Herald Of The Times

General Assembly.
JANUARY SESSION—AT PROVIDENCE.
Monday, Feb. 3d.

The Senate met at 9 1/2 o'clock, his Excellency in the Chair.

An act allowing the Mechanics and Manufacturers Bank to reduce the par value of the shares to forty dollars, was read and passed in concurrence.

Mr. Porter introduced an Act from the select Committee, to whom was referred the "Maine Law," entitled "an Act to prevent the sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage."

Adjourned to meet at 3 o'clock.

House.—The House met at 10 o'clock and was called to order by the Speaker.

Act in amendment of the act to provide for a registration of births, marriages and deaths, was passed.

Act in relation to the Supreme Court—offered by Mr. Currey—was read and referred to the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Brown of Cumberland, called up the subject of the Old State Debt, and moved to suspend the rules, in order to permit the agent of the claimants, Dr. John W. Richmond, to be heard before the House in behalf of their claims.

After considerable debate, the House was divided, and the motion was agreed to—ayes 34, noes 15.

Dr. Richmond then took the floor, and after thanking the House for the privilege extended to him, proceeded to give a history of the claims against the State, and to answer the several objections which had been made, from time to time, in the House and out of it, to their validity. His remarks were interspersed with particular histories recalling incidents in the revolutionary war, and picturing some time of the sacrifices made by those whose claims are now presented by their widows and children.

Before Dr. Richmond concluded, the House adjourned to meet at 3 o'clock.

AFTERNOON.

The House met according to adjournment, a bare quorum present.

Concurrences from the Senate were read and votes of the Senate upon petitions sent for concurrence, were appropriately referred.

Petition of Martin S. Salisbury, administrator, for leave to sell real estate, was granted.

Resolution for the relief of Alexander McFarland. Laid on the table.

Petition of Berriah Barney for remission of jury fine. Granted.

Petition of Charles Potter, for liberation and remission of costs. Granted.

Petition for the liberation of Ellen Cummings, and remittance of fine and costs. Granted.

The House then resumed the consideration of petitions for the payment of the Registered State Debt, and Dr. Richmond continued and concluded his remarks in behalf of the claimants.

When he sat down, Mr. Gavitt rose and requested the reading of a speech delivered by Hon. Wilkins Updike several years since, against the claims.

The speech was read by the Clerk.

The House then adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 4.

Senate.—The Senate met at 9 1-2 o'clock, His Excellency in the chair.

An act to allow John M. Wiggin and wife, to adopt a child, was concurred in.

An act allowing Isaiah Bacon and wife, to adopt a child, was concurred in.

The bill in relation to the election of an Auditor of Accounts was read and referred to the committee on the Judiciary.

The bill to abolish capital punishment, being the order of the day, was taken up.

Mr. A. C. Greene spoke at length against the bill and in favor of so modifying it as to allow of capital punishment for wilful murder.

His Hon. the Lieut. Governor moved to postpone the subject till to-morrow morning.

Mr. Ballou called for the ayes and noes, and the motion prevailed by a vote of 18 to 11.

The bill to prevent the sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage was made the order of the day on Friday morning.

Adjourned to meet at 3 o'clock, P. M.

Afternoon.

The Senate met at 3 o'clock, P. M.—His Excellency in the chair.

Mr. Macy presented the petition of the Narragansett and Connecticut Steam Ferry Company. Referred to the Committee on Corporations.

The petition of Lucy Ann Spink, for leave to adopt a child, was taken up and the vote of the House was concurred in.

Mr. Porter from the Judiciary Committee, reported a bill in relation to the assessing and collecting of taxes.

Mr. Macy presented a petition for the incorporation of the Rhode Island Agricultural Sugar Beet Company's Bank. Referred to the Committee on Corporations.

The act to regulate the assessing and collecting taxes, was taken up by sections and passed to a second reading.

The Senate then adjourned.

House.—The House met at the usual hour. Mr. Bosworth in the chair.

