The statistics regarding paupers, at the Butler Hospital, are as follows: Of the thirty-six discharged, seventeen had recovered, twelve had improved, seven had not improved. Seventeen were transferred to the State Asylum. The expenditure for board and clothing was as follows: Paid by the towns... Paid by the State... $3,242 30 2,826 10 $6,068 40 THE SETTLEMENT LAW. One of the effects of the law of the State regarding paupers, is to divide them into two classes: town paupers and State paupers, the latter far outnumbering the former. This excess of State paupers arises from the difficulty of acquiring a settlement in a town, on account of the excessive limitation of the law. Under the law of settlement-and by settlement is understood a legal residence in a town “which entitles a person to maintenance, if a pauper, and subjects the town to his support - a man may have been born in a town, may have been a resident of it all his life, his energy and skill having largely contributed, perhaps, to its progress; he may even have paid taxes upon personal property to any extent, and yet, if by chance he has not owned and paid taxes for five successive years upon a small amount of real estate, he becomes, upon falling into distress and needing aid, a State pauper, entitled to only such assistance as the State affords a home in the State Almshouse. It is needless to dwell upon the hardships produced by the working of the law; illustrations will occur to all who have given thought to the subject. Rhode Island is less liberal in the provisions of her settlement law than any of the other States, a position which of itself indicates that the wisdom of her policy in this respect is open to serious doubts, and leads to the question, whether there is anything exceptional in her customs or laws by which to explain and justify the anomaly. The answer to this is, that there are no exceptional circumstances to stand in the way of a modification of the law in conformity with the course pursued in other states. We are simply, as I believe, behind the times in the matter of settlement laws, and this belief is based upon an experience of twenty-three years in dealing with the pauper class under the law as it now stands. SUPPORT OF THE POOR. Overseers of the Poor have the care and oversight of all poor and indigent persons who may have a settlement in their respective towns, and may also afford temporary aid to other poor and indigent persons at the expense of their towns. This is left entirely to the discretion of the overseers, they being the sole judges of what should be done in any case, and acting in the matter independently of any directing authority. When a person falls into distress in a town, the question at once arises, upon whom shall the expense of assisting him fall. If he has a settlement in the town, of course upon the town; but if he has nowhere acquired a settlement, then upon whom? Some of the overseers of the poor decide that under all circumstances the burden of aiding a pauper without settlement should be upon the State, and send such persons, or perhaps whole families, to the State Almshouse, under the authority given by the law. The effect of this is that homes are broken up, children are thrown into the society of adult paupers, and the first steps are taken on the road to confirmed pauperism. And this oftentimes occurs when a little assistance from the town would enable the person or family to tide over a period of sickness or lack of remunerative employment. I am aware that this is a difficult subject to submit to legislators, with the expectation that any modification of the law will compel the exercise of humanity on the part of those who act under it. The remedy lies not with the law. makers, but with the overseers of the poor, who in the use of the discretionary power so freely entrusted to them, should be guided by the largest humanity, rather than by that narrow policy which would withhold a little aid because the law allows it, regardless of the evil results to follow. The whole subject demands the most careful examination, for the problem of how best to deal with pauperism, having in view not only the relieving of distress, but also the lessening of the number of dependents, is one of the most important questions which can occupy the attention of the philanthropist or the legislator. Respectfully submitted, GEORGE W. WIGHTMAN, Agent of State Charities and Corrections. APPENDIX. ACTS AND RESOLVES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSED AT THE JANUARY AND MAY SESSIONS, 1880, RELATING TO THE BOARD OF STATE CHARITIES AND CORREC TIONS, ITS OFFICERS, THE STATE INSTITU TIONS IN CRANSTON, AND THE STATE REFORM SCHOOL. CHAPTER 806. AN ACT CONCERNING TRAMPS. (Passed April 9, 1880.) It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. Every tramp shall be punished by imprisonment in the state work house and house of correction not less than one nor more than three years. SEC. 2. All transient persons who rove about from place to place begging, and all vagrants living without labor or visible means of support, who stroll over the country without lawful occasion, shall be held to be tramps within the meaning of this act. SEC. 3. Any tramp who shall wilfully and maliciously injure any person where such offence is not now punishable by imprisonment in the state prison, or who shall be found carrying any firearm or other dangerous weapon, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison not more than three years. SEC. 4. Any sheriff, deputy sheriff, constable, special constable or policeman, upon view of any offence described in this act, or on speedy information thereof, may without warrant apprehend the offender and take him before any competent authority for examination, and on his conviction shall be entitled to a reward of five dollars therefor to be paid by the