list of voters posted up as aforesaid, shall be fined three hundred dollars, or be imprisoned three calendar months.

SEC. 8. On or before the third Monday of March in every year, the town councils of the several towns not divided into voting districts, and the boards of aldermen of the cities, shall be in session at some convenient place or places for a reasonable time, in their respective towns, for the purpose of correcting such lists; and the notice of the time or times, and place or places of holding said sessions shall be given by the town councils upon the lists posted up as aforesaid.

SEC. 9. Within two days after the correction of the lists as aforesaid, such corrections shall be, by the several town clerks, entered upon such lists so posted, or other lists shall be corrected and posted in their places.

SEC. 10. The members of the town councils, and the town clerks of the several towns, shall be paid by their respective towns, one dollar each, for every day's attendance in the discharge of their duties under this chapter; and the town clerks shall, in addition, be paid legal fees for their recording and making out the several lists and returns in this chapter required.

SEC. 11. On or before the third Monday of March, in each year, the town councils in the several towns, which are or may be divided into voting districts, not including cities divided into wards, shall be in session in some convenient place in each of said districts for a reasonable time, to correct said lists; and the notice of the time and place of holding such session, shall be given by the council, on the list posted up as aforesaid.

SEC. 12. The boards of canvassers shall, at their several meetings, correct the lists, and add to the list of voters, all persons otherwise qualified, who, since the preceding meeting have paid taxes assessed against them necessary for a qualification, and all such others whose names may not be on the list of voters, who may be shown to be entitled to vote under article second, section first, of the constitution, or by the performance of military duty.

SEC. 13. Said boards shall hold their last meeting within four days next preceding the day of voting at any election, when they shall complete the lists of all persons qualified; which lists need not be posted up as aforesaid, but notice of the time and place of such session shall be given, for at least ten days previous thereto, by posting up notices thereof, in three or more public places in every town, and one in each ward in the cities of Providence and Newport; also, one in each voting district in any town divided. into districts for the purpose of voting, and one in the town or city clerk's office; in addition to such notice, by publication in one or more newspapers published in such town, if any there be.

SEC. 14. In special elections of representatives in congress and of members of the general assembly, said board shall, on the weekday next preceding the day of the election, correct as aforesaid the lists of voters of their respective towns without notice or posting up as aforesaid; and in called town meetings shall, if the time of such call will permit, correct as aforesaid said lists; and if not, the

qualifications of voters at such called town meetings shall be determined by the voting lists as last before corrected; and the town clerk immediately upon issuing a notice for any such called town meeting, shall give notice thereof to the board of canvassers. SEC. 15. No name shall be stricken from the voting list by any board of canvassers, unless proof shall be presented to said canvassers that such name is the name of a person not qualified to vote, or who may not be qualified according to the provisions of this title.

SEC. 16. The list of voters so corrected, shall be by said town councils certified by their presiding officer, and on the same day delivered to the town clerks of their respective towns, to be delivered by said town clerks to the moderators of town meetings in their respective towns.

SEC. 17. The town clerk of every town divided into districts for the purpose of voting, shall send to the moderator of each of said districts, a certified copy of the list for his district, before the time fixed for opening the district meetings, for any election as aforesaid; and the city clerks of the cities of Providence and Newport shall, from the list of voters so corrected, make out separate lists of the voters of each ward in said cities, and send such lists, by them certified, to the clerks of the respective wards before the time fixed for the opening of the ward meetings.

SEC. 18. For any wilful neglect to hold the sessions, to post up the lists, or to deliver the same, in this chapter before required, every member of the town council, and every town clerk so wilfully neglecting, shall be fined not exceeding five hundred dollars.

SEC. 19. Any person who shall actually be supported by any town at the time of the completion of the voting lists, shall be deemed and considered a pauper, and the name of any such person shall be stricken from the list of voters by the board of canvassers; nor shall any person be replaced on the voting list, or be permitted to vote, who is excluded by the fourth and fifth sections of the second article of the constitution.

SEC. 20. Said town councils may, at their sessions, holden either for the purpose of revising the registry, or canvassing the votes as aforesaid, examine, under oath, the person whose right to vote is disputed, or any or any other person present, and may receive any other evidence offered, that they deem necessary, respecting the right of any person to have his name upon the registry or to vote, and shall decide upon the same.

SEC. 21. Any person refusing to answer, or giving a false answer, upon such examination, shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars, nor more than three hundred dollars for such refusal, or for such false answer so given.

SEC. 22. If any town council shall, at any session holden for the purpose of correcting the lists of voters for the town, as is hereinbefore provided, wilfully and fraudulently place the name of any person upon the list of voters for such town, who is not entitled to vote, or shall wilfully and fraudulently reject and cause to be erased from said list the name of any person entitled to vote, every

member of the said town councils so offending, who shall concur in said offence, shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars, nor more than five hundred dollars.

SEC. 23. The town councils, in case they shall have entered on said lists the names of all persons returned to them by said town clerks, shall not be held answerable for any omissions in said lists, nor for refusing to place in their list the name of any person omitted in the lists to them delivered as aforesaid, unless at one of their said sessions they shall be furnished with sufficient evidence of such omission, and of the qualifications, as a voter, of the person omitted.

SEC. 24. It shall be the duty of the town clerk to record the votes of the members of the town councils, upon admitting or rejecting the name of any person from the list of voters, when he shall be requested thereto by any member of said council, or by any qualified elector of said town present at the time of canvassing, a certified copy of which record shall be conclusive evidence of the facts therein stated; and for any wilful neglect upon the part of said clerk to make said record when requested as aforesaid, he shall be fined not exceeding five hundred dollars.

