The Rhode Island Republican

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Closed their session in this town on Saturday last, without having passed on any important business other than that of a local nature. Many petitions were acted upon; but the docket contains now a larger number than it did at the commencement of the session. Indeed, so long as the present system of petitioning is suffered to continue (a system by which the Lawyers are allowed to exercise a deleterious and degrading influence over the Representatives of the people) while it reduces the General Assembly below the standard of an independent and dignified Legislature, business of an important and general nature can seldom be transacted at the usual short sessions, and the docket of petitions is seldom or never cleared.—The petition praying for the prohibition of Theatrical Amusements in this town, was called up on Saturday morning, agreeably to assignment; but it was soon apparent that the policy of the majority would not suffer the question to be decided.

We stated in our last, that this subject had excited considerable interest; we might have stated further, that federalism feared a falling off of some of her disciples, whether the question was determined affirmatively or negatively; and therefore it was reduced to a certainty, that the majority dared not meet it, before election. This, we have reason to believe, was the real motive for postponing the question until the next session; a committee of five members, one from each county, was raised to consider and report on the subject—publicly, on the expediency or inexpediency of the passage of a prohibitory act—and privately, which course will be the most for the interest of federalism. A resolve passed granting nearly 200 dollars to the town of Westerly, for the repair of Pawcatuck Bridge, which divides that town from Stonington in Connecticut—a town, by the bye, which is obliged by the Connecticut Legislature, to support its half of the bridge. It is hardly necessary to state, that Westerly is a federal town, and therefore entitled to a grant of the State's money, from a federal Legislature.

This is in accordance with a some time proceeding of the Providence aristocracy, when the Republican minority were compelled to pay a portion of the expenses which accrued in printing and circulating anti-embargo, seditious, TREASONABLE resolutions.—We have before mentioned the defalcation of a former federal General-Treasurer, and the facility with which alias executions have been obtained in the case from a federal majority. The balance stated to be now due from Col. Sherburne is 800 dollars—the execution returnable this month. The Attorney-General was directed to return another alias, and commence a prosecution against the Executors of the late worthy Republican, Nicholas Easton, Esq. who was unfortunately one of the sureties of Col. S. The vote is warily worded; but such is its declared intention. Two or three new Justices of the Peace were appointed—among the rest, one for the town of Johnston, who, the representatives of that town declared, they never before heard of! the appointment was made in concurrence with the Senate, although a single member of the House did not pretend to know the person. An act passed incorporating the Medical Society of Rhode-Island.

[Col. Phenix. Mar.7.]