state. SEC. 5. The town councils are empowered and required to appoint special constables for their respective towns, who shall arrest and prosecute all tramps in their respective towns. SEC. 6. This act shall not apply to any female or to any minor under the age of sixteen years, nor to any blind person, nor to any beggar roving within the limits of the town in which he resides. SEC. 7. Upon the passage of this act, the secretary of state shall cause to be printed copies of this act to be sent to the several town clerks, who shall cause the same to be posted in at least twelve conspicuous places in their respective towns, six of which shall be in the public highways. SEC. 8. The jurisdiction to try and sentence offenders under the first section of this act is hereby conferred upon justice courts; and all acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed. SEC. 9. This act shall take effect on and after the first day of May next. CHAPTER 817. AN ACT IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 241 OF THE GENERAL STATUTES (Passed April 16, 1880.) It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: OF THE SECTION 1. The control, management and direction of the Providence Reform School in Providence is hereby transferred to the State of Rhode Island, and the trustees of the said school heretofore elected by the city council of Providence shall continue in office until otherwise ordered by the general assem bly, and in the government and management of the said school for the said State of Rhode Island, they shall have all the authority, duties and powers vested in them by the statutes of this state and the ordinances of the city of Providence heretofore in force for that purpose. SEC. 2. The name of the said Providence Reform School is hereby changed to the State Reform School. SEC. 3. Whenever any court in this state is authorized by law to sentence any person to the Providence Reform School, such person shall hereafter be sentenced to the State Reform School. SEC. 4. All rules, regulations, orders and laws not inconsistent herewith, heretofore in force, are hereby declared to be in force in reference to sentencing persons convicted, or in reference to the government, management, direction and control of the said Reform School, and the employment and government of the persons sentenced thereto, and all sentences heretofore duly pronounced, or which may be hereafter duly pronounced upon any of the inmates of the said Reform School, shall be continued and be enforced upon the persons sentenced in the same way and in every respect with the same effect as if the government of the said school had not been changed from the control of the city of Providence to the State of Rhode Island. SEC. 5. In case of any vacancy happening in the board of trustees, said vacancy shall be filled by the governor until an election shall be made by the general assembly. SEC. 6. This act shall take effect on and after the first day of July, A. D. 1880. CHAPTER 825. AN ACT FIXING THE LOCATION OF THE STATE REFORM SCHOOL, AND PROVIDING FOR ITS MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL. (Passed May, 28 1880.) It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. The State Reform School shall be removed to, and be located and established on, the land belonging to the state in the town of Cranston, and at such place on said land, as the board of state charities and corrections shall determine. SEC. 2. The control, management and direction of said school is hereby conferred upon said board of state charities and corrections, and said board shall have and exercise in addition to the powers heretofore vested in them by law, all the powers and authority heretofore conferred by statute upon the trustees of the Providence Reform School, in so far as said powers and authority are applicable to said management and control. Said board are authorized to make such arrangement for the temporary accommodation of said State Reform School, until the proper buildings can be erected on said land belonging to the state, as they may deem expedient; and for this purpose they are authorized to use the property of the state known as the old state prison in Providence, or to hire the premises now occupied by said school in said Providence, and in their discretion to purchase or lease the personal property therein. SEC. 3. Said board shall proceed forthwith to construct and build upon said land in Cranston, at such place or places as they may select, all necessary buildings and appurtenances, for the proper accommodation and management of the inmates of said State Reform School, said buildings to be constructed upon what is known as the cottage plan. SEC. 4. The appropriation made by the general assembly at its last January session, for the support of said State Reform School, is hereby made subject to the orders of said board of state charities and corrections, or so much thereof as inay not be already expended. SEC. 5. The sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated for the construction of the necessary buildings for the permanent accommodation of said State Reform School, and the general treasurer is directed to pay said sum from any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, upon the orders of said board, and charge the same to account of State Reform School. SEC. 6. The present board of trustees of the Reform School shall continue in office until the first day of July, 1880, with all the powers and authority which is now conferred by law upon them, and all of the provisions of this act, which provide for the removal, location and control of the said school after such first day of July shall then take effect, and all of the provisions of this act authorizing the board of state charities and corrections to make any contract under the provisions hereof shall take effect immediately. |