Of delivery of assessments to collector of taxes. Penalty on clerks for neglect to deliver assessments. Penalty on assessors for neglecting, &c., to make assessments. Penalty for neglect, &c., to assess par ticular persons. Proof of registry. Proof of payment of registry and other taxes. Registry and other taxes, when to be paid, and proof of payment. Same subject. Of payment of two registry taxes, when. Same subject. SEC. 12. The town clerk shall, within five days after the assessments have been made in each year, deliver a duly certified copy of the registry, with the assessments aforesaid, to the collector of taxes for such town. SEC. 13. Every town clerk or ward clerk neglecting or refusing to deliver such certified copy to the assessors as aforesaid, or wilfully delivering a false or imperfect copy, shall be fined three hundred dol lars.. SEC. 14. If any assessor of taxes shall wilfully neglect or refuse to make such assessments, he shall be fined one thousand dollars, and be liable to imprisonment for one year. SEC. 15. If any assessor shall wilfully neglect or refuse to assess as aforesaid any person registered as aforesaid, he shall be fined one hundred dollars for each and every person whom he shall so neglect or refuse to assess. SEC. 16. The proof of the registry of a person in a town other than that in which he shall offer to vote, shall be the certificate of the town clerk of the town in which he is registered. SEC. 17. The proof of the payment of registry and other taxes shall be the certificate of the collector of taxes, town treasurer, or of the town clerk; and the receipt or return of the collector or town treasurer shall be sufficient evidence for the purpose of procuring the certificate of the town clerk. In case of a school district or highway tax, where by law the same may be paid, whether in money or labor, to a surveyor of highways or to a district collector, the receipt of such surveyor or district collector shall be sufficient evidence of such payment for the purpose of procuring the certificate of the collector of taxes, or of the town clerk. SEC. 18. No person who claims a right to vote upon the payment of a tax or taxes assessed, for any other officers than aldermen, or common councilmen of the city of Providence, or upon any other proposition than one to impose a tax, or than one for the expenditure of money in any town or city, shall by the boards of canvassers be admitted to vote, unless upon the production of a certificate from the collector of taxes, town treasurer, or town clerk of some town in the state, that before the fourth day preceding the annual election in April, or before the fourth day preceding the day of any other election, he has paid such tax assessed for, and within such year, at least to the amount of one dollar. SEC. 19. If such person claim a right to vote upon the payment of a registry tax, such payment shall be certified as aforesaid, by the officer of the town in which he resided at the time such tax was assessed, authorized to receive the same. SEC. 20. If the name of such person has been registered for more than one year, two registry taxes for the two years next preceding the canvass having been assessed against him, and he claim a right to vote upon the payment of his registry tax, the certificate of the officer of the town in which he resided at the time such tax was assessed, authorized to receive the same, shall be produced before the canvassers, that before the canvass, he has paid such registry tax for each of the two years next preceding the time of voting; or that one of the same, if the other has been paid, has been remitted by the town council of the town in which he resided at the time of the assessment of said tax, in conformity with article second, section third, of the constitution. SEC. 21. The payment of such registry tax for the first of said years, shall not be required in any case where the person so taxed would not have been entitled to vote in the town where he was so taxed, had the payment been made before the fourth day preceding the annual election in April, in said first year. SEC. 22. No person claiming a right to vote upon the payment of a property tax, in the election of the city council of the city of Providence, or of any member of the same, or upon any proposition to impose a tax, or for the expenditure of money in any town, shall, in such case, be admitted by the canvassers to vote, unless he produces a certificate from the collector of taxes, or town treasurer, that he has, on or before the fourth day preceding the election, or before the time of voting on any proposition as aforesaid, paid a tax assessed for and within the year preceding upon his property therein, valued at least at one hundred and thirty-four dollars; which, of itself, or with other taxes paid by him, amounts to one dollar. SEC. 23. Every town clerk, collector of taxes, or other officer authorized to receive the taxes or give the certificates, as hereinbefore provided, who shall wilfully refuse to grant the certificate therein prescribed to any person demanding the same and legally entitled thereto, or shall wilfully and fraudulently grant such certificate to any person not legally entitled thereto, shall be fined one hundred dollars for each and every offence; and in all cases, the return of said collector, town treasurer, or town clerk, shall be deemed evidence of the payment of the said tax or taxes. SEC. 24. The collector of taxes in each town shall be and remain in the town clerk's office, and in the cities of Newport and Providence, shall be