The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-19
PUBLIC LAWS PASSED AT THE
NAY SESSION, 1895.
fThe Chapters Of the Public Laws ara num-
bered continuously from the Public Statutes,
veyision Of 1852
CHAPTER 1889.


majority OF all the members elected to each
house, and the same has been published and
read 20 the electors at their annual town and
ward meetings in April last, as required by
the thirteenth article Of the constitution Of
this state, and Is now presented 10 this Gen.
erai Assembly for their action thereon; and a
majority of all tbs members elected 10 each
house at said annual meeting being present
and approving Of said proposed amendment:
1t is enacted by the General Assembly as fol-
lows:
SECTION I. The following proposition OF
amendment 10 the constitution Of this state,
proposed by the last General Assembly, Is
hereby declared approved, and for the purpose
OF publication and submission 10 the electors
shall be designated as follows;
"ARTICLE XII
"SEoTIos l. The senate shall consist OF one
senator from each town or city in the state.
The lieutenant governor shall preside In the
senate and in grand committee The presid-
ing officer Of the senate and grand committee
shall have right to vote in case OF equal di'
vision, but not otherwise.
"SEc. 2. II, by reason Of death, resignation,
absence or other cause, there be no lieutenant
governor present TO preside In the senate, the
senate shall elect one OF its own members To
preside during such abznnce or vacancy; and
until such election Is made by the senate, tho
secretary Of state shall preside The senate
such other officers as ii may deem necessary.
"sEo. g. The house Of representatives shall
never exceed seventy two members, and shall
be constituted on the basis Of population. al
ways allowing one representative for a frac-
tion exceeding half the ratio but each town
or city shall always be entitled 10 at least one
member; and no town or city shall have more
than one-sixth Of the whole number Of mem
bers to which the house Is hereby limited.
The present ratio shall be one representative
20 every four thousand three hundred and
twenty three inhabitants, and the General AS
sembly may, after any new census taken by
the authority Of the United States or Of this
state, re-spportion the representation by al
tering the ratio. The General Assembly may
by law from time to time in its discretion,
when requested 60 TO do by vote Of tse city
council Of any city, apportion the representa-
tives to which such city is or may hereafter
be entitled, among the several wards in such
city, and the representatives so apportioped
shall be voted for and elected only by the
electors in the ward or wards TO which they
are apportioned: Provided, however, that each
ward In any city so apportioned shall, II the
number Of representatives 20 which such city
IL entitled equals the number OF wards, have
at least one repres. ntative; but no town shall
be divided into districts for the choice OF rep
resentatives.
"sEc. T. The governor, lieutenant governor,
eeecretary OF state, attorney general, general
treasurer, senators and representatives. shall
be elected biennially at the town, ward or dis
trict meetings To be held on the first Wednes-
day Of April In each alternate year, and shall
severally hold their offices for two years from
the last Tuesday Of May next succeeding said
first Wednesday OF April, and until others are
legally chosen aud duly qualified to fill their
places. II elected or qualified after the said
last Tuesday OF May, they shall hold their
Offices for the remainder Of the two years en-
suing said last Tuesday Of May, and until
their successors are qualified TO act
"SEc. g. Section Of Article VII, 'Of the
Executive Power Section OF Article VIII,
'Of Elections and Article XIII, 'of Amend
ments, are hereby amended by striking out
the word annual wherever IL occurs in all
the above named sections and In Article XIII
Of the Constitution, and inserting in lieu
thereof the word biennial
'sEc. O. The General Assembly may provide
by law for the continuance in Office OF any
officers of election or appointment until other
persons are qualified 10 take their places.
"SEC. 7. The first election under this Arti-
Gle shall be had on the first Wednesday Of
April next following the adoption thereof, as
provided by Article XIII of the Constitution
OF the State.
''SEc. g. This amendment shall take in the
Constitution Of the State, the place Of Section
! Of Article V, 'Of the House of Representa-
tives,' which section Is hereby annulled: of
Article vi, 'Of the Senate which article Is
hereby annulled; Of Section | of Article VIII,
'Of Elections, which is hereby annulled Of
Section 10 of Article Nv, which is hereby an.
nulled; and also of the word annual wher-
ever il occurs in the several sections. and In
Article XIII, referred TO in Section OF this
Amendment.
SEC. 2. The said proposition Of amendment
shall be submitted to the electors for their ap.
proval or rejection, at meetings of the electors
TO be held on the twenty fifth day of Septem-
ber, A. ID. 1895. The voting places in the vari.
Gus cities and towns shall be kept open during
the hours required by law for voting for state
officers.
SEC. 3. The secretary Of state shall cause tho
said proposition of amendment to be published
i'm all the papers publishing the laws OF the
state for one week next preceding the day Of
said meetings OF said electors; and the said
proposition shall be- inserted by the town and
city clerks In the warrants or notices by them
TO be issued previors TO said meetings OF tho
electors for the purpose OF warning the town,
ward or district meetings. and said PROPOSE
tions shall be read by the town, ward and dis
trict clerks to the electors in the town, ward
and district meetings, 10 be held as aforesaid.
SEC. 4. The town, ward and district meet
ings to be held as aforesaid shall be warned,
and the list Of voters shall DE oanvassed and
made up, and the said town, ward and district
meetings shall be conducted In the same man
ner as now provided by law Tor the town,
ward and district meetings for the election Of
general officers.
SEC. 5. AT the close of the polls on sfid day
of said meetings Of the electors, the moderator
and town clerk, or the warden and ward clerk,
or the moderator and district clerk, shall in
open town, ward or district meeting, count
said ballots and seal up the same, and shall
certify that tho ballots by them sealed up are
the ballots given I'm at said meetings OF tho
electors, tho number Of such ballots, and that
the number of ballots on said proposition does
not exceed the number Of electors voting at
said meetings. and shall, deliver or send such
ballots, so sealed up and certified. 10 the sec
rotary OF state within FIVE days after said 18th
day of September, A. ID. 1898.
SEC. O. The governor secretary Of state end
attorney general shall count said ballots on car
before the tenth day ~ October, A. d. 1895.
And the governor shall announce the result by
proclamation. on or before the fifteenth day
Of October, A. ID. 1895, and II said proposition
of amendment shall have been approved by
three ffths Of the electors OF the state present
and voting thereon in said town, ward and dis
trict meetings, the same shall bc declared 20
be part Of the constitution of the state and
shall be numbered as an additional article in
amendment thereto.
SEC. Z. This act shall take effect on and
altar - pasaaCa