Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-11-10

lCoiupeIcu I'd pay u me oI SSU, winch
he begged the General Assembly to re.
NIT to him, in consideration of his pub
lie services.
Mr.. Church, of Providence, thought
the petitioner had shewn disposition to
conform tn the laws, and he was dis
posed to be merciful about the run
business.
Mr.. Simmons moved to refer it to the
Committee ON the Militia. lie though
they could determine whether it wa.
best to have rum or not.
The subject was referred to the Ju
dietary Committee.
Petition of Weybossct Bank, TO alte
time of paying instalments, referred.
Act to appoint Commissioners to at.
test legal documents in other states
was referred to the Judiciary Committee
Messrs Robbins, Simmons, and Will
liam Sprague, Jr were appointed to
count the votes for Members to Con,
gress, and tomorrow appointed for that
purpose.
A communication from the Governor
was received, with documents from n
Carolina, and Connecticut, which were re-
ferred to select Committee of Messrs
Hazard, Cross, Simmons, Halle, and
Sprague.
The House adjourned till 3 O'Clock.
Tuesday A fernoon.-The only business
was the reading of the General Treasu
rer's report, exhibiting balance OF
S6S24, in the Treasury. The balance
last May was $1,000, and the state owed
the School Fund about $1,000 There
is still due to the School Fund about
$4,000.
Mr.. Halle, of Warren, called up the
petition for Rail Road, which was re-
ferred to II select Committee.
Thursday afternoon was assigned for
the trial ofthe docket orprivate petitions.
Adjourned.
Wednesday morning, Non. 9, 1891.
Nothing of any public importance has
yet been transacted in our Legislature
The business is yet iE the hands of COM
mittees and until their reports are made,
nothing can be done.
This morning number of petitions
from Insolvcnt debtors, praying Protec-
ton against their creditors, were recciv-
ed and laid on the table.
The petition for charter for the City
Bank in Providence, was received and
referred to the committee on corporations.
The petition and act, incorporating the
Broad Street Hotel, IN Providence, was
received and referred to the committee
on corporations.
The two Houses then joined in Grand
committee and received the votes of the
towns for members of congress, which
were referred TO the following committee,
consisting of two from each county, TO be
counted, viz: Messrs. Cornell, Freeborn,
King, Pabodie, Thurston, Davis, J. w.
Greene, James, Davis of Bristol, Mar
tin, together with the Secretary of State
and George Turner, Esq. one of the
Clerks ofthe House ofRepresentatives.-
The Grand committee rose.
The Speaker stated that as there was
no business on the table he would take
the liberty of calling the attention of the
House to the present condition Of our
militia laws. The community was suf-
(ering an actual evil from the present
sy stem; and that nothing but Legislation
can possibly remove it. He had been in
formed that not one Militia Officer, in the
county of Providence, had taken his en-
gagement The consequence was that
The militia was totally abandoned. 1t was
clearly wrong that the State should be
entirely without militia. There be-
ing no officers there would be no returns
% the war department and this State
would lose its quota of arms due from the
United States. Some plan might and
ought to be devised to render the militia
The present fine operated
exclusively on the poor; the rich could
pay it without inconvenience, while it
cost the poor man two days labor. Train
ng in the militia was duty that all ought
% perform, and which all ought to be
made to perform, by fixing a fine that
would equally affect all. The lowest
fine might be two dollars, and the high
est twenty, to be fixed according to a
mans tax, until that was done, the militia
would not be composed of the right kind
If men. Other interests were also al-
ectcd by the present system: InGcpen-
lent and Engine Companies are as nc.
'essary in the country, as in the town of
Providence, and Newport, and could not
De sustained. The militia fines formerly
induced our citizens to join those COM
,anies, but now the fines are so low, that
hey cease to have that effect. These
were made in hopes Of in
lucing some gentleman to introduce
'ill on the subjec of the militia at the
present session.