Tt I/, if: CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FROM Date Due V. PR ore f^-ny/rfff' FRAGILE PAPER Please handle this book with care, as the paper is brittle. PRINTED IN U. 9. A [Wy CAT. NO. 23233 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 071 'm Cornell University Library '<^y. The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924071194900 RECOEDS STATE OF RHODE ISLAND PltOVIDENOE PLANTATIONS NEW ENGLAND. PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. ; DI T ED BY JQflN RUSSELL BARTLETT, 6ECKETAKT OF STATE. VOL. X. 1784 TO 1792. PROVIDENCE: PRINTED BY THE PROVIDENCE PRESS COMPANY. 1865. r [.{: nlM V I \) Y ! I,:|CARY .' I r~^ A. Gi-ji, NELL UNIVERSITY ^. LIBRARY PREFACE The tenth and last volume of the Colonial and State Re- cords of Rhode Island, commences in 1784, and terminates with the October session, 1 792, the last of the year. During the latter year, the State of Rhode Island adopted the Con- stitution of the United States. Its existence, therefore, as a sovereign state, ceased with this important act; and it became a component and permanent part of the United States. The history of the latter, will, from that period, embrace the history of all the States in the Union ; and the history of Rhode Island, from the period whon she became merged in the great Federal Union, will be confined to transactions within her own State limits. J. R. B. Providence, November, 1865. RHODE ISLAND EECOEDS. — EHODE ISLAND EECOEDS. Proceedings of the General Assemhli/ of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, at Providence, on the last Monday in February, 1784. His Excellency William Greene, Governor. The Hon. Jabez Bowen, Deputy Governor. It is voted and resolved, that Mr. Thomas Fitch Oliver, at present the officiating clergyman in the Episcopal Church, in the town of Providence, be, and he is, hereby vested with full power and authority to join persons in marriage; he com- plying with the law of this state regulating marriages. Any law, custom, or usage, to the contrary notwithstanding. Whereas, the Congregational Society, in the town of Tiverton, preferred a petition unto this Assembly, repre- senting that the meeting house belonging to the said society was improved, during the late war, as a barrack for the troops, whereby it is greatly injured ; and that the said society are unable to advance the money to repair the same ; and thereupon prayed this Assembly to grant them a lottery, for raising the sum of fifteen hundred dollars, to be applied to the repairing of the said meeting house ; and that Joseph Taber, Pardon Gray, John Cooke, William Ladd, William Whitridge, Abraham Brown, Benjamin How- land, and Nathaniel Briggs may be appointed directors of the said lottery ; which being duly considered, — — ;; 4 EECORDS OF THE STATE OF KHODE ISLAJSfD [PeB., petition be, and the It is voted and resolved, that the said the said Joseph Taber, Pardon same is, hereby granted ; that Gray, John Cooke, William Ladd, William Whitridge, Abra- ham Brown, Benjamin Howland, and Nathaniel Briggs be, and they are, hereby appointed directors of the said lottery, and empowered to draw and establish a scheme therefor provided that they give bond to the general treasurer, in a sum double the amount of the said scheme, for the faithful to discharge of their trust ; and that no expense accrue the State. Whereas, Jeremiah Olney, Esq., late commandant of this state's Continental regiment, preferred a petition to this Assembly, representing that there is still due to the officers and soldiers of the said regiment, a balance of about three hundred pounds, upon the orders given by this Assembly, in favor of the said regiment, on the general treasury ; and praying that interest thereon may be allowed ; which being duly considered, It is voted and resolved, that Ebenezer Thompson, John Jenckes, and Eouse J. Helme, Esqs., be, and they are, hereby appointed a committee to examine the pay-rolls on which the sums above-mentioned were granted, and to inquire into the accounts of the said Jeremiah Olney, relative to the receipts of money in behalf of the said regiment, the ex- penditure of the same, and the amount of the interest due on the said orders. Whereas, the general treasurer hath represented to this Assembly, that he hath issued certificates for interest on loan-office certificates, pursuant to an act passed at the last session of this Assembly, to the amount of twenty-eight thousand eight hundred dollars, the sum limited in said act and whereas, it appears that there are certificates issued from the loan-office in this state, and now belonging to the inhabitants thereof, to a considerable amount; for one year's interest whereof no certificates have been yet issued to the possessors of the said certificates, — 