Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-09-30

/ for which he was elected a member OF TIT
council. In case of DEATH resignation, or ina
blity to perform his duties on the part OF the
President, provision is made for the election o
a President pro tempore, until a successor car
be chosen by the legally qualified electors.
\ In connection with the appointment of q
chief executive officer, and subsidiary thereto
the third section of the act authorizes the towr
council to elect town marshal, whose dnties
and liabilities as defined therein are the same
in substance as those imposed on the city
marshal of Providence, which are found to
operate so benefcially in the police of that
city. The marshal is required to give bond to
the town treasurer for the faithful perform.
ance Of his duties, and, in addition to his fees
as one of the town constabes, is to receive an
annual compensation for his services, to be
determined by the town council, and not di-
minished during the year, or term, for which
he holds his Office.
The town council have, also, by this section,
authority to remove this officer for misconduct,
two thirds of the members present concurring
in the removal I; and in case Of his death, re.
signation, or inability to perform his duties, to
elect substitute marshal for the residue Of his
term. The Committee will here add, that there
is ncthing in this act or in any existing law,
which forbids the comforting this office on
person holding any other appointment under r
the town or town council, if the council think
proper to unite these Offices in the same per-
son
Having provided, as The Committee con-
cevc, a competent authority to execute the or
dinances ofthe town council, or town, the re-
naming sections of the act are applied to the
correction Of abuses, which, if not now very
hagrant, are almost unavoidably incident to a
town form Of government. The fifth and sixth
sections provide for notice of three weeks be-
fore any law, ordinance, vote, order, or by
law, concerning the disposing of the towns
land or other property, or the making tax, or
the appropriation ofmoney, can be legally act
ed On, or passed, at any town meeting ;-and
for the annual publishing by the town clerk IN
at least one newspaper in the town, and in the
town clerks Office, for three weeks immedi
ately previous to the June town meeting,
schedule or statement of the tax or taxes, made
and assessed during the year then current, and
of the several appropriations of money and
their objects, for the same period of time and
this publication to be taken for the notice re-
quired by the fifth section, as to all taxes and
appropriations Of the like nature and amount
for the year then next ensuing. These sec.
these notices shall be inserted in the war
rants for calling the town meetings.
The seventh section requires with certain
exceptions, previous audit and recommends
ton by the town council, or their objections
stated in writing, before any bill or account
can be allowed and ordered to be paid by any
town meeting
The eighth section provides for an annual
audit by the town council of the town treasur-
er's account at least one week before the June
town meetng-thc result to be communicated
to the meeting before the election of the trea-
surer
The ninth section requires the town treasur-
or to publish annually, in one Of the newspa-
pers of the town and in the town clerk s Office,
at least one week before the June town meet
ing, full and detailed report Of all the town $
receipts and their sources of all its eXpendi-
lures and their objects, for the year ending at
said June town meeting, together with sche-
due of the property at that time belonging to
the town.
The tenth section declares, that the town as
heretofore shall annually elect the members of
the town council, town clerk, town treasur.
er a town sergeant, the commissioners of
the asylum, a school committee, the commits
sioners of the school fund, street commits.
sioner, or commissioners, and a committee of
finance, and that all other town officers be e.
lccted by the town council at a meeting TO be
held as soon as may be after the June town
meeting.
any suggestion as to the expediency and ur-
gency of the several provisions in sections 5.
6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, which have now been brief
ly enumerated, as the experience of every one
acquainted with town affairs will readily sug-
gest to him the reasons which have operated
with the committee to recommend them
1t may be proper to add, before concluding
this report, that by the seventh section of "an
act establishing and regulating the Court of
Justices in the town of Newport, passed June
1882 that court is vested "with original juris-
diction of all suits and complaints for offences
against the bylaws, ordinances and regulations
of the frecmen and Of the town council Of said
town" A tribunal therefore for the trial of
all breaches of such laws, ordinances and reg
ulatons exists, and may be appealed to, as
soon as the same can be remodelled and put
into operation.
The committee finally suggest, that if the
act herewith submitted receive the approba-
ton of the town and be passed into law by
the General Assembly, that an appropriation
OF dollars be made by the town to
enable the town council to employ such as