By whom tured, within any of the counties of this state, of wool shorn from sheep owned in said county, the best specimen of woollen cloth, of uniform texture and quality, not less than thirty yards, the breadth not less than three-fourths of a yard, shall be entitled to a premium of forty dollars that the person who shall, in his family, manufacture or cause to be manufactured as aforesaid, within any of the counties of this state, the next best specimen of woollen cloth, of uniform texture and quality, not less than twenty-five yards, the breadth not less than three-fourths of a yard, shall be entitled to a premium of thirty-five dollars: that the person who shall, in his family, manufacture or cause to be manufactured as aforesaid, the next best specimen of woollen cloth, of uniform texture and quality, not less than twenty yards, the breadth not less than three-fourths of a yard, shall be entitled to a premium of thirty dollars: which specimens respectively shall determined. be produced to the judges, or such of them as may attend, of the court of common pleas of the county in which the said specimens were carded, spun and wove, on the third Tuesday of January in each year, at such place where the said court was last held, unless the judges of the said court shall otherwise direct: Provided always, That in case the said court shall sit in any of the counties on the said third Tuesday of January, then and in that case the specimens of such county shall be presented where the court is so held; and the said judges of the respective counties of this state, or such of them as shall attend shall, on that or on the succeeding day, examine and determine who are entitled to the said premiums; and in case that no more than two of the said judges shall attend on the said third Tuesday of January in each year, then the clerk of the county shall be associated with the said two judges in examining the said specimens, and determine who are entitled to the said premiums; that when two or more of the said judges shall attend, then the judges so attending shall make the examination and determination aforesaid; and in either case previous to such determination, the said persons so attending are hereby au thorised to determine as aforesaid, or a majority of them, shall require such reasonable proof that the several specimens so exhibited were actually carded, spun and wove in such county; and shall immediately after such determination in each year, during the continuance of this act, make duplicate certificates of such determinations respectively; one whereof shall be securely attached to a piece, being at least one quarter of a yard, of each specimen of cloth adjudged to be the best as aforesaid, and sent to one of the secretaries of the society for the promotion of useful arts, before the third Tuesday of February in each year hereafter, during the continuance of this act, and the other to the comptroller; and the said clerks respectively are,hereby directed, at the time last aforesaid, by writing, to inform the secretary or vice-president of the said society, residing in the city of Albany, of the whole number of specimens of woollen cloth exhibited annually as aforesaid, in their respective counties, together with the total number of yards so exhibited. III. And be it further enacted, That any person may be a candidate for the state premiums for domestic or family manufactures, without being so for the county premiums: Provided, That instead of sending a specimen, such person shall send the whole piece of thirty yards, and not less than three-fourths of a yard in breadth, to the society for the promotion of useful arts, accompanied with such proof as they shall deem satisfactory, that the said cloth was manufactured in the manner directed by the second section of this act, within this state, from wool raised within the same. IV. And be it further enacted, That no person shall be entitled, in any one year, to more than one of the premiums for cloth of domestic manufacture, to be adjudged by the judges of the court of common pleas in the respective counties; and the judges of the said courts who shall attend for the purpose of performing the duties enjoined by this act, shall respectively receive two dollars for each day's attendance, and the amount to be paid for such services shall be levied and collected in the same manner as the contingent charges of such county are by law directed to be levied and collected. No person shall be enti than one of premiums in tled to more the county one year. Premiums V. And be it further enacted, That the society for by jug, the promotion of useful arts shall, on the second Wedbe adjudged, nesday of March in each year, by a plurality of voices, Certain per sons in higi ty premiums determine on the several specimens sent from the several counties aforesaid, on the first, second and third best specimens of such county domestic manufactured woollen cloth; and shall adjudge to the first quality, ninety dollars, to the second, eighty dollars, and to the third, seventy dollars, each in a piece of plate, with appropriate inscriptions to designate the object for which they were respectively premiums. VI. And be it further enacted, That no person, nor ble for coun- any company concerned or interested in any manufactory of woollen cloth, shall be entitled to any premium allowed by this act for cloth of family manufacture, nor to more than one of the other premiums in any one year, Breadth of cloth to be VII. And be it further enacted, That all cloth prepresented. sented for premiums shall be of the same breadth