repay them the money they have so expended, on the good faith of the Corporation. Postponed for further hearing.

1772, 7 Jany.-Abram Messier informed the Board, that himself, and others, had erected a building as a Market-house, at the North River, and were desirous of conveying the same to the Corporation, for public use.

7 May.—Ordered that £20 be allowed towards the repairs of Coenties Market.

1784, 26 Augt.-Mr. Mayor informed the Board, that by the late law, for regulating the public markets, it was doubtful, whether the late repairs to the markets were intended to be defrayed out of the market fees, or at the corporation expence, and requested the opinion of the Board thereon.

Whereupon, it was declared by the Board, that the common and ordinary repairs, and the sweeping and cleaning of the markets, were intended to be defrayed out of the market fees, and not the extraordinary and great repairs, which the markets required, by reason of the ruinous condition in which they were found, on the evacuation of this city by the British troops.

1786, 31 May.—A petition of a number of the Inhabitants in the vicinity of Catharine street, praying permission to erect a public Market-house at Catharine slip, at their own expence, was read:

Ordered, that permission be given accordingly, and that said Market-house be subject to the rules established by law, and that the Aldn. & Assist. of the Out and Montgomerie Wards, and the Assist. of the North Ward be a Committee to regulate Catharine street, to determine on the place where the said Market-house, and the manner of building it, and report the same to this Board.

1786, 28 Jun.--Mr. Henry Rutgers attending, informed the Board, that the Market-house, at Catharine slip, was erected and ready for the reception & accommodation of Butchers and country people.

Ordered, that the said Market-house be established as a public Market-place, and subject to the rules and regu lations of the other market-places in this city.

1787, 5 Feby.-James Duane, Mayor, laid before the Board, an account of proceeds of fees received by him, as Clerk of the Markets, amounting to £583 4s. Ed. Ordered, that the Mayor pay one-half to the Treasury, and retain the other half as Clerk of the Markets.

1788, 14 Octr.--A petition of the neighborhood of the Exchange, for permission to erect, at their own expence, a Market-house in the street, leading from the Exchange to the River. Referred to Aldn. & Assist. of South, Dock & East Wards.

17 Oct.-Petition considered, and Committee ordered the placing of the market.

1792, 29 Augt.-The Cellars under the Hudson Market ordered to be let at auction.

The Committee upon Butchers' Stalls,

REPORT:

Sales of Stalls in Fly Market.-That they find by the records of the Common Council, the following Stalls in the Fly Market, were sold at publick auction in the year 1796, to the persons and for the sums fixed to their respective names:

The conditions of sale were in the words following:

"None to buy but licensed Butchers subject to such regulations & fees as the Corporation may direct from time to time: & no transfer of any stall so purchased to be made without leave of the Corporation; butchers having stands in the upper market & becoming purchasers in the lower market, are considered to have forfeited their stalls in the upper market-None of the Butchers in the other markets are to have leave to become purchasers in the Fly Market.

It does not appear that the purchasers received any written conveyance for the stalls by them bought.

The Heirs and Widows of the deceased purchasers, hav ing held up an idea of a legal claim to the stalls by virtue of Inheritance, your Committee thought proper to have an interview with the Butchers now holding the stalls so sold, the result was, that they generally say they understand the right to the stalls is vested in them, their heirs and assigns forever

The conditions of sale, however, does not seem to warrant any such conclusion, but as the kind of right sold may be somewhat equivocal & give frequent cause for discussion, therefore, in order to settle a compromise which the present purchasers themselves seem disposed to meet

Your, Committee recommend that the Butchers now holding any of the stalls hereinbefore mentioned, & which they have paid for, shall respectively upon application to the Board, receive a conveyance for the same, vesting in them & their assigns, being licensed butchers, the right to such stall until the first day of May, in the year eighteen. hundred and twenty, & for such longer time as the original person to whom the conveyance shall be made may live, & choose to occupy the same-Provided, always, that the condition of sale hereinbefore mentioned, be complyed with on the part of the purchasers.

And, your Committee further report, that it is a customary thing for butchers holding other stalls than those. already mentioned, to sell the same, thus drawing an emolument therefrom, which they do not appear entitled. to, & making a kind of monopoly of the stalls, calculated: to destroy that competitorship in the sale of meat which is always beneficial to the publick.

Your Committee therefore recommend, that measures be taken to sell at public auction the stalls in all the markets, not already sold, on the first day of May next, for the term of five years.

NEW YORK, 30th Dec'r, 1799,

JNO. B. COLES,

SELAH STRONG,

PHILIP S. ARCULARIUS.

Books Nos. 13 and 14, of the Manuscript Proceedings of the Common Council, are lost. Mr. Valentine missed them, some five or six years ago, "when the great attack