1784.] • AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS. O It is therefore voted and resolved, that the general treas- urer be, and he is, hereby empowered and directed to issue certificates for one year's interest of all such loan-office cer- tificates, issued from the loan-office in this state, and which belonged to the inhabitants of this state on the twenty-fifth day of December last, agreeable to the directions and restrictions in the said act mentioned. And that the said certificates be received by the general treasurer, and collec- tors of taxes, in payment of the last state tax, in like man- ner as the certificates issued pursuant to the act aforesaid. It is further voted and resolved, that an interest of six per cent, per annum be allowed and paid by the general treasurer on all such certificates for interest, from their date till received into the treasury, as well on certificates which have been, as those which may be issued, and also on such as have been paid into_^ the treasury ; and that the said cer- tificates issued pursuant to this act shall bear the same date as those which have been heretofore issued. And whereas, i* hath been found very inconvenient for the inhabitants, in divers parts of the State, to make oath before a justice of the Superior Court, as is directed in the act aforesaid, by reason of the distance of their places of residence, It is therefore further resolved, that Thomas G. Hazard, of Newport, Thomas Wells, of Hopkinton, and Shearjashub Bourne, of Bristol, Esqs., be, and they are, hereby also appointed and empowered to administer the oath in the said act prescribed. It is further voted and resolved, that in case, when the payment of the said tax shall be completed, any of the cer- tificates so to be issued shall remain undischarged, the surplus thereof shall be received in payment of the next state tax which shall be ordered ; and that copies of this act be transmitted to the several town clerks as soon as may be. : — ; 6 RECORDS OF THE STATE OP RHODE ISLAND [FeB., Upon the petition of Mr. Samuel Gardner, of South Kingstown, preferred unto this Assembly, representing that while he was confined in the town of Newport, during the time the British troops were in possession thereof, this Assembly ordered his tenant, Mr. Abijah Babcock, to pay the rents and profits of his estate, lying in said South Kings- town, into the general treasury ; and praying that he may be paid what in law and equity is due to him, the following report was made, to wit Report of the Committee appointed by the General Assembly in relation to the estate of Samuel Gardner. We, the subscribers, being appointed by the lower House of Assembly, to consider the petition of Mr. Samuel Gardner, hare accordingly met the petitioner, with his counsel, James M. Varnum, Esq., and fully heard them on the premises, and, after full and deliberate consideration, report that the said Samuel Gardner, though he has received as much money from the general treasurer as the state received towards the rent of the said farm, yet it doth not appear to us that Mr. Abijah Babcock, who hired the farm of the said Samuel Gardner, has ever paid, either to the State or to the said Samuel Gardner, any thing near the real value he contracted to pay to the said Samuel Gardner. All which is submitted by JOHN BROWJSf, JOHN JENCKES, Committee. And the said report being duly considered, It is voted and resolved, that the same be, and hereby is, accepted. Whereas, divers inhabitants of the town of Providence preferred a petition, and represented unto this Assembly that they are desirous of erecting a public market house, for the benefit of the north part of the said town ; and also of building a bridge from the south side of the work-house lot over to the main street, which will be of public utility and thereupon prayed this Assembly to grant them a lot- tery, for raising a sum not exceeding one thousand pounds, lawful money, for the purposes aforesaid ; and that Messrs. John Whipple, Benjamin Comstock, Samuel Young, Wil- liam Wheaton, Amos Allen, and Jonathan Marsh may be —— — — 1784.] AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS. 7 appointed directors of the said lottery ; which being duly considered, It is voted and resolved, that the said petition be, and the same is, hereby granted ; and that the said John Whip- ple, Benjamin Comstock, Samuel Young, William Wheaton, Amos Allen, and Jonathan Marsh, be, and they are, hereby appointed directors of said lottery, and empowered to draw a scheme for the same, for raising a sum not exceeding one thousand pounds, lawful money ; provided they give bonds to the general treasurer for the faithful performance of their trust, in a sum double the amount of the said scheme ; and that no expense accrue to the state.