as it was when manufactured, and not less than three quarters of a yard. Imposition how to be guarded against. Premiums paid. VIII. And be it further enacted, That the said society for the promotion of useful arts shall prescribe the mode of ascertaining that the cloth was manufac tured within this state, in such manner as they shall deem proper to guard against impositions. IX. And be it further enacted, That the comp. had to be troller, upon the production of the certificate of the president or either of the vice-presidents of the said society, or of the persons in each county authorised to give such certificate as aforesaid, in the cases referred to the said society, and the said county officers respectively as aforesaid of such determinations, adjudging the premiums aforesaid, shall issue his warrant for the payment of the said premiums to the persons who shall respectively be adjudged to be entitled to the Duration of this act. Cloth of equal quali same. X. And be it further enacted, That this act shall continue in force for three years, and no longer. XI. And be it further enacted, That in case sety how to be Veral of the specimens of cloth presented to the said determined. society for the premium to be by them awarded should be of equal quality in other respects, the premium shall be adjudged to that piece which shall be deemed to possess the superiority of colour and dye. XII. And be it further enacted, That the south room, in the third story of the capitol, shall be appro- A room in priated for the accommodation of the society for the appropriated promotion of useful arts, instead of the middle room, now in the possession of the society, until the Legislature shall otherwise direct. CHAP. CCXXXI. An ACT further to provide for the Improvement of the Internal Navigation of this State. 1. B Passed June 19, 1812. ers authors- an agree the western navigation E it enacted by the people of the state of NewYork, represented in Senate and Assembly, That the commissioners mentioned in and by the act, Commission entitled "an act to provide for the improvement of ed to make the internal navigation of the state," passed the 8th ment with day of April, 1811, to wit: Gouverneur Morris, Ste- inland lock phen Van Rensselaer, De Witt Clinton, Simeon De company. Witt, William North, Thomas Eddy, Peter B. Porter, Robert R. Livingston and Robert Fulton, be and they are hereby authorised and empowered, on behalf of this state, upon such terms and conditions as they shall deem reasonable, to purchase all the rights, interest and estate, of the "president, directors and company, of the western inland lock navigation in the state of New-York," of, in and to the inland waters of this state, together with the locks, canals, lands and other property, which may be vested in, or which may have been acquired by the said president, directors and company, under or by virtue of any law of this state, so as to procure to the people of this state a conveyance or surrender of all the rights, interest and estate of the said corporation; and in case of such conveyance or surrender being made, it shall and may be lawful for the said commissioners, and they are hereby required to take the charge and management of the said locks, canals, lands and all other property so by them to be Proviso. They are au thorised to Juntary ces purchased as aforesaid, on behalf of the people of this state, with the like powers of appointing toll-collectors and other agents, to exact the same tolls to the use of the people of this state, and to make all such other rules and regulations in regard to the same, as the president, directors and company of the western inland lock navigation in the state of New-York, can or may now lawfully make or establish; and that every person who shall, after such conveyance or surrender, do any trespass or other injury to the said canals, locks, lands or other property aforesaid, or shall violate any of the rules and regulations so as aforesaid to be established by the said commissioners, such person so offending shall be liable to the same penalties, and shall pay the like damages as such offenders would now be liable to, for the like acts, under the bye-laws and regulations of the said corporation and the laws of this state, to be recovered in the name of the said commissioners, to the use of the people of this state: Provided, That nothing in this act contained shall authorise the said commissioners to make any other than a conditional purchase of the said president, directors and company, to become absolute when the said commissioners shall have satisfactory information from some experienced engineer, by an actual examination, that the accomplishment of the contemplated canal is practicable, and when the said commissioners shall be authorised by an act of the Legislature to commence their operations for opening said canal. II. And be it further enacted, That the said comprocure vo- missioners be and they are hereby authorised to prosions of lands cure any voluntary cessions or grants of any lands, to the use of the people of this state, from any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate, who may be inclined to make the same, for the purpose of the contemplated inland navigation from Lake Erie to Hudson's river, or for the purpose of establishing a fund to be applied towards the accomplishment of the said object: And whereas it appears by the report of the said commissioners, lately presented to the Legislature, that a favorable opportunity now occurs for procuring a loan of money on the credit of this state: And where, |