and remain at his own or at the town clerk's office, from and after the day of his receiving the copy of the registry as hereinbefore provided, from twelve to six o'clock in the afternoon, and in the city of Providence, from three to nine o'clock in the afternoon, during the six days, exclusive of Sunday, next preceding the last four days before the day of the annual election for state officers, and one day before the fourth day next preceding any other election; or in case of absence, he shall appoint some one as his agent, there to remain as aforesaid, during the period aforesaid, to receive the registry tax: Provided, that the certificate of such payment shall, in case of payment to the agent, be under the hand of the collector, in order to avail as proof before the board of canvassers. SEC. 25. If the collector shall die, resign, be unable, or neglect or refuse to do his duty herein before required, the town clerk of each town shall receive and certify the payment of the registry tax, with the same effect that the collector might do. SEC. 26. Any wilful neglect or refusal of duty on the part of the collector, or town clerk, or agent, under the two sections next preceding, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars, nor more than one thousand dollars. SEC. 27. The town clerk or town treasurer of each town may receive any registry tax, and certify the receipt thereof, with the same effect as if received by the collector of taxes. SEC. 28. Every town, ward, or district clerk, upon payment or tender of his legal fees, which shall be the same for the ward and district clerks as for the town clerks, shall furnish to any one demanding the same, a certified copy of any list of voters whose votes have been given in at any election. SEC. 29. Every town clerk shall upon like payment or tender, furnish to any person demanding the same, a certified copy of any and of registration of voters and oth registration of voters, and shall also, upon request of any person, and tender of legal fees, and without any unreasonable delay, examine er records, &c. the records, and certify to the estate of any person, and shall furnish copies of any instrument or writing which may be on record, or in the files of his office. Collectors, &c., to furnish list of persons who have paid taxes. Collectors, &c., to return to board of canvassers list of sons, &c. SEC. 30. Every collector of taxes, or other officer authorized to receive the same, shall, upon like request and payment or tender, and without unreasonable delay, furnish to any elector a certified list of those who have paid to him, state, town, and registry taxes, and the amounts and times of such payments; and shall grant certificates setting forth whether a certain person has or not paid to him such taxes, and if paid, to what amount, and at what time; and every town, ward, or district clerk, or collector of taxes, who shall refuse or unreasonably delay to furnish such lists or certificates, upon payment or tender as aforesaid, shall, for every such offence, be fined not less than twenty-five dollars, nor more than two hundred dollars. SEC. 31. The collector of taxes, or other officer authorized to receive the same, shall present to the board of canvassers at every meeting for the purpose of canvassing, alphabetical lists of the names registered per- of all persons registered on or before the last day of December next preceding, in their respective towns, city of Newport, and the wards of the city of Providence, who shall have paid such officer their taxes, together with the amount of the payment by each, specifying whether the tax was an assessed tax, or a tax on his property valued at least at one hundred and thirty-four dollars, which have not been before presented. Penalty, &c., on collectors, &c., not returning. Proof of military duty. SEC. 32. Every collector, or other officer authorized to receive taxes, neglecting or refusing to make such return to the board of canvassers as aforesaid, shall, for every offence, be fined not less than one hundred dollars, nor more than one thousand dollars. SEC. 33. If any person claim a right to vote on account of having done military duty, the proof thereof shall be a certificate from the commanding officer of any military company in this state in which he is enrolled, that he has, within the year next preceding the time when he shall offer to vote, done duty therein, for at least one day, and been equipped according to law: Provided, that in case such commanding officer shall have ceased to hold office, the certificate of the person commanding such military company at the time such service was performed, may be received as evidence of such service; and provided further, that in case of the death of such commanding officer, or of the refusal of the person who was such commanding officer at the time such service was performed, to give such certificate, then such certificate may be given by any commissioned officer in said company, and in case all of such commissioned officers have ceased to hold offices, by any person who was such commissioned officer. Penalty on SEC. 34. Every commanding officer, who shall wilfully refuse to commanding officer refusing grant such certificate to any person properly entitled to the same, or shall knowingly grant any such certificate to any person not entitled thereto, shall, for every such offence, be fined one hundred dollars. proof. Of return by commanding officer of those performing military service. SEC. 35. The commanding officer of each military company in this state shall, on or before