Fund deeming the said rent fair and reasonable and that it would be for the interests of the City that such lease be made.

Which was unanimously adopted.

The following communication was received from the President of the Borough of Manhattan, relative to a renewal of the lease of premises at Twenty-third street and Eighth Avenue, Borough of Manhattan, for the use of the Eighth District Municipal Court:

Hon. EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller:

MARCH 17, 1904.

DEAR SIR-The lease of the premises at Twenty-third street and Eighth avenue, Rooms Nos. 7 and 8, occupied by the Eighth District Municipal Court, expires on May 1, 1904. You are requested to renew the same on the same terms.

Yours respectfully,

JOHN F. AHEARN, President.

The Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, at a meeting held January 20, 1899 (see Minutes, Sinking Fund, page 10), authorized the present existing lease. The request of the Borough President and the owners of the property for another renewal is recommended to the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund for their approval.

MORTIMER J. BROWN,

Appraiser of Real Estate in Charge of Bureau.

In connection therewith the Comptroller offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the Comptroller be and is hereby authorized and directed to execute a renewal of the lease to the City, of the second floor of the Grand Opera House at Twenty-third street and Eighth avenue, Borough of Manhattan, for the use of the Eighth District Municipal Court of The City of New York, for a term of five years from May 1, 1904, at a yearly rental of three thousand six hundred and sixty-two dollars ($3,662), payable quarterly, and on the same terms and conditions as contained in the existing lease-the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund deeming the said rent fair and reasonable and that it would be for the interests of the City that such lease be made.

Which was unanimously adopted.

The Comptroller presented the following report and offered the following resolution, relative to a lease of rooms in the Staten Island Savings Bank Building, at Stapleton, Borough of Richmond, for the use of the Law Department:

Hon. EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller:

MARCH 22, 1904.

SIR-The Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, at a meeting held July 2, 1903, adopted a resolution for a renewal of the lease to the City from Mrs. Jeannette Crabtree, of three rooms on the third floor of the Crabtree Building on Jay street, St. George, Borough of Richmond, for the use of the Law Department, for a term of one year from May 1, 1903, at a rental of $35 a month.

The Hon. John J. Delany, Corporation Counsel of The City of New York, in a communication under date of March 16, 1904, requests that the lease of the above property be not renewed, but in place thereof, to lease two rooms, with alcove, having as large, if not larger, floor space, than the rooms at present occupied, on the first floor of the Staten Island Savings Bank Building, at Stapleton, in the Borough of Richmond. The rent paid by the City for their present quarters includes light, heat and janitor service. The rent asked for the rooms desired by the present Corporation Counsel also includes light, heat and janitor service, and the rent is the same, viz., $35 a month..

The Corporation Counsel states that one of the reasons for the change of location is the remote situation from the business centre of the Island, of their present quarters. That their present office is not now furnished with a law library, and the Law Department has no funds in hand to devote to such purpose. That the lease of the new quarters, rooms which were formerly occupied by Mr. John Widdecombe, who is now Assistant Corporation Counsel in charge of the Borough of Richmond, would equip the City with a good, working law library, belonging to Mr. Widdecombe, which Mr. Widdecombe will accord to the City.

The terms and conditions being iavorable to the City, I would respectfully recommend that the request of the Corporation Counsel be approved by the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund and that a resolution be adopted authorizing a lease of Rooms 11 and 14, with alcove, on the first floor in the Staten Island Savings Bank Building at Stapleton, Borough of Richmond, for a period of one year from May 1, 1904, at a rental of $35 per month, payable monthly, lessor, the Staten Island Savings Bank, to furnish light, heat and janitor's service and make all repairs.

Respectfully submitted for approval,

Approved:

MORTIMER J. BROWN,

Appraiser of Real Estate in Charge of Bureau.

EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller.

Resolved, That the Corporation Counsel be and is hereby requested to prepare a lease to the City, from the Staten Island Savings Bank, of Rooms Nos. 11 and 14, with alcove, on the first floor, in the Staten Island Savings Bank Building, at Stapleton, Borough of Richmond, for the use of the Law Department, for a term of one year from May 1, 1904, at a rental of thirty-five dollars ($35) per month, payable monthly; the lessor to furnish light, heat and janitor service and make all repairs; and the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, deeming the said rent fair and reasonable and that it would be for the interests of the City that such lease be made, the Comptroller be and is hereby authorized and directed to execute the same when

prepared and approved by the Corporation Counsel, as provided by sections 149 and 217 of the Greater New York Charter.

The report was accepted and the resolution unanimously adopted.

The Comptroller presented the following statement and offered the following resolution relative to the refunding of Croton water rents paid in error:

Hon. EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller:

MARCH 28, 1904.

