IN ASSEMBLY, March 12, 1832. REPORT Of the committee on the judiciary, on the petition of sundry inhabitants of Long Island. Mr. Otis, from the committee on the judiciary, to whom was referred the petition of sundry inhabitants of Long Island, for an alteration in the Revised Statutes, relative to coroners and sheriffs acting as wreck-masters on said island, REPORTED: That the petitioners, who are themselves chiefly wreck-masters of the county of Queens, seem to doubt whether the Legislature intended to give to sheriffs and coroners the powers of wreck-masters, by title twelfth of chapter twentieth of the first part of the Revised Statutes. That, by the Revised Statutes, sheriffs and coroners have the power of wreck-masters, cannot admit of a doubt. The language of the law in this respect is clear and explicit; and it is well known that anciently, sheriffs and coroners, virtute officii, were wreckmasters. The petitioners ask that this law may be repealed, in order that those who are appointed wreck-masters may have the exclusive care of wrecks. Your committee do not perceive any good reason why this request should be granted. The sheriff and coroners are always presumed to be good and responsible citizens, and there can be no impropriety whatever in such persons having such authority. Your committee have therefore directed their chairman to offer the following resolution : Resolved, That the petitioners have leave to withdraw their peti IN ASSEMBLY, March 31, 1832. REPORT Of the select committee, on the petition of Jeremiah Bradway, for an act authorising him to continue a ferry across the Schoharie creek. Mr. Crookshank, from the select committee, to whom was referred the petition of Jeremiah Bradway, praying for an extension of the law authorising a ferry to be kept across the Schoharie creek, in the town of Schoharie, REPORTED : That it appears that an act was passed on the eighth day of February, 1823, authorising Robert Knox, Schuyler Briggs and John P. Griggs, and their assigns, to keep and maintain a ferry across the Schoharie river, in the town of Schoharie; that the persons above named, about five years ago, sold and assigned their interest in the ferry, to Jeremiah Bradway, who has ever since continued to manage the said ferry. The grant for the above ferry will expire in about one year. The ferry established by the act of 1823, is on the mail route from Catskill to Canajoharie, and is highly important, not only as it regards the mail, but is important to a large district of country around it. The Schoharie river is a stream of considerable magnitude, and often of a violent character. The scow or ferry boat, as well as the other apparatus connected with it, are required to be strong, and necessarily expensive. Mr. Bradway represents that the old ferry boat is nearly worn out; that it is necessary immediately to construct another boat, but [A. No. 277.] 1 |