land belonging to the people of this State, which shall be reserved by the Commissioners of the Land-Office for that purpose," &c. The 6th section of the act, chap. 177, passed April 12, 1822, directs the manner in which lands shall be set apart to applicants under these acts. In order that the article of the Constitution above quoted might not be infringed, and to provide for the accommodation of salt manufacturers, the Commissioners of the Land-Office have, by a resolution, a copy of which is herewith communicated, inhibited from sale the land therein designated. By the 6th section of the act, chap. 117, passed March 30, 1820, the monies arising from the sales of the salt springs reservation are directed to be paid over to the Commissioners of the Canal Fund. These references are made to facilitate the deliberation of the Legislature on the constitutionality and expediency of granting the prayer of the petitioners. Respectfully submitted. SIMEON DE WITT, March 29, 1833. IN SENATE, March 1, 1833. COMMUICATION From the Commissioners of the Land-Office, relative to unpatented lots in township No. 3, Old Military Tract, in the county of Clinton. The Commissioners of the Land-Office consider it their duty to represent to the Legislature, that there are five lots, each containing 850 acres, in township No. 3, of the Old Military Tract, authorised to be granted to Benjamin Birdsall, and his associates, by the act chapter 26, passed Feb. 4, 1793, for which no applications have been made by the persons to whom they were balloted in pursuance of the act chapter 26, passed Feb. 24, 1797; in consequence of which, the State has been a loser of the taxes that would have been assessed on these lots had they been patented soon after the grants were authorised. Under these circumstances, the Commissioners of the Land-Office, would respectfully suggest that some provision be made by law for this case, and others similar to it, should any exist. A similar case has been provided for by the act chapter 319 of 1828, in regard to unpatented lands set apart for the Canadian and Nova Scotia refugees, but its provision being limited to that case, does not reach the one now represented. Respectfully submitted. SIMEON DE WITT, Surv'r-General. JOHN A. DIX, Secretary. Feb. 28, 1833. [Senate, No. 98.] 1 IN SENATE, April 1, 1833. REPORT Of the committee on Banks and Insurance Companies. The committee on banks and insurance companies, to whom was referred a resolution of the Senate requiring them to ascertain what banks heretofore incorporated are not subject to the provisions of the general act entitled "An act to create a fund for the benefit of the creditors of certain monied corporations, and for other purposes," and which by their acts of incorporation are so far within the control of the Legislature that its provisions may be extended to them, with leave to report by bill or otherwise, upon the ex pediency of such an alteration of the acts of incorporation of such banks respectively as will subject them to the liabilities of that act, REPORT: That the banks hereafter named, with the amount of capital annexed to them respectively, are not subject to the provisions and liabilities of the general act referred to by the resolution. Banks. Capital. The president and directors of the Manhattan Co.,... $2,050,000 President, directors and company of the Fulton Bank, of the city of New-York, 600,000 Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, 500,000 President, directors and company of the Long-Island Bank, 300,000 Carried forward,.... [Senate, No. 99.] 1 President, directors and company of the Bank of Ro chester,.. 250,000 Aggregate amount, $5,115,000 The Orange County Bank has recently availed itself of the law of last session, and by a compliance with its requirements is now subject to the general act. The charter of the Manhattan Company is perpetual, upon the condition expressed in it, and those of all the others will have expired by their own limitation previous to January first, one thousand eight hundred and forty-seven. .. The committee are not insensible to the importance of the question how far the Legislature possess the right to impose upon these corporations the payment of a sum for the increase of the bank fund with the liabilities of the act creating it, although no such ob ligation was imposed by the terms of their original charters. The rights granted them are to be respected, while the power of the Legislature to make necessary controlling enactments in relation to the exercise of the grants its liberality has dispensed, is to be enforced. These institutions owe their existence to the State authority. The powers they possess have been accepted and heretofore exercised upon the conditions expressed or implied in their several grants, and in a majority of the cases the right has been wisely and expressly reserved by the Legislature to either alter, modify or totally repeal the law at its pleasure. In some of them the reservation is contained in the original charter; in others, in the act conferring banking privileges. In either case the Legislative control is perfect. The acts conferring banking privileges and reserving the full power of control, relate to the following banks. The Chemical, (session laws of 1824, p. 140,); the Fulton bank, (session laws of 1824, p. 144,); the Long-Island bank, (session |