ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

Firewards

sen.

Their

power.

to hinder and prevent the spreading of the fire, that then the owner or owners of such house or houses shall receive no manner of satisfaction for the same; any thing in this act to the contrary notwithstanding.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the freemen of to be cho- said town of Newport shall, on their days for electing town officers, choose and appoint such a number of prudent persons, of known fidelity, in the several parts of the town, as they may think fit, who shall be denominated and called firewards, and have a proper badge assigned to distinguish them in their offices, to wit: a speaking trumpet painted red; and at the times of breaking forth of fire, and during the continuance thereof, they shall have full power and authority to command and require assistance for the extinction and putting out of the same, and for removing household furniture, goods and merchandize, out of any dwelling-house, store or other building actually on fire, or in danger thereof, and to appoint proper guards to take care of and secure the same; as also to require and command assistance for the pulling down or blowing up of any house or houses, and performing all and every service relating thereto, to stop and prevent the further spreading of the fire, and to suppress all tumults and disorders: and the said firewards from time to time appointed as aforesaid, are required, upon notice of the breaking forth of fire, to take each one his badge, and repair immediately to the place, and vigorously exert their authority for obtaining assistance, and to use their utmost endeavors to extinguish or prevent the spreading of the fire, and to preserve and secure the estates of the inhaPenalty bitants; and due obedience is required to be yielded to them and each of them accordingly in said service; and all disobedience, neglect or refusal in any person, shall be informed of to some of the justices of the peace of said town, within two days next after; and the offender upon conviction thereof by the oath of one or more of the firewards, or other due proof made before any two of said justices, shall forfeit and pay as a fine, the sum of six dollars and sixty-six cents, to be levied by a warrant of distress, and when collected to be distributed at the discretion of the town-council of Newport among such poor persons as were most distressed by the fire: and in case such offender or offenders shall be unable to pay the same, they shall be committed to jail, there to remain ten days.

for disobeying

their orders.

time of

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That if any evil-mind- Stealing in ed persons shall take advantage of such calamity to rob, me plunder, purloin, embezzle, convey away or conceal any goods, merchandize or effects of the distressed inhabitants whose houses were on fire or endangered thereby, and put upon removing their goods, and shall not restore the same to the owner, (if known,) or bring the same to such public place as shall be assigned by the firewards of said town, within two days next after proclamation made for that purpose, the person or persons so offending, shall on conviction thereof be deemed thieves, and shall suffer How punthe severest pains and penalties by law provided against such crimes.

ed

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That there shall be Town to kept, for the use and at the charge of the town of New-with port, six fire-hooks, suitable for pulling down houses and fire-hooks. other buildings, and the same number of ladders of a convenient length, one half of which fire-hooks and ladders shall be always kept at the lower market-house, and the other half at the market-house near the town schoolhouse, or at such other places as the town of Newport shall direct and that the same be made use of at the breaking out of any fire in said town, and upon no other occasion whatever.

:

of them.

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That eight persons Persons to be annually chosen by said town to have the care of take care the said fire-hooks and ladders; and upon the breaking out of any fire, they are immediately to repair to the said fire-hooks and ladders, and cause them to be carried where they shall be most wanted; and after the fire shall be over, to cause them to be returned again to the places from whence they were brought that the said May compersons and each of them shall have full power to com- mand asmand any persons to assist them in transporting the said ladders and fire-hooks; and that whosoever shall refuse to assist, upon being commanded as aforesaid, shall pay as a fine into the town-treasury, the sum of two dollars for every offence; and that such persons, during the time for which they shall be appointed to the office aforesaid, shall be exempted from all such duties as the fire-men chosen to take care of the engines are by law exempted from.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That every house in the said town of Newport shall be furnished with two good leather buckets, with the owner's name painted at

sistance.

Every house to

be provi. ded with

buckets.

Penalty for neglect.

Examiners to be cho

scn.

large thereon, and with a ladder that shall reach from the ground to the top of said house, or with a trap-door or scuttle in the roof of said house, with stairs or a ladder to go out of the garret upon the top of the house and that for every dwelling-house in said town of Newport which shall not be furnished with two leather buckets, and a ladder to reach from the ground to the top of the house, or in the room of such ladder, a trap-door or scuttle in the roof of said house, and stairs or a ladder to go out of the garret upon the top of the house, the owner of said house shall pay as a fine into the town-treasury the sum of two dollars for every six months' neglect; but if the owner of the house doth not live in the town of Newport, the tenant or tenants shall pay such fines, and the same shall and may be deducted out of the rent of the house.

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That three persons shall be annually chosen by the said town of Newport, to examine every house in said town, twice a year, and make report of all delinquents unto the town-council, who are hereby directed and empowered to cause every delinquent to be prosecuted.

Penalty SEC. 8. And be it further enacted, That every person in for refusing to use possession of a bucket, who shall neglect or refuse to buckets. make use of the same himself, or deliver it to some other person to make use of, at any fire which shall break out in said town, or put his buckets to any other use but to extinguish fire, shall pay as a fine into the town-treasury aforesaid, the sum of one dollar for every offence.

