GRAPH OF GROWTH OF POPULATION IN RHODE ISLAND (1790-1930) WITH PERCENTAGE OF FOREIGN BORN lation of the State at certain of the decennial censuses was as follows: 68,825 in 179o; 69,122 in i800, 108,830 in 184o; 174,62o in 1860, 276,531 in 188o; 428,556 in i9oo; 542,610 in 191o; and 604,397 in 192o. The State enumeration in 1925 showed a population of 679,260; the Federal census of 193o,
The increase from 192o-3o was 83,10o or 13.7%. Rhode Island was, in 192o, the most densely populated State in the Union, having 566.4 inhabitants to the square mile; in 193o also with 644.3. The percentages of urban and of rural population in 193o were 92.4% and 7.6% respectively; as compared with urban, 97.5%, and rural, 2.5% in 192o. The following are the cities of Rhode Island having a population of over 25,000 in 193o and percentage increase in the 1920-30 period:— Of the total population in 193o, 98.5% were white and
were negroes. The proportion of native whites in 193o was 75.o%, as compared with 69.6% in 192o; of foreign-born whites in 293o, 25.o%, as compared with 28.7% in 192o. The Irish were the largest foreign-born element until 191o. In both 1920 and 193o the Irish were numerically inferior to the English, the French-Canadian and the Italian. In 193o the French-Canadian numbered 31,501; the Italian,
the English, 24,696; the Irish, 17,740 and the English-Canadian, 7,777.
Rhode Island is governed under the Consti tution of 1842, with amendments adopted in 1854, 1864, i886, 1888, 1889, 1892, 1893, 1900, 1903, 1909, 1911, 1916, 1928 and 1930. Amendments must be passed by both houses of the general assembly at two consecutive sessions, and must then be ratified by three-fifths of the electors of the State voting thereon.
All native or naturalized citizens of the United States residing in Rhode Island are citizens of the State. To vote a citizen must be at least 21 years of age and have resided in the State for two years and in a Rhode Island town or city at least six months preceding the election.
The executive and administrative officers elected by the people at elections held in November of even numbered years are a governor, a lieutenant-governor, a secre tary of State, an attorney-general and a treasurer. The State auditor is elected by the general assembly triennially, and the commissioner of education is appointed annually by the State board of education. In addition to the officers above named, there are numerous commissions, boards and commissioners, such as the State board of public roads, the public utilities commission, the State board of agriculture, the public welfare commission, the State board of health, the State board of education, the commissioner of labour, the factory inspectors, etc. The powers of the governor are small.
The legislative power is vested in the general assembly, which consists of a senate made up of the lieutenant-governor and of one senator for each 25,000 inhabitants of the towns and cities in the State, with the proviso that each town or city shall have at least one member but none shall have more than six, and a house of representatives of zoo members ap portioned according to population, no city to have more than one fourth of the total and each town to have at least one.
At the head of the judicial system is the supreme court with final revisory and appellate jurisdiction. Below this are the superior court, the 12 district courts, the juvenile courts, the town councils. probate courts in the more populous towns and justices of the peace. The five judges of the supreme court, the eight judges of the superior court and the district judges are elected by the general assembly; the supreme and superior court justices hold office until dismissed by the general assembly or found guilty of official misdemeanours, and the district judges hold office for a term of three years. The judges of the district courts also hold the juvenile courts. Probate courts are held by either the town council or a judge appointed by that body.