The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-03-12
MEMOIR OF IL. ISLAND.
1861.

the Island in his possession. He pro-
cured from the Counsel of the State
commission, Dated April Sd, 1851, sign
cd by J. BRADsnAw, constituting i"m
Governor of the Islands in the Nara
ganseu Bay 10 govern them with acou"-
all of six men, to be nominated by the
pcople and approved by himself.
NPwe know of no copy OF Mr. Cod
ding,on's commission now exsan' nor
have we been able to find the records
End proceedings Of the governme" o'
the Island while administered under SAID
Commission, nor the names OF the couh-
al ~ Al. who were TO be nominated and
appointed. 1t will be noticed that Mr.
C's commission was granted Aprii o"'
1861. in England about month after
,be election for 1861 should have been
held here--but as no such election was
held il is reasonable TO conclude that
Government had wholly failed before Mr..
Coddington received his commission IN
England. The last court that was held
was on the Doth of October, 1860, and
appears to have been party proceed
iag--the Commissioners met but there
appsars TO have been no President or as
sistants present. They passed an act de-
clariug that thirteen Commissioners con-
sent should he necessary TO enact Laws
which repealed the order of the May
Session previous. They then enacted
hat "from henccforih the Representa-
tive Committee being assembled ard
having enacted q Law or Laws the
snid Law or Laws shall be returned
within six days after the breuking up or
adjournment Of that Assembly and then
within three days the chief Officer OF
the Town, shall call the Town 20 the
hearing of the Laws SO made and it any
freeman shall mislike any Law then
made they shall then send their votes
with thei: names fixed thereto unto the
General Recorder, within ten days after
the reading ofthose Laws, and no long
er. And if it appear that the major
vote within that time prcfxed shall
come in and declare it to be Nullity.
Then shall the Recorder signify to
the President, aud the President shall
forthwith signify to the Towns that such
or such Laws il n rule and the silence
10 the rest shall be taken for an appro-
baton and confirmation of the Laws
made and Iis ordered further that the
llth Law made nj Portsmouth May 20
81, l647 is repealed"
REPRESENTATIVE COURT.
"Ordered, That the Representative
Committee for the Colony shall always
consent Of six discreet able Men and
chosen out of each Town for the trans
acting of the affairs of the Common
wealth, and being met they shall have
power to mako and establish Rules and
Penalties for the ordering of themselves
during their Session.
The records Of this last Assembly
were not in the States book but found
in schedule in the Town Clerks office,
in Warwick. 1t does not state where
the Assembly was held.
This year Mcssrs. John Clarke, Oba-
diah Holmes, and John Crandell, (all
members Of Mr.. John Clarks Church in
Nswport) went TO Salem, at the request
Of William Writer'S, being brother in
the Church, and who, frcm his advanced
age could net encounter the fatigue Of a
journey, to visit the Church in Rhode
Island. He lived about two miles from
the Town, where they held meeting
the next day after their arrival, for
which offence they were arrested and
brought before Magistrate by the name
Of Robert Bridges they wcrc sent to
Boston and there imprisoned, tried aud
condemned for holding said meeting
Mr.. Clarke to pay E20 or be well whip.
cd, which fine was paid, by his friends,
without his privity. Mr.. John Crandall
was fined IS only for being with The
others. but was released upon promise
Of appearing ut the next Court, and he