strict attention to the regulations relative to cleanliness, sobriety and industry: he shall also, with the approbation of the overseers, provide a sufficient stock of materials for the constant employment of those under his care: he shall also allot to each one a reasonable task, according to his abilities: he shall be careful that no embezzlement take place, but by all laudable means in his power shall make their work as profitable as possible: he shall cause all accounts concerning the maintenance of those put under his care to be entered in a book or books provided for that purpose; taking care to have his accounts so entered as that the expence of each individual may be separately ascertained: he shall keep separate accounts of the stock and materials purchased by him, and shall take proper vouchers whenever money is expended: he shall regularly credit the materials manufactured and sold, mentioning when and to whom disposed of, and at every quarterly meeting of the overseers shall exhibit his account and vouchers for their approbation and allowance: he shall keep an exact register of all persons committed to his charge, noting their particular descriptions, and the time when they were entered and discharged: he shall be responsible for the execution of the several duties hereinbefore mentioned, together with the regulations hereafter expressed, for the fulfilment of which he shall give bond to the satisfaction of the committee. RULES FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE POOR. 1. The males and females shall be employed and Rules for lodged in separate apartments, unless it shall so happen governthat a husband and his wife shall both be in the work- the poor. house at the same time. 2. The paupers shall be constantly employed in such work as the overseers and keeper may consider most profitable. 3. If any person or persons admitted or committed to said house shall be found remiss or negligent in performing the task allotted to them, they shall be punished by having their allowance of food reduced in such manner, and for such time, as shall enforce a compliance, under the direction of the visiting overseer. 4. If any one shall refuse to obey the keeper, or shall be guilty of profane cursing or swearing, or of indecent ment of behavior, conversation or expression; or of any assault, quarrel or abusive words to or with any other person, he shall be punished by close solitary confinement, together with a reduction of his allowance; but the keeper in such cases shall have the advice and approbation of the visiting overseer, who shall, with him, examine into the case; but in cases where the security of the house is in danger, or personal violence offered to the keeper, or any person or persons acting under him, they shall use all lawful means to defend themselves, and secure the authors and abettors of such outrage. 5. The keeper shall not suffer any buying, selling or bartering carried on by any of those under his care, either among themselves or with any other person; neither shall he suffer any spirituous or fermented liquors to be introduced, except such as he may use in his own family, or for medical purposes, prescribed by the physician, who may have the care of the sick; and if any person under his care shall be detected in dealing in such liquor, or intoxicated therewith, he or she shall be proceeded against as provided in the fourth article. 6. All persons on their first admission shall be separately lodged, washed and cleansed, together with their clothes if found necessary. 7. Any person detected in gaming of any kind shall be proceeded against as in the fourth article. 8. Any person who shall demand or exact a garnish, beg, steal or defraud, shall be proceeded against as in the fourth article. 9. Those who shall distinguish themselves by their attention to cleanliness, sobriety and orderly conduct, shall be reported to the overseers, and meet with such reward as is in their power to grant or procure. 10. The men belonging to the house shall be furnished with suitable bedding, shall be shaved twice a week, shall have their hair cut once a month, change their linen once a week, and regularly wash their faces and hands every morning; the like attention shall be paid to the women, agreeably to their sex. 11. The house shall be whitewashed at least twice in the year, and oftener if necessary; the floors swept every morning, and washed on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from the twentieth of May to the first of October, and once a week for the remainder of the year. 12. The physician appointed annually to attend the poor, shall keep a register of all the sick, their disorders and his prescriptions, and shall render his accounts for the examination and allowance of the overseers, at each of their quarterly meetings. An act providing in case of Fire breaking out in the town of 1754, 59, Providence. '98, 1814, '22. buckets. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, and by Every the authority thereof it is enacted, That every housekeep-keeper to er in the town of Providence shall provide and keep have two two good leather buckets, containing at least two gallons each, with the owner's name painted at large thereon, to be kept in some convenient place, to be used in case of fire breaking out in said town, and for no other purpose, under the penalty of forfeiting the sum of five dollars, to Penalty be recovered by the town-treasurer, to and for the use of said town, before any two or more justices of the peace in said town, whose judgment in the premises shall be final. &c. cause ex SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the town-council of Townsaid town shall annually, within one month after the third Council to Tuesday in August, cause an examination to be made by amination the town-sergeant, or one of the constables of said town, of all the housekeepers