Rhode-Island constitutionalist. [volume] (Providence [R.I.]) 1834-1834, 1834-03-12

who were invested with the executive and judieia
powers, and the power TO keep the peace. An As
sembly Of six Commissioners, or Representatives
from each town, made laws. and ordered the gene
raj affairs 1t was required, that the laws made
should be sent to every town TO be considered il
town-meetngs, from whence the clerk was to sent
an account to the General Recorder; and, if the
majority of the towns approved the law, it was
confirmed, If not, it was annulled. The Assem-
bly, chose annually Treasurer, and also Secreta-
ry and Sheriff, under the names of General Recor-
der, and General Sergeant. In each town, six
persons were annually chosen, who were called the
Town Council, who had the power of Court Of
Probate, of granting licenses to innkeepers and re-
tailers; and who also had the superintendent OF
the poor.
The first General Assembly met at Portsmouth,
May 10, l647, when the government Of the colony
was organized by the choice of officers aforesaid.
A body of laws was agreed on, being principally
the laws Of the mother country; but some new laws
were framed, suited TO the peculiar situation and
circumstances Of the colony. The Introduction to
present and future generations. The form govern
ment established is caled" J" DEMOCRATICAL;" !"
or as it is expressed, Va government held by the
free and voluntary consent Of ALL or the greater part
of the free inhabitants
Such continued to be the government of the State,
until the year 1861, when it was abolished by a
charter obtained from the government Of the mother
country, by Coddington, which constituted him
Governor of the islands of Rhode Island, Conani-
cut, &c. and which severed those islands from their
former connexion with the tows Of Providence and
Warwick. In the mean time the inhabitants OF
Pawtuxet had for some time continued to refuse
obedience to the colony, and to adhere to the ju-
rsdiction Of Massachusetts. In these unfortunate
exigencies, resort was first had to the Commits
soners of the United Colonies and they offered
the condition Of their interference, the subms-
sion Of Warwick to the jurisdiction of Plymouth or
Massachusetts. 1t was thus made necessary to ap-
power in England, for the repeal of Coddington's
Charter, and renewal of that obtained by Will
liams, in l643. The towns Of Providence and
Warwick, with sixty-fve of the inhabitants OF
Newport, and fortyone of the inhabitants of Ports
mouth, were in favor of such an application. For
the purpose of making the application, Williams
and Clarke were appointed agents to proceed to
England. Williams says in one of his letters to
Mr.. Winthrop, dated in 1861, "My neighbors Of
Providence and Warwick (whom also lately de-
with, inn bava
deavor the renewing of their liberties upon the oc-
casion of Mr.. Coddington's late grant" In the
same year Williams and Clarke embarked at Bos-
ton for England, leaving Newport and Portsmouth,
and the neighboring islands subject to Coddington
as Governor. Providence and Warwick held on to
the government as before established under the
charter of 1913, and held their General Assembly
at Providence. The important object of the mis-
sion to England, met there with much opposition; !;
but the Council of State, nevertheless ordered Cod
dngton's commission to be vacated, and the charter
Of 1643 to be renewed and confirmed. The several
towns were directed to unite again. as before but,
on account of the unhappy jealouses that existed
between them, it was found difficult to obtain a
compliance with the direction. The towns of New
port and Portsmouth insisted that the meeting Of
the Assembly should be held on the isand that be-
ing the most populous portion of the colony. The
towns of Providence and Warwick, on the other
hand, insisted, that the Assembly should meet al
Providence, on the ground of their steady adher.
ence to the first Charter. The consequence of the
misunderstanding was, that the representatives OF
Warwick and Providence met at Providence, and
at the same time an Assembly met on the island,
chose an Assistant for each town in the colony, and
demanded of Coddington the statute book and book
of records. Williams, with the view of putting ar
end to the discord, left Clarke in England to at
tend there to the interests of the colony, and re.
turned, in the summer of l644. He brought with
him a letter from Sir Henry Vane, addressed to
the Inhabitants of the Colony of Rhode Island, in
which the writer thus expresses himself: /" How
is il that there such divisions among you? Such
readiness, tumults, disorders, injustice Is not the
fear and awe of God among you to restrain Arc
there no wise men among you
But hope better things from you though thus