I04 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



Appropriation, $1,500, for improving water supply of hatciieries, chapter 358, 

 Laws of 1894. 



Appropriation, $2,500, for maintenance Sullivan County Hatchery, chapter 768, 

 Laws of 1894. 



Appropriation, $3,000, for completion and maintenance Steuben County Hatchery, 

 chapter 358, Laws of 1894. 



Special appropriation, $2,500, for reimbursing Game Protectors, chapter 438, Laws 

 of 1894. 



The foregoing are all the accounts of your department which were kept at the 

 office of the Comptroller during the period covered by these examinations. 



In addition to these there are the shellfish account and the account of fines and 

 penalties, which are kept in the office of your Commission. 



Shellfish Account. 



This account was created under the provisions of an act of the State Legislature, 

 chapter 584, Laws of 1887, entitled "An act to promote and protect the cultivation 

 of shellfish within the waters of the State; for the appointment of an additional Com- 

 missioner of Fisheries; to authorize the grant of franchises for the use of certain lands 

 under water belonging to the State," etc. By this act the Commissioners of Fisheries 

 were empowered to grant perpetual franchises for the purpose of shellfish cultivation 

 in the lands applied for, for a consideration of not less than one dollar per acre, if the 

 lands were unoccupied or unused, and not less than twenty-five cents per acre if the 

 lands were in present use and occupation. 



No grant could be made to any person, firm or corporation in excess of 250 acres, 

 nor could any person, firm or corporation be allowed to hold, at any one time, more 

 than 250 acres. The statute also required that all moneys receivetl for the sale of 

 franchises should be paid forthwith into the treasury of the State. 



When the examination of this account began at ymir office, about November 10, 

 1895, there was very little to work upon, as the books of account and the records of 

 franchises sold were at the branch office of the Commission in New York cit)' ; and, 

 for the purpose of this examination, for the time being, inaccessible. 



About November 15, 1895, the late Secretary brought to your office his account 

 of moneys received for franchises and the amount paid by him into the treasury of 

 the State. On examining the books in the Comptroller's office it appears that there 

 was paid into the State Treasury by the late Secretary moneys received for sale of 

 franchises as follows : 



