together with his personal observation, for the subject matter of his report. In a report made to the Board of Aldermen in January, 1833, it was suggested that the failure of the law asked for the year previous, was in consequence of a want of suffi- cient information to warrant the opinion of the feasibility of the project, and it recommended that immediate application should be made to the Legislature, asking for the appoint- ment of a Board of Commissioners, with full powers to examine all the plans proposed, to cause surveys, and to estimate the probable expense of supplying the city of New-York with water. The Committee recommended that the Commissioners should be appointed by the Governor and Senate, and that their number should consist of five, " inasmuch as the object 65 of their appointment is to settle conclusively the plan to be adopted, and the amount requisite for its performance." This report was concurred in by the Board of Assistants, and approved of by the Mayor, January 17th, 1833. In compliance with the request of the Common Council the Legislature of the State, on the 26th of February, 1833, passed an Act,* providing for the appointment by the Gov- ernor and Senate, of five persons, as Water Commissioners, whose duty it was by said Act declared to be " to examine and consider all matters relative to supplying the city of New-York with a sufficient quantity of pure and wholesome water for the use of its inhabitants, and the amount of money necessary to effect that object." In pursuance of this law, the Governor and Senate appoint- ed the Board of Water Commissioners, consisting of the following named gentlemen : — Stephen Allen, William W. Fox, Saul Alley, Charles Dusenberry and Benjamin M. Brown. They were directed to make their report to the Legislature, by the second Monday of January, 1834, and to present a copy thereof to the Common Council of the City of New-York on or before the first day of November, 1833. The Commissioners proceeded in the discharge of their duties, employed as Engineers Canvas White, Esquire, and Major D. B. Douglass, of the United States Corps of En- * This Act was drawn up by Myndert Van Schaick, Esq., and its character and suitableness to obviate former difficulties were approved of by the Common Council, and the situation of Mr. Van Schaick, as member of the Senate, no doubt promoted its success. 17 66 gineers, and made all necessary examinations so as to determine, whether a sufficient quantity of pure and whole- some water could be obtained for present and future pur- poses, whether its introduction into the city would be practicable at an elevation precluding the use of machinery, and also what would be the probable cost of completing the projected work. Their report satisfied the Legislature that a supply of pure and wholesome water was of great importance to the city — that its introduction was feasible, and that the expense was within the financial ability of the citizens. Accordingly an Act* was passed by the Legisla- ture, on the 2d of May, 1834, which provided for the appoint- ment of five Water Commissioners by the Governor and Senate, and they were required " to examine and consider all matters relative to supplying the city of New-York with a sufficient quantity of pure and wholesome water ; to adopt such plan as in their opinion will be most advantageous for securing such supply, and to report a full statement and description of the plan adopted by them ; to ascertain, as near as may be, what amount of money may be necessary to carry the same into effect ; to report an estimate of the probable amount of revenue that will accrue to the city, upon the completion of the work, and the reasons and calculations upon which their opinion and estimates may be founded ; such report to be made and presented to the Common Council of the city on or before the first day of January, 1836." •This Act was prepared by Myndert Van Schaick, Esq., from materials which he had previously collected for the purpose, and it passed into a Law, and is the one under which, as its main foundation, the work has been constructed. 67 It was further provided, that " in case the plan adopted by the Commissioners shall be approved by the Common Coun- cil, they shall submit it to the electors to express their assent or refusal to allow the Common Council, to instruct the Commissioners to proceed in the work." The Commissioners who were appointed in 1833, were re-appointed under the Act of the 2d of May, 1834. They immediately entered upon the duties of their office, thoroughly re-examined their former work,