the fourth day preceding the annual election in April, or on or before the fourth day preceding the day of any other election, make return, certified and sworn to by him before some judge, justice of the peace, or notary public, of all persons, arranging their names alphabetically, belonging to such company, qualified to vote, by military service as aforesaid, to the clerk's office of the several towns in which such persons reside. SEC. 36. Every such commanding officer who shall wilfully neglect or refuse to make such return, or shall knowingly make a false or imperfect return, shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars, nor more than five hundred dollars. SEC. 37. The commanding officers of the several companies shall have full power, and it shall be their duty to require from all officers and privates under their command, all such returns and evidences under oath, as may be necessary to enable them to comply with the provisions of the constitution and of this title. SEC. 38. Every such officer or private, refusing to make such returns, or to give such evidence when thereunto duly required, or wilfully making false returns, or giving false evidence, shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars, nor more than three hundred dollars. SEC. 39. On or before the first Monday of March in every year, the town clerks in the several towns shall furnish to the boards of canvassers of their respective towns a duly certified alphabetical list of all persons registered therein on or before the last day of December next preceding, for the purpose of voting; and separately therefrom, correct alphabetical lists of the names of all persons entitled to vote under article second, section first, of the constitution. The city clerk of the city of Providence shall furnish like lists to the boards of canvassers of the several wards of said city. SEC. 40. Every town clerk who shall wilfully neglect or refuse to deliver such lists, within the time above limited, or who shall wilfully deliver false or imperfect lists, shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars, nor more than one thousand dollars, or be imprisoned not less than six months, either or both, at the discretion of the court who shall try the offender. Penalty for neglect to make return. Power of commanding officer to require returns. Penalty for re fusal to give return, &c. of return by town clerk to canvassers of list of voters. Penalty on town clerk for neglect, &c. CHAPTER 7. OF CANVASSING THE RIGHTS, AND CORRECTING THE LISTS, SECTION OF VOTERS. 1. Boards of canvassers, who. 4. Lists of voters to be posted up, when and where. 5. Where, in Newport, and transfer of names of voters moving to another ward, in Providence and Newport. 6. Where, in towns divided into voting districts. 7. Penalty for removing or defacing voting lists posted up. 8. Of correction of lists by canvass ers in towns not divided into SECTION voting districts, and in Provi- 9. Of posting up corrected lists. 13. Of correction of voting lists in 14. Proof to be given, to strike a name 15. Corrected list of voters, to whom Boards of canvassers, who. Clerks of boards, who, and duty of. Meeting of board of can vassers. Lists of voters. List of voters to be posted up, when and where. SECTION 1. The town councils shall be the boards of canvassers of voters in their respective towns. In the city of Providence, the aldermen and common councilmen of each ward shall constitute such board in such ward, and the alderman of the ward shall be chairman of the board. SEC. 2. The town clerks shall act as clerks of such boards in their respective towns except in the city of Providence; and shall produce to the said boards, in their respective towns and in the wards of the city of Providence, such returns, documents, and records as may be required by them for the performance of their duties. The clerk of each ward in the city of Providence shall be clerk of the board of canvassers in such ward. First, Of all persons entitled to vote under article second, section first, of the constitution, and of all persons who are or may be entitled by registry and payment of registry and other taxes, or by the performance of military duty, to vote in their respective towns; distinguishing the persons registered, who are not entitled to vote under article second, section first, of the constitution, and who had not paid their registry or other taxes at the time of making said lists, from those who had paid their taxes; Second, Separately from such lists, correct alphabetical lists of all persons entitled to vote upon any proposition to impose a tax or expend money in their respective towns, to wit: Of all persons entitled to vote under article second, section first, of the constitution, and of every person who has paid taxes assessed within the year preceding, to the amount of one dollar, including therein a tax upon his property in such town, valued at least at one hundred and thirty-four dollars, or on whose property, valued as aforesaid, a tax has been assessed and not paid; distinguishing in the said list as hereinbefore provided, those who are not entitled to vote under article second, section first, of the constitution, and who have not paid the said tax. SEC. 4. On or before the second Monday in March in each year, the boards of canvassers shall cause said lists to be posted up in three or more public places in their respective towns and wards, and one in the town clerk's office, which last lists shall be open to the examination of any elector of the town, at all reasonable hours. |