in said town, and to return to the said council the names of all such housekeepers who are not furnished with buckets as aforesaid, which said council shall, after having duly examined the same, return a list of persons to be prosecuted under this act, to the said town-treasurer, who shall cause said delinquents to be prosecuted in manner herein before prescribed; provid- Proviso. ed, that said town-council, upon application and due examination, may exempt from the penalty aforesaid, any person who, in their opinion, may be unable to furnish themselves with buckets as aforesaid, wards to SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That from time to time, Presidents at the yearly meeting for the election of town-officers, the of firefreemen of said town shall annually choose and appoint be chosen. three or more persons, on whose fidelity, judgment and impartiality they can rely, to be called presidents of firewards; and that they, the said presidents, or any one of Their them, who shall be present when any fire shall happen to power. break out in the said town, shall and may, and they are hereby empowered to give directions for the pulling down 468 houses pulled down to be paid. FIRES IN PROVIDENCE. or blowing up of any such house or houses as shall be by them judged meet and necessary to be pulled down or blown up for preventing the further spreading of the fire; Owners of and if it shall happen that the pulling down or blowing up of any such house or houses, by direction as aforesaid, shall be the occasion of stopping the progress of such fire, or that the fire stop before it comes to the same, that then all and every the owner or owners of such house or houses shall be reasonably paid therefor, by the rest of the inhabitants of said town, whose houses shall not be burnt; and they are hereby authorized and fully empowered to make a tax or taxes for levying and raising such a sum of money as shall be, by the court of general sessions of the peace for the county of Providence, thought sufficient for that end, which court are hereby fully empowered and authorized, on application to them on this behalf made, to determine and make order thereon: Provided always, That if the house or houses where the fire shall first begin and break out, shall be judged fit to be pulled down or blown up, to hinder the further spreading of the flames, then the owner or owners of such house or houses shall receive no manner of satisfaction for the same; any thing in this act contained to the contrary notwithstanding. Firewards to be chosen. Their power. SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for the freemen of said town, at their aforesaid annual meeting, to appoint such a number of prudent persons, of known fidelity, in the several parts of the town, as they may think proper, who shall be denominated and called firewards, and have a proper badge assigned to distinguish them in their office, to wit, a speaking trumpet painted red or white; and at the time of breaking forth of fire, and during the continuance thereof, they shall be and are hereby authorized and fully empowered to require and command assistance for suppressing and extinguishing the fire, for removing household stuff and furniture, goods and merchandize, out of any dwellinghouses, storehouses, or other buildings, actually on fire, or in danger thereof, and to appoint guards for taking care of and securing 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 and services relative thereto, by the direction of the presidents aforesaid, or any one of them, to prevent and stop the further spreading of the fire, and suppress all tumults and disor dience, how pun. ders; 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 use their utmost endeavors to extinguish or prevent the spreading of the fire, and to preserve and secure the estates of the inhabitants: due Disobeobedience is hereby required to be yielded to them and each of them in the said service, and all disobedience, neg- ished. lect or refusal in any person or persons shall be informed of to some of the justices of the peace of the said town, within two days next after; and if any person or persons shall offend contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act, he or they, upon conviction thereof before any two justices of the peace, shall forfeit and pay as a fine, the sum of four dollars each, to be levied and distributed, at the discretion of the town-council of said town of Provi dence, among such poor persons as shall be most distressed by the fire; and in case any offender shall be unable to pay such fine, he shall suffer ten days' imprisonment. time of SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That if any evil- Stealing in minded person or persons shall take advantage of such fire. calamity, either by robbing, plundering, purloining, embezzling, conveying away or concealing any goods, wares, merchandize, effects or things whatsoever, belonging to any inhabitant or inhabitants of the said town of Providence, whose house or houses is or are on fire, or endangered thereby, so as to put such person or persons upon removing his or their goods or effects, and shall not restore or give notice thereof unto the owner or owners, (if known,) or bring them to such public place or places as shall be assigned by the presidents of the firewards, or any one of them, within the space of two days next after proclamation made for that purpose, the person or persons so offending shall, on conviction thereof, be deemed thieves, and suffer the utmost severity of the law. An act to prevent erecting Wooden Buildings in certain parts 1815. of the town of Providence. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, and by the authority thereof it is enacted, That after the passing of this act, no building of any kind whatever, which shall be more than thirteen feet high from the ground to the |