Petition for the incorporation of a Beet Root Sugar Bank, was referred to the Committee on Agriculture.

Petition of Wakefield Bank to have money refunded, was granted.

Mr. Sheffield called up the subject of the Old State Debt.

Mr. Currey moved that the whole subject be referred to a committee of one from each county, with instructions to report on Tuesday next what legislation is demanded in order to secure justice to the State and to her creditors.

After some debate, the motion prevailed, and Messrs. Currey, of Providence, Finch, of Newport, Robinson, of Washington, Clarke, of Bristol, and Harris, of Kent, were appointed that committee.

Mr. Davis presented a petition from sundry mechanics of North Providence, asking for a modification of the hours of labor, which was referred to the Special Committee on the subject of a Ten Hour Law.

The report of the Commissioner of Public Schools, was referred to the Committee on Education and ordered to be printed.

The House then adjourned to meet on Thursday morning at 10 o'clock.

Thursday, Feb. 5,

Senate.—The Senate met at 9 1-2 o'clock, His Excellency in the chair.

The bill for the abolition of capital punishment, being the order of the day—was taken up.

The question on the passage of the bill as originally reported, was taken and resulted as follows:

Ayes—His Hon. the Lieut. Governor, Messrs. Angell, Ball, Ballou, Barney, Bradford, Champlin, Church, Cross, A. Greene, Hawkes, Hill, Macy, Manchester, Porter, Waterman, Wilcox—17.

Noes—Messrs. Anthony, Collins, Diman, Francis, Fry, A. C. Greene, Hazard, Knowles, Potter, Session, Spink, Whiteman—12. So the bill passed.

Sundry accounts were received and referred.

The Senate then adjourned to meet at 9 1-2 o'clock to-morrow morning.

House.—The House met at 10 o'clock, and was called to order by the Speaker.

Petition of John Saunders, of Tiverton, for liberation and remission of fine and costs, was granted.

Petition for the incorporation of the Produce Bank, was continued with an order of notice.

Petition for the incorporation of the Rhode Island Exchange Bank, was continued with an order of notice.

Petition for the incorporation of the Providence Steamboat Company, was continued with an order of notice.

Petition for the incorporation of the Providence County Savings Bank, was continued with an order of notice.

An act in amendment of the act to Incorporate the Bank of America, was passed.

Petition of Directors of Mechanics and Manufacturers Bank, for reduction of par value of the shares of said Bank, was granted.

Mr. Stead introduced an act relation to foreign Insurance Companies, which was referred to the Judiciary Committee and ordered to be printed.

Amendment of the Senate to the act regulating fisheries in Pawcatuck river was concurred in.

Act in relation to poor persons imprisoned for tort—providing that complainants shall pay their board—was passed.

Mr. Cranston offered the following resolution.

Whereas, in the early part of the present session, there was placed upon the desk of every member of this House in the same manner in which bills and resolutions are placed in the hands of members, a resolution, preceded by a long preamble, directing the Finance Committee to inquire into the expediency of disposing of a large portion of the United States deposite fund, in the manner as therein stated: And Whereas said preamble contains charges or imputations seriously affecting the official character and conduct of many gentlemen who heretofore, and some of them for a long course of years, have participated in the official management of the legislative and other public business of the State: And whereas, the records of this House contain no information of the origin of said preamble and resolution; and whereas this House deems it to be important to ascertain the origin of said preamble and resolution and the object to be obtained by the mover thereof: Therefore, Voted and Resolved, That the Honorable Senate be respectfully requested to communicate to this House such information as the Hon. Senate may be able to communicate, in relation to said preamble and resolution, and the object intended to be obtained thereby.

The resolution was adopted. Ayes 35—Noes 28.

The House adjourned to meet on Friday morning at 10 o'clock.

FRIDAY MORNING, Feb. 6.

Senate—Senate met at 9 o'clock. His Excellency in the chair.

Mr. Ballou, from the judiciary committee, recommended a concurrence with the House in the passage of the act appointing weighers of cotton, and the act passed.

