The municipal government is vested in a mayor, elected annually, a bicameral council, consisting of a board of aldermen and a common council, and in administrative officers, the ma jority of whom are elected by the council. The council elects three commissioners of sinking funds, the park commissioners, and the license and fire commissioners. The commissioner of public works is appointed by the mayor. The city treasurer, harbor master, overseer of the poor, and school committee arc chosen by popular vote. Providence spends annually in maintenance and operation about $3,405,000, the principal items being: For schools, $740.000; for interest on debt, $640.000; for the police department, $370, 000; for the fire department, $355,000; for street expenditures, $290,000; for municipal lighting. 5290.000; for the water-works, $135,000. The total income for the fiscal year 1902 was $4.340, 000. The water-works. which were constructed at a cost of $7,100.000. are owned and operated by the municipality. The system now comprises 330 miles of mains. There are 193 miles of sewers. Public bath-houses are maintained as a municipal activity. The bonded debt of the city in 1902 was $16,825.000. and the net debt $14, 030,000; the assessed valuation of real and per sonal property was about $193,000.000.
The population of Providence in 1800 was 7614; in 1850, 41.513; in 1870, 65.904; in 1880. 104,557; in 1590, 132.146; in 1000. 175,597. The total in 1900 included 55.855 persons of foreign
birth and 4817 of negro descent.
Providence was founded and named in 1036 by Roger Williams. who. having been expelled from Massachusetts. came here and bought a tract of land from the Narraganset sachems, Canonieus and Miantonomoh. Ilere a distinct separation was made between spiritual and temporal af fairs, complete religious toleration being une quivocally guaranteed. The first Baptist church in America was organized in 1035 under the ministry of Roger Williams. Williams secured in 1044 a Parliamentary charter, under which Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport were united for governmental purposes as the deuce Plantations in the Narragansett Bay in New England." In 1676, during King Philip's War, Providence was attacked by Indians and 29 of its 75 houses burned. Near Provi dence occurred in 1772 one of the first overt acts of the Revolution, the burning of the British cruiser Gaspcce. In September, 1515. a tremendous gale forced the water back into the harbor and river, flooded part of the town, and destroyed property valued at over Providenee was incorporated as a city in 1532. Consult: Greene. The I'gocirL ace Plantations for Two Hundred and Fifty Years Providence, ISO : Bayles, History of Provi dence County (New York, 1891) ; and a sketch in Powell. Historic Towns of New. England (New York, 1895), The Early Records of the Town of Provid( nee have been printed in 15 volumes (Providence. 1892-091.