be repaired, or a new bridge erected, by the said towns of North-Kingstown, Warwick and East-Greenwich, in the following proportions to wit: that the one half part of all the expences in repairing or rebuilding the said bridge shall be paid by the said town of North-Kingstown; one fourth part by the said town of Warwick, and one fourth part by the said town of East-Greenwich.

1666, 1730 An act to prevent Excessive Riding in any of the places therein

'59 '66 '98.

Penalty

sive riding

mentioned.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, and by for exces the authority thereof it is enacted, That if any person shall in New ride faster than a common travelling pace, in any of the port, &c. streets of the towns of Newport or Providence, or in such

part of the towns of Warwick and East-Greenwich as is hereafter described; or in the compact part of Bristol or Warren; or that part of North-Providence called Pawtucket; or that part of South-Kingstown called LittleRest; or that part of Warwick called Apponaug; or that part of North-Kingstown called Wickford; or that part of Warwick and Cranston called Pawtuxet; such person shall pay as a fine, the sum of two dollars for every offence; one half thereof to the informer, and the other half to and for the use of the poor of the town where such offence shall be committed; to be recovered upon complaint thereof made before any one justice of the peace in the town where the offence shall be committed, with costs, unless justifiable cause for such riding shall be made to appear before such justice of the peace who shall try the same; which trial and judgment thereon shall be final.

and East

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted. That the part of the Part of towns of East-Greenwich and Warwick first mentioned, Warwick where such excessive riding is by this act prohibited, Greenshall be deemed and understood to be, and hereby is de-wich. clared to extend, from the house of the late Rufus Green, Esq. in said East-Greenwich, unto the house of the late Gideon Casey, in Warwick.

An act to prevent Sheep and Horses from going at large in the 1757 59 towns of Providence and North-Providence, and Goats and '89. Kids in the town of Providence.

large in

be im

fined.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, and by Horses, the authority thereof it is enacted, That if any sheep or horse &c. at be found going at large in the towns of Providence or ProviNorth-Providence, it shall be lawful for any of the inhab- dence, to itants of said towns to take up and impound the same; pounded. and the owner of such sheep or horse shall not have them again until he shall have paid as a fine into the treasury And the of the town, where such sheep or horse shall be found and owner impounded, five cents for every sheep, and forty cents for every horse, so taken up and impounded, together with all costs and charges of impounding and keeping such sheep or horse; and the pound-keeper shall not discharge any such sheep or horse from the pound, until the owner of such sheep or horse shall produce a certificate under the hand of the town-treasurer of such town, that the fine is paid agreeably to this act.