The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-02-01
MEMOIR OF RHODE-IsLAND. ID.

were elected.
rHE WIN. GREENE, Governor.
'1 WIN. ELLERY, Deputy Gov.
1ssistants.
Peter Bours, f.a John Gardner,
Robert Gibbs, William Burton,
Stephen Brownell, Robert Lawton,
James Arnold, VIM. Richmond, |
Daniel Coggeshall, jeffrey Watson.
Thomas Ward, Secretary,
Daniel Updiks, Attorney General.
Thomas Richardson, Treasurer.
The Deputies from Newport were
Thomas Wickham, Walter Chaloner,
Thomas Cranston, John Claiming, Jona-
than Nichols and James Sheffield.
The sloop Tartar was fitted and COM
missioned again this spring, and resumed
her cruising station off the coast as hereto
fore, until August, when she was taken in
to port and most Of her crew discharged, in
consequence of information received, thai
the beligerents had agreed oil a cessation
of arms.
In April preliHinaries were signed at AK
la-Chapelle, and shortly after cessation of
hustilities was proclaimed (; n defnitive trea-
ty was concluded the October following
and on both sides prisoners, and conquests,
were given up without ransom or compen-
sation.
In October the Assembly ordered the
sloop Tartar to be sold at auction she had
rendered great service 10 the Colony, She
was about one hundred and fifty tons bur-
then, her armament consisted Of IL car
riagc guns, four Founders, besides swivels,
bunderbusses &c. with ninety muskets, TS
cutlasses, 81 pistols, l2 pole axes and 36
pixies. She carried compliment of 100
men including officers. Two of the guns
which came out of the sloop Tartar now
stand as posts near the fountain, at the foot
of Washington Square in Newport.
In February the Assembly ordered high
way to be made from the Town Beach,
across the neck, to Sachuest Beach.
A committee was appointed to kuild a
Lighthouse on Beaver Tail, which was the
first Light-hou erected in the Colony, and
was built of wood the year following. l749
1t has been estimated that New Eng land
and New York expended during the war
more than million sterling We have no
ascertained the amount Of bills Of credit is
sued by Rhode-Is Island during the war, bu
they were very great, which caused fur
ther depreciation of their current value com
pared with stelling money. Immediately
before the war G6-lO-O of paper would pur
chase El-O-0 sterling; and at the close o
the war, say four years after, elO-O-O pa
per was received for fl-O-O sterling, in ex
change on London.
The pursuits of the people Of Newpor
had been, during the war, almost wholly q
military and Naval characteristic peoPl
of the town had enjoyed, during the Tins
great but precarious prosPerity-they ha
now to convert their vessels Of war int
merchantmen" to beat their swords int
ploughshares and their spears into pru
ming hooks s,"-totransfer their whole capiti
and industry into another channel, whc
could only be done at a great loss. tt
habits and morals of the people had suffe
ed by the war, and to change them to p'
tient industry and frugality was the work oil
ly Of lime and necessity. Under those CT
cumstances the return Of prosperity to Il
trade and business Of the town was tart
and discouraging so far therefore, as Il
interest of Newport was concerned, she w
rather the looser than the gaiuer by the r
turn of peace. The capitalists Of the Col
ny mostly resided in Newport, they had o
much by the depreciation of the currenc
and contemplated loosing more, which ma
them cautious how they engaged in nc
adventures; on the whole the business
the town had scarcely recovered ITSELF fro
the peace of l74s until the next war bro
out.
Census Of l1lS.
An account of the number OF inhahI,aI
in the Colony was taken this year, ir'
which we make The following extract
Whites 29,75j, Blacks, i,313i total WhI
and Blacks, 3t,i2s.