The petition of Ellen O'Brien for the liberation of John O'Brien, was granted in concurrence.

The Senate then adjourned to meet on Monday at 3 o'clock. P. M.

House.—The House met at 10 o'clock and proceeded to business.

Senate's amendment to resolution restoring David A. Brown was concurred in.

House non-concurred with the Senate in the passage of a bill authorizing town councils to erect sidewalks.

Act in relation to courts of Common Pleas, was read and passed.

Act in relation to the assessment and collection of taxes, was read and passed.

Petition of Amos D. Moon for restoration, was granted.

"An act in relation to certain acts and resolutions heretofore passed by this General Assembly," defining what laws of the Digest of 1822 are now in force, as private acts and not repealed by the Digest of 1844, was passed.

Act in relation to theatrical exhibitions and places of amusement—enabling town councils to license owners of halls, for exhibitions in their halls, for one year or less, said license to be revoked at pleasure—was passed.

An act, from the Senate, to abolish capital punishment, and to provide for the more certain punishment of crime, was referred to a special committee, consisting of Messrs. Davis, F. Brown and Hall.

Memorial of J. B. F. Goraud, all about those great mail steamers, to go all over the world, starting from somewhere in the neighborhood of Prudence Island, and asking the Assembly to instruct our representatives in Congress to use their influence in favor of the said steamships, was presented by Mr. F. Brown.

Mr. C. C. Potter hoped the memorial would be laid upon the table.

Mr. G. H. Browne said he was not surprised at the course of the gentleman; but he hoped Providence influence would not control the action of the House. This project looked to the building up of Newport and Bristol and Prudence Island, and he was not sure its good influences would not yet be felt in Gloucester. He hoped the memorial would be referred to a special committee.

Mr. F. Brown said it had come to be understood that Narragansett Bay was good for nothing. If we could get this line of steamships, it would show that it was worth something; and he would therefore go for the steamships.

Mr. C. C. Potter would not object to the reference, if the two Browns could be placed on the committee.

The motion to refer was sustained and the chair appointed Messrs. G. H. Browne, F. Brown and C. C. Potter a committee to consider and report upon the memorial.

Resolution from the Senate, granting the use of the court house in Bristol to the Advent Society in that town, was concurred in with an amendment.

Resolution for the relief of Alexander McFarland, a discharged convict, who is sick, and was discharged because the prison had no hospital, was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

The House then, by a vote of 28 to 21, adjourned to meet on Monday at 3 o'clock, P. M.

Monday Afternoon, Feb. 9.

Senate.—Senate met at 3 o'clock, P. M., His Excellency in the chair.

Mr. Bradford offered a resolution that no Senator be allowed to speak more than fifteen minutes on any one subject. Passed.

Mr. Porter from the Judiciary Committee reported an act to revise and amend an act, in relation to the election of civil officers. Read, and passed to a second reading.

Mr. Bradford, from the Finance Committee, reported an act to restore, enlarge and preserve a permanent school fund. Read, and passed to a second reading.

Mr. Porter presented an act, permitting the Town Council of Cranston to establish side-walks. Passed.

The act to regulate the assessing and collecting of taxes, was taken up.

Mr. Macy objected very strongly to section fifty, which requires officers of Banks, and other Corporations, to report the amount and value of stock held by individuals, when the assessors shall make a written request for them to do so.

After some further debate, and before the question was taken, the Senate adjourned.

House.—The House met at 3 o'clock, P. M., Mr. Speaker Bosworth in the Chair.

An act to abolish Capital Punishment, and to provide for the more effectual punishment of crime—having been received from the Senate, and referred to a special committee, was reported to the House with a recommendation that the House concur in its passage. It was laid on the table for the present.

Act to incorporate Protection Fire Engine Company, No. 5, of Newport, was passed.

Mr. F. Brown gave notice that he would to-morrow morning call up the bill to abolish Capital Punishment.

The House then adjourned.