SIR-Applications have been made, as per statement herewith, for the refund of Croton water rents paid in error.

The applications are severally approved by the Commissioner of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity, the Receiver of Taxes or the Collector of Assessments and Arrears, and the amount so paid, three hundred and twenty dollars and sixty-eight cents ($320.68), has been deposited to the credit of the Sinking Fund for the Payment of the Interest on the City Debt. Respectfully,

Resolved, That a warrant payable from the Sinking Fund for the Payment of the Interest on the City Debt, be drawn in favor of the Chamberlain, for the sum of three hundred and twenty dollars and sixty-eight cents ($320.68), for deposit in the City Treasury to the credit of "Croton Water Rent Refunding Account" for refunding erroneous and overpayments of Croton Water Rents, as per statement submitted herewith.

Which resolution was unanimously adopted.

The Comptroller presented the following statement and offered the following resolution relative to the refunding of assessment and interest for Prospect Park improvement overpaid in error:

Hon. EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller:

MARCH 28, 1904.

SIR-On January 6, 1903, Melitta C. Witte overpaid the following assessment installment for Prospect Park improvement, viz.:

On February 27, 1904, Isaac Spiero overpaid the following interest on assessment installment for Prospect Park improvement, viz.:

The amounts so overpaid were deposited in the Sinking Fund of the City of Brooklyn; the refunds will be made through account Refunding Association Paid in Error, Borough of Brooklyn."

The resolution herewith is necessary to reimburse this account for amount of assessment and interest so to be refunded.

Respectfully

I. S. BARRETT, Bookkeeper.

Resolved, That a warrant payable from the Sinking Fund, City of Brooklyn, be drawn in favor of the Chamberlain, for the sum of seven and 13-100 dollars ($7.13), to be deposited in the City Treasury to the credit of "Refunding Assessments Paid in Error, Borough of Brooklyn," to refund Melitta C. Witte and Isaac Spiero, through this account, this amount of assessment and interest for Prospect Park improvement overpaid in error.

Which resolution was unanimously adopted.

The following communication was received from the President of the Borough of Richmond relative to a renewal of the lease of the Richmond Building, corner of Richmond terrace and York avenue, Borough of Richmond, for the use of City Depart

ments.

NEW BRIGHTON, N. Y., March 19, 1904. N. TAYLOR PHILLIPS, Esq., Secretary, Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, No. 280 Broadway, New York, N. Y.:

DEAR SIR-I beg respectfully to call your attention to the fact that the lease of the Richmond Building at the corner of Richmond terrace and York avenue, in the First

Ward of this borough, now occupied by the various bureaus of my office and the branch offices of several of the City Departments, expires on the first of May next. Owing to the fact that the new Richmond Borough Hall now under construction cannot be completed until another year, at least, I suggest a renewal of the lease of the Richmond Building for one year from the 1st of May next, with the privilege of a still further renewal.

Many permanent improvements have been made in the building during the present lease, and I think the yearly rental of $3,000, the amount now paid, is ample.

Yours very truly,

GEORGE CROMWELL, President of the Borough.

Approved for renewal upon the same terms and conditions as are in the present existing lease.

MORTIMER J. BROWN,

Appraiser of Real Estate in Charge of Bureau.

In connection therewith the Comptroller offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the Comptroller be and hereby is authorized and directed to execute a renewal of the lease to the City from William T. Van Vredenburgh of the building known as the Richmond Building, situated on the corner of Richmond terrace and York avenue, Borough of Richmond, exclusive of the store now occupied by the druggist on the ground floor, for the use of several Municipal Departments for a term of one year, from May 1, 1904, at an annual rental of three thousand dollars ($3,000), payable monthly, otherwise upon the same terms and conditions as contained in the existing lease-the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund deeming the said rent fair and reasonable, and that it would be for the interests of the City that such lease be made.

Which was unanimously adopted.

The Comptroller presented the following report and offered the following resolution, relative to a lease of premises No. 691 East One Hundred and Fifty-eighth street, Borough of The Bronx, for the use of the Department of Street Cleaning: MARCH 25, 1904.

Hon. EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller:

SIR--In a communication under date of March 21, 1904, the Hon. John McGaw Woodbury, Commissioner of the Department of Street Cleaning, requests the consent and approval of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund to a lease of the front and rear stores, or ground floor and part of the cellar of the premises known as No. 691 East One Hundred and Fifty-eighth street, in the Borough of The Bronx, for the use of the Department of Street Cleaning as a section station instead of the premises No. 3396 Third avenue, now occupied for that purpose, for a term of three years from May 1, 1904, at an annual rental of $480, payable monthly; the lessor to put and keep the premises in good and tenantable repair and to pay for the Croton water used on the premises.