REPORT

OF THE

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

OF THE

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF RHODE ISLAND,

ON THE

PETITION OF STEPHEN N. MASON, ET AL.,

TO SET OFF A PORTION OF

Smithfield to Woonsocket,

JANUARY SESSION, A. D. 1870.

PROVIDENCE:

PROVIDENCE PRESS COMPANY, PRINTERS TO THE STATE.

REPORT.

To the Honorable the House of Representatives:

Your Judiciary Committee having taken into consideration the subject matter of the petitions for, and the remonstrances against the setting off of a part of the town of Smithfield to the town of Woonsocket, respectfully report:

That they have heard the petitioners and remonstrants, and have examined their proofs and allegations, and have brought to the consideration of the subject their best judgments, and have come to the following conclusions, to wit:

The town of Woonsocket, inhabited by a dense population principally engaged in mechanical and manufacturing pursuits, lies on the easterly side of the Blackstone river and adjoins Massachusetts; the three villages of Globe, Bernon and Hamlet are situate on the westerly bank of this narrow stream. These villages are also densely populated with inhabitants engaged in similar pursuits, and in every respect homogeneous with those of Woonsocket.

These villages are separated from Woonsocket only by this river, across which six bridges afford the means of transit from one side to the other. The people residing in these villages own property and pay taxes on both sides of the river; work in the same shops and manufacturing establishments; draw their supplies of food and clothing from the same stores, and worship at the same altars. But those residing on the west side of the river are now compelled to go a distance of six miles and then to meet entire strangers, where neither party can know the wants or the wishes of the other, to transact the business of their municipality. Their court of probate and town

clerk reside and transact the business of these offices at a like distance from these villages, and these officers are also strangers to them.

They complain that they are deprived of facilities for educating their children to which they would be entitled if they were united with Woonsocket, for the great cost attendant upon keeping up a gradation of schools, and the insular position of these villages renders it impracticable that they should establish schools of a character such as their necessities require, and that it is from this cause they have been so frequently brought under the animadversions of the school commissioner, and their children have been deprived of educational advantages to which they were justly entitled.

Again, they complain that they have no proper police regulations, such as their location and population requires, and that in consequence of this, the vicious population of the neighboring village have sometimes received immunity from punishment by locating themselves within their territory.

Then they allege that they are provided with no fire apparatus and are reduced to the necessity of depending for protection from this dangerous element, solely upon private establishments.

They say also that their streets are too few and too poor, quite inadequate to meet the growing wants of their communities.

That the fact that they have manifested a desire to be set off from Smithfield, has induced in the town animosities against them which have caused them to be proscribed by others, and created antagonisms between them and the residue of the town which cannot easily be healed, and which make their present municipal associations disagreeable and the occasion of great unhappiness.

On the other hand, the town of Smithfield claims that it has appropriated to this proportion of its territory, a due share of its tax, and that these villages have received all municipal advantages to which they were entitled. That it has a vested interest in the taxes to be collected from its people, of which it should not be deprived without its assent, and that a large and overwhelming majority of its votes, say eight or ten to one, are opposed to this division of its territory. That the people of Smithfield have the right to select their own officers, and they in the exercise of that right, have selected those who represented the interests of their people.

But there were divers remonstrants, who resided upon the territory

proposed to be set off. These gentlemen claim to have been born in Smithfield or to have had long residence there, and that they were devoted to that town as it now is, and to their municipal associations, and they earnestly protested against the granting the prayer of the petitioners. These remonstrants predicate their opposition, partly upon their attachment to their present municipal association, and partly upon their repulsion to forming any political associations with the people of Woonsocket. They are quite content with the present order of things, and prefer that, to the chance of bettering it, by being joined to Woonsocket.

The petitioners filed their petitions and papers annexed hereto, marked from 1 to 5, inclusive.

Paper numbered 1, purports to contain a list of the petitioners who are real estate voters, residing in the territory proposed to be set off, and the amount of tax paid by each voter.

Numbers 2 and 3 purport to contain a list of persons favoring set off, not voters, residing on the territory, paying taxes, and the amount of tax paid by each.

Number 4 purports to contain the names of persons favoring the set off, who, residing without the territory, own property within the same, and the amount of property owned by each person.

Number 5 purports to contain a list of the registered voters favoring the set off.

The respondents filed their remonstrance and papers numbered from 7 to 10 inclusive.

Paper numbered 7 purports to show the names of petitioners who ought not to be considered by the General Assembly for the reasons in said paper set forth.

Number 8 contains a list of non-resident tax-paying petitioners. Number 9 contains a list of alien-born petitioners, owning property and residing on the territory.

Number 10 contains an analysis of the petitioners and respondents; of their property, taxes, voters, not voters, &c., &c.; the amount expended by Smithfield upon this territory, and the amount collected from it in taxes, and is as follows, to wit: