The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-05-26
WHOLE NUMBER lib.
caws of Rbooe 1slana.
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PRO-
VIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
In General .fssem6iy, Nay SessienS
Il. ID. 1888.

Il. ID. 1903.
AN ACT to establish Court Of Msgs-
trates in the City of Providence.
II is enacted by the General Assen,6iy as
JoliO,o.
Section l. The General A ssembly in
Grand Committee may, at its annual
election of Justices Of the Peace for the
several towns in this State, elect two
persons from the Justices Of the Peace
for the City of Providence, the respec-
tive powers and duties of whom shall be
as is hereinafter prescribed, and who,
together, except as hereinafter provid-
ed, shall constitute a Court in the city
of Providence, to be called "the Court
of Magistrates.
Sec. 2 1t shall be the duty Of one Of
the members of said Court, elected for
that purpose, to preside at the regular
sessions thereof, and to hear and adjudge
all matters that may be brought before
said Court, within its jurisdiction, which
is declared to be exclusively the same
jurisdiction in all civil actions, and in
all criminal cases and proceedings in said
city, as is or may be given BY law to
Justices of the Peace in other towns,
and as may be hereinafter or by Law
specially provided. .l.y
See. 3. 1t shall be the duty Of the
other member of said Court, elected for
that purpose, to act as the Clerk there
of, to keep docket of all actions, COM
plants or proceedings, either Of civil
or criminal nature, that may be entered
or had in said Court, and to note on the
same against each case the Judgment
therein, or the determination thereof,
and in all criminal cases the fine or i'm
pri.onment to which the defendant may
be sentenced. He shall also record the
judgments and proceedings of said Court,
in a book to be kept for that purpose,
and tax the costs in all cases, civil and
criminal, in said Court, and subject to
the revision Of said Court. One Of the
Justices of the Supreme Court, shall, on
the application Of said member Of the
Court, examine and certify at each May
session Of the General Assembly, wheth-
er the records have been faithfully and
fully kept and made up by said member
of the Court, and in case he shall not
have recorded the judgments and pro-
ceedings in said Court, as required, or
said certificate be not produced, he shall
be Ineligible to hold the Office of mem
Der of said Court. Either member Of
said Court shall be a quorum for all
purposes Of business during the tempo
rary absence or inability of the other to
perform the duties of his Office, and in
such cases the duties assigned to each
member Of the Court respectively, shall
De performed for the time being by the
present.
Sec. !. Whenever vacancy shall
happen in said Court from death, resig-
nation, or otherwise, the same shall be
supplied by the General Assembly, in
Grand Committee, at the session during
which, or next after, the vacancy shall
occur Provided, however, that when
ever any vacancy shall happen in said
Court, by death, resignation, or disabil-
ty of either member thereof, which shall
Dc likely to be of inconvenient duration,
he Governor Of this State is authorized
o commission any justice of the peace
or said city to peform the duties Of the
flee, so rendered vacant, until such
is removed or until the next
ession of the General Assembly, and
he person so commissioned shall be
ubject to the same duties and obliga-
ions during the time of his appointment,
$ are imposed by this ctupon the per-
on elected to that office.
Sec. 3. The member Of said Court
the duties Of clerk thereof,
hall, before entering upon his Office,
i've bond with sufficient surety to the
Ieneral Treasurer Of this State, to be
y him approved, in the sum Of two
housand dollars, which bond shall b