The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-01-25
MEMOIR OF RHODE-LsLAND.
1747.

FirSt Literary Institution IN the oI0ny.
A Literary Company was formed in New
port in the year 1880, which continued un-
Ill l747, when il was enlarged and The pres
ent Redwood Library company WAS formed
ou, Of the old company, with additoual
members, who pe,i;ion~d the Assembly inr
scharterof Incorporation, which was grant
ed August l7I7, by the name Of the Com
Redwood one of the said company gave
donation of E500 sterling, To be invested in
books, aud Henry Collins presented the
company with the lot of land on which the
edltice now stands. The present building
was erected in l74S, in the Doric order.
The plan Of the building wns drawn by MIR.
Peter Harrison, who also drew the plans of
the following named other buildings viz:
The house now owned and occupied by
Gov. Collins in Middlelown, the Granary,
or Brick Market-House. and also the For,
which was renodclled md enlarged few
years after that time, on Goat Island then
called For, George.
The Redwood Library is now in -four
ishing conditicn uS37) has been of grea,
passed, rs well as prescn, usefulness.
The style has recently been altered to
that of the Redwood Library and Atheuiun.
Within two years the King of Great Brit
sin presented this institution with a very
valuhle and voluminous work called the
Doomsdny Book, and many other ancient
Laws of England.
We here copy from the Newport Mrrcu-
~ uf Nov. 23d 1888, full accoun, of tn.
original society out Of which this lusiitu-
tion sprany.
"WnEREas \. d. 1879, M-ssrs. ID nil
Uwike, Peter Bours, james Soaring, Ed
ward Scott, Henry Collins, Nathan Town
send, Jeremy Condy and James Honyman
jun. did form Society for the promotion
of knowledge and Virtue, hv free con-
versarion according to several Regulations
by them agreed
We the present Members of the said So
cieiy finding it necessary on many account,
for the more etfeclunl answering the end os
our Institution, do agree to enter into n
more strict engagement, and establish the
following as the Laws and orders to be OBJ
served in This Society:
|. The Members Of the Society shall
meet every Monday evening AZ the house If
one Of the members, s-ria,im, and converse
about aud drbate, some usrful question IN
Divinity, Morality, Philosophy, History SC.
3 The Member who proposed the qnes-
tion shall be Moderator, (pro hac yice) and
see that order and decency be- maintained
in all the debates and conversation
3. Every Member ia order shall freely
give his opinion with his reasons, hryiug
liberty to explain the sense of the question:
or his own expressions, and tn rrtract or
alter his opinion rs to hun shall seem right.
1. The Member at whose house we meet
shall propose question for the next even
mg's conversation, the Society To Judge of
its propriety aud usefulness, only nothing
shall ever be proposed or debated which is
distinguishing tenet Of any one mrrnber.
3. No Member shall divulse the oplnon
or arguments Of any particular member, as
to any subject debated in the Society, on
penalty of perpetual exclusion. Never
,leless. any member may crafty the curl
oslty Of any that may enquire the names.
number, general design, method and laws
Of the Society, and the opiuiuns or conclu-
sions of the major part, without discovering
how any particular members voted.
9. The Moderator for the time being
shall keep book, in which he shall regis
Ter the questions and the solutions or an
swer,. and another for the fines aud for
feits ihs, may become due.
Z. The Question shall he propounded by
the Moderator exactly ut seven in the evcl.-
lug. or Il he be then absent, another shall
be ci,oses in his ruurn, aud whoesrr shall
come after that, shall forfeit one shilling
whneser is absent the whole evening shall
forfrit two sbiillngs and sirpencc only tl,e
M"dera'or shall forfei, double. Whoevpr
shall make u an excuse to avoid giving III,
opinion, that he has not though, of IN,
question, or has forge, wba, the ou.s,ior