During these four evenings, eight houses in Olney's Lane, and nine near Smith-street, in SnowTown, were destroyed or injured. On Sunday morning, the 25th, a town meeting was holden. It met at the Town House, but so great was the crowd, that it adjourned to the State House parade. Here several resolutions, lamenting the occasion which had made recourse to the military necessary to the civil officers, sympathising with the friends and relatives of the deceased, and approbating the course of the civil magistrates on the occasion, were passed with great unanimity. A large committee was appointed to prepare and publish a correct statement of facts relative to the riots; and it is from their report that the facts above stated were gathered. Believing the whole evil to have arisen from the inefficiency of a town government, at a town meeting holden on the fifth day of October, the freemen, without a dissenting voice, resolved that it was expedient to adopt a city form of government. They appointed a committee to draft a charter, consisting of John Whipple, Caleb Williams, William T. Grinnell, Peter Pratt, George Curtis and Henry P. Franklin. This committee reported on the 12th of the same month. The meeting then adjourned to the 22d to take the opinions of the freemen by ballot, on that day, resolving that if threefifths should vote in its favor, that then the representatives of the town should be instructed to urge the passage of an act of the General Assembly, granting the same. On the 22d, 646 freemen voted, 471 for, and 175 against, the change. The representa

tives of the town, therefore, according to their instructions, presented the subject to the consideration of the Assembly. Some citizens living in the westerly part of the town, preferred their petition to the same session, praying that if the city charter should be granted, it should extend no further westward than Broad-street; and that the rest of the town might be set off and formed into another town. Under these circumstances, the General Assembly granted the charter, to go into effect on the first Monday in June 1832, if three-fifths of the freemen voting, at a town meeting to be holden on the 22d of November then next, should be in favor of it. On the 22d of November, 647 freemen voted on the question, 459 for, and 188 against, the city charter. Thus was sealed the death warrant of the town of Providence. The city of Providence rose from its ashes; and our warmest aspirations are, that she may continue to increase in wealth, population and respectability.

The first election of City Officers was holden on the fourth Monday in April, 1832. Samuel W. Bridgham, Esq. was elected Mayor, which office he held by successive elections, without opposition, until his death, in December 1839. He was succeeded by the present Mayor, Thomas M. Burgess, Esq. The Aldermen first elected were

Dexter Thurber, 1st Ward.
Charles Holden, 2d Ward.

John H. Ormsbee, 3d Ward.

William T. Grinnell, 4th Ward.
Henry R. Greene, 5th Ward.

Asa Messer, 6th Ward.

Since that time the following persons have holden

that office.

The board of Aldermen elected in June 1842, is

Thomas C. Hoppin, 4th Ward.
Phinehas Potter, 5th Ward.
Robert Knight, 6th Ward.

The Common Council first elected, consisted of

the following named persons.

The Common Council elected in June 1842, is composed of the following persons.

FIRST WARD.

Isaac Thurber,
Joseph G. Metcalf,
Stephen T. Olney,
Jabez Gorham.

SECOND WARD.

William Andrews,
James M. Earle,
William P. Bullock,
William S. Patten.

THIRD WARD.

William Viall,
John D. Jones,
Eben Wade,
Willard W.Fairbanks

FOURTH WARD.

Daniel T. Goodhue,
Shubael Hutchins,

FIFTH WARD.

James C. Bucklin,
Bradford Hodges,
Henry S. Hazard,
Samuel James.

SIXTH WARD.

Duty Greene,
Israel G. Manchester,

Edward S. Williams, James E. Butts,
Amos D. Smith. Mnason Allen.

CHAPTER SEVENTH.

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.

It is intended in this chapter to embody a succinct account of the rise, progress and state of each religious society in Providence, at the adoption of the city charter. To obtain the facts necessary for this purpose, the author addressed a circular to the pastors of the various churches, craving their aid and assistance in the matter. In most instances, the answers received have supplied the desired information, and in some, almost the very language of the answers is preserved. Where none were received, recourse was had to printed histories, where such existed, and to oral communications with the clergymen, officers and old members of the societies. I have designed to arrange the sketches in chronological order, dating each society at the time it first met as a distinct church.

There can be little doubt, as to what were the religious tenets of the first settlers of Providence. At the time of their removal here, they were members of Plymouth and Massachusetts churches. Those churches, as it respects government, were Independent or Congregational, in doctrine, moderately Calvinistic and with regard to ceremonies, Pedobap