SEC. 25. If any town clerk shall at any time wilfully and fraudulently add a name to any list of voters, or erase any name therefrom, after the same has been corrected and certified as aforesaid, he shall be fined one hundred dollars for each and every name so added or erased as aforesaid.

SECTION

CHAPTER 25.

OF ELECTIVE MEETINGS.

1. Town meetings for elections, how warned and organized.

2. Ward meetings for, how warned and organized.

3. District meetings, when and where held. 4. Of district meetings on 1st Wednes

day in April.

5. Of notice of time, place and purpose
of the first meeting of a newly formed
district.

6. Who to preside at such meeting.
7. Who, officers of voting districts.

8. When elected and how qualified.

9. Of duty and power of moderators of
district meetings.

10. Of district moderator pro tempore.

11. Of district clerk pro tempore.

12. Of duty of district clerks.

SECTION

13 and 14. Of notice of district meetings for election of representatives to congress, &c. and of service of warrant for same.

15. Elective meetings for election of cer

tain officers in Providence and Newport and in other towns where vote taken by ballot, to be kept open during whole time of voting.

16. Elective meetings for certain elections,
at what time of day to be opened.

17 and 18. At what hour to be closed.
19. Ward meetings for certain elections in
Providence and Newport, when to be
closed.

20. District meetings for certain elections,
at what hour to be opened and closed.

SECTION 1. Town meetings for purposes of election shall be warned, and organized as is, or may be provided by law for the warning and organization of town meetings for other purposes, unless otherwise specially directed, and shall be held at the times by law appointed.

SEC. 2. Ward meetings in cities for like purposes, shall be warned, and organized as is, or may be, by law, or the charters of such cities, provided, and shall be held at the times by law appointed.

SEC. 3. District meetings of towns which are, or may be divided into districts for purposes of election, shall be held within the respective districts by the electors thereof, at the times by law appointed, and at places designated by the vote of the district meeting.

SEC. 4. A meeting of the electors of every such district, shall be annually held on the first Wednesday in April, at nine o'clock in the forenoon, at a place to be designated by the town council, if none be designated by a former district meeting, for the purpose of organization, and of voting for such officers as are to be chosen on that day.

SEC. 5. At the first meeting of any such newly-formed district, the town clerk shall cause notice of the time, place and purpose of such meeting to be given, by issuing his warrant to the town sergeant or one of the constables of said town, requiring him to post up notifications thereof in two or more public places in each of said districts.

SEC. 6. At such first meeting, some member of the town council or other person to be designated by the town council, shall attend the meeting on that day in each of said districts, and act as moderator until the meeting shall choose a moderator.

SEC. 7. The officers of said districts shall be a moderator and district clerk.

SEC. 8. They shall be chosen on the first Wednesday of April annually; and shall be sworn to the faithful and impartial discharge of their several duties, according to law.

SEC. 9. The moderators shall preside in all meetings of their districts until a new election; and shall have the same authority to preserve order in said meetings as moderators of town meetings have; and shall be subject to the same penalties for wilful violations or neglect of duty.

SEC. 10. Should the moderator not attend any meeting, the clerk shall preside until a moderator pro tempore shall be chosen.

SEC. 11. Should the clerk not attend any meeting, the moderator shall call for an election of clerk pro tempore, and shall discharge the duties of clerk until such election.

SEC. 12. The clerks shall keep a record of the proceedings of the meetings in their several districts, and after a choice of officers in their several districts, shall, in writing duly certified, notify the town clerk thereof, and the meeting held on said first Wednesday in April shall fix upon the place of their future meetings; and the

district clerks shall severally give notice to the town clerk, of the place so appointed.

SEC. 13. After the first meeting of the electors of a newly formed district, whenever any election for representatives to congress, electors of president and vice-president, general officers, town clerk, town council, justices of the peace, town treasurer, and for senators and representatives to the general assembly, shall be prescribed by law, it shall be the duty of the town clerk to cause notice to be given to the voters in each of the districts of the said towns divided into districts, or which may hereafter be divided into districts, as aforesaid, by issuing his warrant to the town sergeant, or one of the constables of the said town, directing him to post up notifications of the time, place and purpose of such meetings, in two or more public places in each of said districts, at least seven days previous to the time appointed therefor.

SEC. 14. The officer charged with the service of said warrant, shall return to the district clerks severally, a certificate of his doings upon said warrant in each district, previous to said meeting.

SEC. 15. In the election of general officers, representatives to congress, and electors of president and vice-president of the United States, and of city officers of the cities of Providence and Newport, and when the vote is taken by ballot in the election of senators and representatives to the general assembly, the town meetings of the several towns, and the ward meetings in the cities of Providence and Newport, shall be kept open for voting during the whole time of voting for the day.

SEC. 16. All town and ward meetings for the election of general officers, senators and representatives to the general assembly, representatives to congress, and electors of president and vice-president of the United States, and for the election of city officers of the cities of Providence and Newport, shall be opened at ten o'clock, in the forenoon, on the day of election.

SEC. 17. All town meetings for such elections, except in case of the election of senators and representatives to the general assembly where the vote is not taken by ballot, in any town having five hundred electors or upward, shall be kept open at least until five o'clock, in the afternoon, on said day.

SEC. 18. All town meetings for such elections in towns having less than five hundred electors, shall be kept open at least until three o'clock, in the afternoon, on said day.

SEC. 19. Ward meetings in the cities of Providence and Newport shall be kept open in all such elections until eight o'clock in the evening and no longer.

SEC. 20. All district meetings holden for such elections, shall be opened at nine o'clock, in the forenoon, and be kept open at least until three o'clock, in the afternoon.