A short history of Rhode Island

by George Washington Greene

4. The General Assembly in case of great inequality in the population of the wards of the city of Providence, may cause the boundaries of the six representative districts therein to be so altered as to include in each district as nearly as may be, an equal number of inhabitants.

5. The house of representatives shall have authority to elect their own speaker, clerks and other officers. The oath of office shall be administered to the speaker by the secretary of state, or, in his absence, by the attorney-general.

6. Whenever the seat of a member of the house of representatives shall be vacated by death, resignation, or otherwise, the vacancy may be filled by a new election.

ARTICLE VI.
OF THE SENATE.

1. The state shall be divided into twelve senatorial districts; and each district shall be entitled to one senator, who shall be annually chosen by the electors in his district.

2. The first, second and third representative districts in the city of Providence shall constitute the first senatorial district; the fourth, fifth and sixth representative districts in said city the second district; the town of Smithfield the third district; the towns of North Providence and Cumberland the fourth district; the towns of Scituate, Glocester, Burrillville and Johnston the fifth district; the towns of Warwick and Cranston the sixth district; the towns of East Greenwich, West Greenwich, Coventry and Foster the seventh district; the towns of Newport, Jamestown and New Shoreham the eighth district; the towns of Portsmouth, Middletown, Tiverton and Little Compton the ninth district; the towns of North Kingstown and South Kingstown the tenth district; the towns of Westerly, Charlestown, Exeter, Richmond and Hopkinton the eleventh district; the towns of Bristol, Warren and Barrington the twelfth district.

3. The lieutenant-governor, shall be by virtue of his office, president of the senate; and shall have a right, in case of an equal division to vote in the same, and also to vote in joint committe of the two houses.

4. When the government shall be administered by the lieutenant-governor, or he shall be unable to attend as president of the senate, the senate shall elect one of their own members president of the same.

5. Vacancies in the senate occasioned by death, resignation or otherwise, may be filled by a new election.

6. The secretary of state shall be, by virtue of his office, secretary of the senate.