The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1854-06-08
Gaws of Rbu6e Js!an0'
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PRO-
VIDENCE PLANTATIONS.

VIDENCE PLANTATIONS.
In General assembly, May Session, 1854.
AN ACT to establish a Court of Magis-
trates in the city of Providence.
1t is enacted By the General assembly as
| JoH0Ws:
Section 1. The General Assembly,
in grand committee, may, at its annual
election of justices of the peace for the
several towns in this State, elect three
persons from the justices of the peace
for the city of Providence, who shall
constitute court in the city of Provi-
dcnce, to be called the court Of magis-
trates.
See. 2. 1t shall be the duty of the
members Of said court to hear and al
Judge all matters that may be brought
before said co9St 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
Sec. 3. Said court may annually, or
oftencr if occasion require, elect one OF
its members as presiding member there
of, and said court shall annually elec
one of its members as clerk thereof; anc
in case Of his death, absence, or inability
to perform the duties of his office, they
may appoint from their own number
another clerk, either pro tempore or for
the remainder of the year, as the case
may require.
Sec. 4. Any two members Of said
court shall be a quorum, but any one in
the absence of the others, may adjourn
the court.
Sec. 5. 1T shall be the duty of the
clerk to keep docket of all actions,
complaints, or proceedings, either of a
civil or criminal nature, that may be
entered or had in said court, and to note
on the same against each case the judg.
ment therein, or the determination
thereof; and in all criminal cases, the
fine or imprisonment to which the de
PENDANTS may be sentenced He shal
also record the judgment and proceed
ings of said Court in book to be KEEP
for that purpose One of the Justice
of the Supreme Court shall, on the ap'
plication Of said clerk of the court, ex
anime and certify at each May session o
the General Assembly, whether the re
cords have been faithfully and fully KEEP
and made by the said clerk and in cas-,
he shall not have recorded the judgment
| and proceedings in said court as re
quired or said certificate be not pro
, duced, he shall be ineligible to hold tn,
Office of a member of said court.
Sec. 6. Whenever vacancy shall
happen in said court from death, resig
nation or otherwise, the same shall b.
supplied by the General Assembly il
grand committee at the session durin;
, which, or next after the vacancy shall
, occur: PrOctded, hOwerer, that when
5 ever any vacancy shall happen in sal,
court by death, resignation, or disabiIit,
of any of the members thereof, which
5 shall be likely to be of inconvenien
duration, the Governor of this State i
/ authorized to commission any justice o
the peace for said city, to perform th,
duties of the Office so rendered vacan
until such disability is removed, or unit
E the next session OF the General Assem-
, bly, +; and the person so commissions,
shall be subject to the same duties ant
obligations during the time Of his ap
pointment as are imposed by this ac
upon the person elected to that office.
Sec. 7. The member of said cour
, performing the duties of clerk thereof
shall, before entering upon his Office
,, give bond with sufficient surety to til,
General Treasurer of the State, to b,
by him approved, in the sum of three
thousand dollars, which bond shall b,
r upon the condition following, viz. faith
, fully to perform the duties Of his of6c,
according to law, and se.sonably to re