84 
INTRODUCTION. 
committee, consisting of Ezra L’Hommedieu, John Cantine, Philip Schuyler and 
Alexander Webster, of the senate; James Livingston, Jonathan Brown, Jacob 
Delamater, John D. Coe, Zina Hitchcock, Samuel L. Mitchill and John Smith, 
of the assembly, reported a bill, entitled “ An act concerning roads and inland 
navigation,” which became a law, and which directed the commissioners of the 
land-office to cause the country to be explored, between Fort Stanwix and Wood 
creek, in Herkimer county, and a similar survey to be made between the Hudson 
and Wood creek, in Washington county. The law further directed the commis¬ 
sioners to make an estimate of the expense of constructing canals on those routes. 
The commissioners submitted a favorable report, and governor Clinton, at the next 
session, commended the subject earnestly to the consideration of the legislature. 
Thereupon a law was passed, entitled “ An act for establishing and opening lock 
navigation within this state.” The act commenced with the terse recital “ Where¬ 
as a communication by water between the southern, northern and western parts 
of this state will encourage agriculture, promote commerce and facilitate a gene¬ 
ral intercourse between the citizensand provided for the incorporation of two 
associations, the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company, and the Northern 
Inland Lock Navigation Company. The purpose of the western company was 
to open a lock navigation from the Hudson river to Lake Ontario and the Seneca 
lake; and that of the northern company was to connect the same river with 
Lake Champlain. The act appointed as directors in the two companies, Philip 
Schuyler, Leonard Gansevoort, Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, Elkanah Watson, 
John Tayler, Jellis A. Fonda, William North, Goldsbrow Banyar, Daniel Hale, 
John Watts, Walter Livingston, Dominick Lynch, James Watson, Matthew 
Clarkson, Ezra L’Hommedieu, Melancton Smith, David Gelston, Stephen Lush, 
Cornelius Glen, Silas Talbot, John Frey, Douw Fonda, John Sanders, Nicholas J. 
Roosevelt, Daniel McCormick, Marinus Willet, Jonathan Lawrence, Philip Van 
Cortlandt, James Clinton, Abraham Ten Broeck, John Williams, Stephen Van 
Rensselaer, Jacobus Van Schoonhoven, John Van Rensselaer, Abraham G. Lan¬ 
sing, Henry Quackenbush, Robert R. Livingston, Philip Livingston, James Duane, 