Buckets

paid for.

[ocr errors]

SEC. 9. And be it further enacted, That every bucket lost to be that shall be lost or damaged at any fire, upon satisfactory proof thereof being made before the town-council, an order by them shall be given to the owner of such bucket on the town-treasurer for as much money as will make good the loss or damage.

Powder to

ed to the

house.

SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That every person be convey- who shall import gunpowder into the said town of Newpowder- port, shall cause the same to be conveyed immediately to the powder-house at the northeasterly part of the town, before the vessel in which such powder shall be imported be brought to any wharf, upon the penalty of paying into the town-treasury of the said town of Newport, a fine of two dollars for every cask which shall not be conveyed to the powder-house as aforesaid: that every other person who shall have gunpowder in his possession,

lect.

and shall neglect or refuse to cause the whole of the same to be conveyed to the said powder-house immediately, excepting twenty-five pounds, which shall be kept in a tin powder-flask, shall pay as a fine into the town- Penalty treasury aforesaid, the sum of two dollars for every cask for negwhich he shall neglect or refuse to cause to be conveyed to the powder-house as aforesaid, and in proportion for any less quantity: that no vessel of war or other vessel No vessel shall take on board any powder before such vessel shall powder at have departed from the wharf, upon the penalty of the a wharf master's paying a fine of two dollars for every cask so taken on board: and that the keeper of the powder-house be allowed the same fees as heretofore have been allowed by law for delivering out every hundred weight of powder, and in proportion for a greater or less quantity.

to lade

to be dis

SEC. 11. And be it further enacted, That no person who- No guns soever shall fire a gun or other fire-works within one charged hundred yards of the said powder-house, upon the penal-near powty of two dollars for every such offence, to be recovered by the town-treasurer for the use of said town.

der-house.

with pow

within the

SEC. 12. And be it further enacted, That no ship or ves- Vessels sel having more than five barrels of gun-powder on board, der not to shall come to anchor in the harbor of Newport, any anchor where to the eastward of Goat-island, and lie there more harbor. than twenty-four hours, after notice and warning shall be given by the president of the town-council of the said town, upon the penalty of two dollars per barrel for every barrel of gunpowder on board such ship or vessel, coming to and remaining at anchor contrary to this act, to be recovered of the master, supercargo or owner of such ship or vessel, by the town-treasurer of the said town, to and for the use of said town.

SEC 13. And be it further enacted, That all the fines Fines, how that shall accrue by this act, shall be recovered by the recovered. town-treasurer before any two justices of said town, by action of debt, except where it is otherwise directed in this act.

An act relating to the Overseers of the Poor and to the Asy- 1820. lum, in the town of Newport.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, and by the authority thereof it is enacted, That the overseer or overseers of the poor in the town of Newport, or a majority of

to commit

Overseers said overseers, if more than one be appointed by said town, be and they are hereby fully empowered to comsons to the mit all such idle and indigent persons as shall from time

idle per

asylum.

mand aid

bles.

And issue a warrant

to time be found in the said town, who, by their evil courses, are likely to become a town charge, to the asylum for the poor established upon Coasters'-harbor island: May com- and for the better enabling said overseer or overseers to of consta- perform said service, they are hereby fully empowered to command the town-sergeant, or any of the constables of said town, to assist them as often as occasion shall require; and said overseer or overseers, or any two of them, therefor. if more than one be appointed by said town, are also fully empowered to grant forth a warrant to the town-sergeant, or any of the constables of said town, to take up any such person or persons as cannot give a good account of themselves or of their way of living, and commit them to the aforesaid asylum; and all warrants issued by said overseer or overseers, or any two of them, for the purpose a member of committing any person or persons to said asylum, shall be signed by one or more members of the town-council; council. and the said town-sergeant and constables, in execution of said warrant, shall have power to command aid, if any be necessary.

Which shall be

signed by

of the

town

Overseers may bind

out poor

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the overseer or overseers of the poor, or a majority of said overseers, if persons. more than one be appointed by said town, be and they are hereby fully empowered, with the advice and consent of the town-council, to bind out any such person or persons as have been committed to said asylum, if it appear that they are liable to become chargeable to said town, for a term of time, not exceeding four years; and the townclerk of said Newport shall sign the indentures of such And poor persons, so bounden out: and the overseer or overseers children. of the poor, or a majority of said overseers, if more than

May commit vagrants.

one be appointed by said town, be and they are hereby fully empowered, with the advice and consent of the towncouncil, to take up any child or children who are likely to become chargeable to said town, and bind them out apprentices to some creditable person, either in or out of the State; and the town-clerk of said Newport shall sign the indentures for said children.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That said overseer or overseers of the poor be and they are hereby fully empowered to take up any straggling persons who do not belong to said town, and if they cannot give a good ac

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »