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SEC. 4. The general assembly shall make all necessary provisions by law for carrying this article into effect. They shall not divert said money or fund from the aforesaid uses, nor borrow, appropriate, or use the same, or any part thereof, for any other purpose, under any pretence whatsoever.

ARTICLE XIII.

On Amendments.

The general assembly may propose amendments to this constitution by the votes of a majority of all the members elected to each house. Such propositions for amendment shall be published in the newspapers, and printed copies of them shall be sent by the secretary of state, with the names of all the members who shall have voted thereon, with the yeas and nays, to all the town and city clerks in the state. The said propositions shall be, by said clerks, inserted in the warrants or notices by them issued, for warning the next annual town and ward meetings in April; and the clerks shall read said propositions to the electors when thus assembled, with the names of all the representatives and senators who shall have voted thereon, with the yeas and nays, before the election of senators and representatives shall be had. If a majority of all the members elected to each house, at said annual meeting, shall approve any proposition thus made, the same shall be published and submitted to the electors in the mode provided in the act of approval; and if then approved by three fifths of the electors of the state present, and voting thereon in town and ward meetings, it shall become a part of the constitution of the state.

ARTICLE XIV.

Of the Adoption of this Constitution.

SEC. 1. This constitution, if adopted, shall go into operation on the first Tuesday of May, in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty-three. The first election of governor, lieutenant-governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and general treasurer, and of senators, and representatives under said constitution, shall be had on the first Wednesday of April next preceding, by the electors qualified under said constitution. And the town and ward meetings therefor shall be warned and conducted as is now provided by law. All civil and military officers now elected, or who shall hereafter be elected, by the general assembly, or other competent authority, before the said first Wednesday of April, shall hold their offices and may exercise their powers until the said first Tuesday of May, or until their successors shall be qualified to act. All statutes, public and private, not repugnant to this constitution, shall continue in force until they expire by their own limitation, or

are repealed by the general assembly. All charters, contracts, judgments, actions, and rights of action shall be as valid as if this constitution had not been made. The present government shall exercise all the powers with which it is now clothed, until the said first Tuesday of May, one thousand eight hundred and forty-three, and until the government under this constitution is duly organized.

SEC. 2. All debts contracted and engagements entered into, before the adoption of this constitution, shall be as valid against the state as if this constitution had not been adopted.

SEC. 3. The supreme court, established by this constitution, shall have the same jurisdiction as the supreme judicial court at present established, and shall have jurisdiction of all causes which may be appealed to, or pending in the same; and shall be held at the same times and places, and in each county, as the present supreme judicial court, until otherwise prescribed by the general assembly.

SEC. 4. The towns of New Shoreham and Jamestown shall continue to enjoy the exemptions from military duty which they now enjoy, until otherwise prescribed by law.

Done in convention, at East Greenwich, this fifth day of November, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and forty-two.

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It shall not be necessary for the town or ward clerks to keep and transmit to the general assembly a list or register of all persons voting for general officers; but the general assembly shall have power to pass such laws on the subject as they may deem expedient.

ARTICLE II.

The governor, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, shall hereafter exclusively exercise the pardoning power, except in cases of impeachment, to the same extent as such power is now exercised by the general assembly.

ARTICLE III.

There shall be one session of the general assembly holden annually, commencing on the last Tuesday in May, at Newport, and an adjournment from the same shall be holden annually at Providence.

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE

PLANTATIONS.

IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SEVEN.

REVISED STATUTES

OF THE

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS.

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: —

TITLE I.

Of Legislative Proceedings and of Statutes.

CHAPTER 1. Of the constitution and organization of the general assembly. CHAPTER 2. Of petitions to the general assembly.

CHAPTER 3. Of the publication and distribution of acts and resolves of the

general assembly.

CHAPTER 4. Of certain civil officers elected by the general assembly.

CHAPTER 5. Of the tenure and oath of office of certain officers.

CHAPTER 6. Of the construction of statutes.

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SECTION 1. The senate shall consist of the lieutenant-governor, and of one senator from each town or city in the state.

SEC. 2. The house of representatives shall consist of one representative for every eighteen hundred and seventy-five inhabitants of every town and city, and one additional representative for every fraction of the inhabitants of every town and city exceeding one half of the ratio aforesaid; but each town and city shall be entitled to at least one representative; and no town or city shall be entitled to send more than twelve representatives.

SEC. 3. The several towns and cities in the state shall send to the general assembly the following number of representatives, that is to say: Newport, five; Providence, twelve; Portsmouth, one; Warwick, four; Westerly, one; New Shoreham, one; North Kingstown, two; South Kingstown, two; East Greenwich, one; Jamestown, one; Smithfield, six; Scituate, two; Glocester, two; Charlestown, one; West Greenwich, one; Coventry, two; Exeter, one; Middletown, one; Bristol, two; Tiverton, one; Little Compton, one; Warren, two; Cumberland, four; Richmond, one; Cranston, two; Hopkinton, one; Johnston, two; North Providence, four; Barrington, one; Foster, one; Burrillville, two; Fall River,

one.

SEC. 4. The senators elect shall, on the last Tuesday in May, in every year, assemble in the senate chamber, present their certificates of election, and take the oath of office, before the secretary of state, or the attorney-general; after which, if a quorum be present, they shall elect their officers.

SEC. 5. The members elect of the house of representatives shall assemble, annually, in the representatives chamber, on the last Tuesday in May, present their certificates of election, and take the oath of office before the secretary of state or the attorney-general; after which, if a quorum be present, they shall organize the house of representatives by the election of a speaker and other officers.

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