I will give a few references to other proceedings of this new government.  The new constitution was proclaimed on the 13th of January, 1842, by some of the officers of the convention.  On the 13th of April, officers were appointed under it, and Mr. Dorr was chosen governor.  On Tuesday, the 3d of May, the new legislature met, was organized, and then, it is insisted, the new constitution became the law of the land.  The legislature sat through that whole day, morning and evening; adjourned; met the next day, and sat through all that day, morning and evening, and did a great deal of paper business.  It went through the forms of choosing a Supreme Court, and transacting other business of a similar kind, and on the evening of the 4th of May it adjourned, to meet again on the first Monday of July, in Providence,

    “And word spake never more.”

It never reassembled.  This government, then, whatever it was, came into existence on the third day of May, and went out of existence on the fourth day of May.

I will now give some references concerning the new constitution authorized by the government, the old government, and which is now the constitution of Rhode Island.  It was framed in November, 1842.  It was voted upon by the people on the 21st, 22d, and 23d days of November, was then by them accepted, and became by its own provisions the constitution of Rhode Island on the first Tuesday of May, 1843.

Now, what, in the mean time, had become of Mr. Dorr’s government?  According to the principle of its friends, they are forced to admit that it was superseded by the new, that is to say, the present government, because the people accepted the new government.  But there was no new government till May, 1843.  According to them, then, there was an interregnum of a whole year.  If Mr. Dorr had had a government, what became of it?  If it ever came in, what put it out of existence?  Why did it not meet on the day to which it had adjourned?  It was not displaced by the new constitution, because that had not been agreed upon in convention till November.  It was not adopted by the people till the last of November, and it did not go into operation till May.  What then had become of Mr. Dorr’s government?

I think it is important to note that the new constitution, established according to the prescribed forms, came thus into operation in May, 1843, and was admitted by all to be the constitution of the State.  What then happened in the State of Rhode Island?  I do not mean to go through all the trials that were had after this ideal government of Mr. Dorr ceased to exist; but I will ask attention to the report of the trial of Dorr for treason, which took place in 1844, before all the judges of the Supreme Court of the State.  He was indicted in August, 1842, and the trial came on in March, 1844.  The indictment was found while the charter government was in force, and the trial was had under the new constitution.  He was found guilty of treason.