the jury, and may frame all necessary issues for the trial thereof. SEC. 4. In case any owners of, or person having an estate in, or interested in such land, shall fail to receive personal notice of the taking of such land, and shall fail to file his petition as provided in section three of this act, said court in its discretion may permit the filing of such petition subsequent to said period of one year from the filing of such description and statement: Provided, such person shall have had no actual knowledge of the taking of such land in season to file such petition, and provided said city, after the filing of such description and statement, shall not have paid any other persons claiming to own such land the price or value of the same, or be liable to pay for the same under any judgment rendered against said city under the provisions of this act. SEC. 5. Upon the acquiring of the title to the said lands or any portion thereof for the purposes of a public park by the said city hereunder, the right of the state in and to the lands covered by tide water in front of and to the north of the lands so acquired as far as to the harbor line of said city is hereby granted to the said city for the uses of a public park. SEC. 6. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. Passed Oct. 2, 1896. City of Woonsocket authorized to take and condemn CHAPTER 431. AN ACT TO MAINTAIN AND INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. The city of Woonsocket is hereby authorized to take, condemn, hold, use and permanently land for main- appropriate any land or rights of way which the city council of said city shall adjudge to be necessary the purpose of maintaining or increasing the efficiency of the Woonsocket Water Works. taining or increasing the efficiency of its water works. for SEC. 2. If the owner of any land or of any estate, right or interest therein, or of any rights of way, taken or condemned for the purposes of this act, shall agree with said city upon the price thereof, the same shall be paid to him forthwith upon the execution and delivery of a proper conveyance to said city. If such owner shall not agree with said city upon said price, he may at any time within, but not after, six months from the time of such taking, apply by petition to the common pleas division of the supreme court of Providence county, setting forth said taking, and praying for an assessment of damages by a jury. Upon the filing of said petition the said court shall cause twenty days notice of the pendency thereof to be given to said city, by serving the mayor of said city with a certified. copy thereof, and may proceed, after such notice, to the trial thereof, and such trial shall determine all questions of fact relating to said damages, and the amount thereof, and judgment shall be entered upon the verdict of said jury, and execution may be issued therefor: Provided, that no petition as aforesaid shall be preferred until said land or rights of way shall be actually taken or withdrawn by virtue of the provisions of this act. SEC. 3. The water commissioners of said city, or a majority of them, may exercise such portion of the authority conferred by this act as may be defined by the city council of said city. SEC. 4. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent here. with are hereby repealed, and this act shall take effect upon its passage. CHAPTER 432. AN ACT IN RELATION TO BLOWING LOCOMOTIVE SIGNAL Passed Oct. 2, It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. The Providence and Worcester Railroad Company and its lessees, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company, are hereby Locomotive whistles not to tain sections of Woonsocket, forbidden to blow or cause to be blown or permit any be blown in cer of its employees to blow any locomotive signal whistles along its tracks, between the Hamlet station and the crossing over the Blackstone river next northerly thereof, except in cases of emergency and apparent danger to life and property. except in cases of emergency. SEC. 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. Passed Oct. 1, 1896. City of Woon socket, muni CHAPTER 433. AN ACT IN AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER 728 OF THE PUBLIC LAWS, PASSED AT THE MAY SESION, A. D. 1888, ENTITLED "AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE CITY OF WOONSOCKET.” It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. Section 16, clauses 1 and 2 of Chapter in, when to be 728, is hereby amended so as to read as follows: cipal elections held. "Clause 1. The electors resident in each ward, qualified to vote for general officers, shall on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in each year, give in their votes in their respective wards for a mayor and also for a warden and ward clerk, to hold their respective offices of mayor, warden and ward clerk, for one year. "Clause 2. The electors resident in each ward, qualified to vote in the election of the city council of said city, shall on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November of each year, give in their votes in their respective wards for one alderman and three common councilmen resident in such ward, to hold their office respectively for one year." SEC. 2. All acts and parts of acts, whether general or special, inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed, and this act shall take effect from and after its passage. CHAPTER 434. AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF WESTERLY TO BUILD Passed Oct. 2, It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. The town of Westerly is hereby granted full authority and permission to build a highway across the breachway leading from the sea into Ward's pond in said town: Provided, a bridge is built over and across the channel of said breachway with the lowest timbers thereof at least six feet above ordinary highwater, and provided, the span across said channel shall be at least forty feet in length. SEC. 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. CHAPTER 435. 1896. AN ACT TO ENABLE THE SILVER SPRING BLEACHING AND Passed Oct. 1, It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows : SECTION 1. The Silver Spring Bleaching and Dyeing Company, a corporation existing under the laws of the State of Rhode Island and located in the city of Providence, in said state, may, with the consent of the city council of said city and of the corporations having franchises in the highways of said city, build and maintain a conduit under and across Charles street in said city, from the manufacturing establishment of said company on the east side of Charles street to the building occupied and used by it on the west side of Charles street, and lay and maintain pipes and wires for the transmission, to and from said building, of water, steam, and of power for lighting and mechanical purposes. SEC. 2. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. CHAPTER 436. AN ACT TO VALIDATE THE ACTS OF STEPHEN O. EDWARDS It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. All acts, matters and things done or performed by Stephen O. Edwards, of Providence, as a notary public in the state of Rhode Island, appointed by the governor in June, A. D. 1896, and duly commissioned but not duly engaged, are hereby declared to be as valid and effectual in all respects as if said Stephen O. Edwards had taken the engagement prescribed by the General Laws, before entering upon the duties of said office, provided the same shall not affect any pending litigation. SEC. 2. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. Passed Oct. 1, 1896. Maryville Fire CHAPTER 437. AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE MARYVILLE FIRE DISTRICT. It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. All that portion of the town of North incorporate. Providence, including the village of Maryville, and bounded and described as follows: beginning at the intersection of the line of the city of Pawtucket and of the town of Lincoln; thence westerly along said line to the Louisquisset turnpike; thence southerly following the line of said turnpike to Mineral Spring avenue; thence westerly along Mineral Spring avenue about three hundred feet to a brook; thence southerly following said brook to Canada or Kennedy pond, so called, and following easterly margin of said |