... 123 copies. For the counties and public officers. .... 124 copies. 5 copies. There shall also be printed and bound for the State library five copies of the Session Laws, and also of the journal of each house, and fifty-five copies of the same, for the regents of the university, for the purpose of literary exchanges. The clerk of each house shall forthwith, after the journal thereof of each day is approved, deliver a legible copy thereof to the printer for the two houses, who shall have the same printed and delivered to the sergeant-at-arms of each house within forty-eight hours thereafter. RULE 18. There shall be a standing committee, consisting of three members of the senate and five members of the assembly, to be called the joint committee on the State library and cabinet of natural history. RULE 19. The supply bill and the annual appropriation bill shall be reported by the fifteenth day of March, and printed immediately thereafter, and made the special order for the twenty-fifth day of March, or some day prior thereto, immediately after the reading of the journal. RULE 20. No bill introduced after the fifteenth day of March in either house shall have its final reading in either house until all bills previously introduced in either, and sent from one house to the other house for concurrence and ready for third reading, shall be disposed of, unless by unanimous consent, except the supply bill and the annual appropriation bill; and the clerk of each house shall note on such engrossed bill the day on which it was introduced, and the day on which it was received from the other house, and shall announce such facts when the same is proposed to be read a third time. RULE 21. When a bill originated in the senate or assembly shall have been lost in either house, neither the same nor any other bill on the same subject, and containing similar provisions, shall be subsequently introduced into the senate or assembly during the same session, unless by unanimous consent. RULE 22. The postmaster of each house shall weigh and stamp all documents sent by mail or express, and enter in a book to be kept by him for that purpose, the amount of postage or express charge thereon, and report to the clerk of the respective houses the aggregate thereof weekly; and the assistant postmaster of each house shall enter in a book to be kept by him for that purpose an accurate account of all documents, with the postage or express charges paid thereon, transmitted from the post-office of their respective houses by mail or express, and report the aggregate thereof weekly to the respective clerks of the senate and assembly; and the clerks of the senate and assembly shall, from time to time, furnish to the postmaster of each house, respectively, the stamps requisite for carrying into execution this rule, and an account thereof shall be kept by them in books to be by them provided for that purpose,; and the books kept by the postmaster and assistant postmaster, above specified, shall be, at all times, open to the inspection of the clerks and members of each house respectively. No. 8. IN ASSEMBLY, FEBRUARY 3, 1882. REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION, AUTHORIZED TO INVESTIGATE THE BUILDING AND LEASING OF DOCKS, PIERS, BULK-HEADS AND MATTERS RELATING THERETO, IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK. ALBANY, January 10, 1882. To the Assembly of the State of New York: The undersigned have the honor to present the following report of the committee appointed in pursuance of resolutions adopted by the assembly, respectively on March 24 and May 5, to investigate the subject of leasing and building of piers in the city of New York, and matters relating thereto, as follows: Resolved, That the committee on commerce and navigation be directed to investigate the subject of the leasing and building of piers in the city of New York, and matters relating thereto; that the committee be authorized to sit in New York and send for persons and papers, and employ a stenographer at a compensation not to exceed fifteen cents per folio. Adopted March 24. And the following: Resolved, That the committee on commerce and navigation, authorized to investigate and examine the subject of leasing and building docks, piers and bulk-heads, and matters relating thereto, in the city of New York, be empowered to employ an expert and stenographer to assist said committee in the discharge of its duties, which shall include all matters relating to the department of docks of the city of New York. The said committee is hereby authorized to continue said investigation and examinations during the recess of the legislature, with full powers to send for persons, books, vouchers and all papers, and to report to the next assembly on or before the 10th day of January, 1882, with the evidence taken. The committee have held its sessions in the city of New York, and examined eighty-nine witnesses, representing the shipping, steamship and canal-boat interest, the maritime and produce exchanges, dock-builders, harbor-masters and others who have had business relations with the dock department, or the water privileges of the city of New York. They suggested to the committee a variety of inquiries touching the subject-matter of our investigation, and the committee have endeavored to make the investigation as thorough and complete as possible. At the outset, your committee discovered that there was a conflict of interests touching every subject likely to come before it for examination. The first question taken up was that of shedding piers and bulkheads. A number of gentlemen connected with the Maritime Association and Produce Exchange, and others engaged in the shipping interest, appeared before your committee, as the testimony will show, and complained that, under chapter 249 of the Laws of 1875, the dock commissioners had leased nearly all of the piers available for heavy-draft sailing vessels to the steamship companies, so that only a few were left for general commerce. In many instances, as the evidence shows, ships, with cargoes consigned to the city of New York, were obliged to unload at piers in Brooklyn, and that it has frequently happened that vessels have been obliged to wait for days and in some cases weeks before they could obtain berths to discharge cargo. Many witnesses who testify upon this question express the opinion that the dock commissioners have been protecting foreign commerce at the expense of American shipping, coasting and local commerce; and the testimony upon the subject justifies the cause of complaint. Under the act of 1875, whenever a party or association leases a wharf or pier in the city of New York, and that wharf or pier is shedded, under the direction of the dock commissioners, it becomes, to all intents and purposes, during the period of the lease, the private property of the lessee. The lessee has the exclusive and absolute use of and control over such pier, and can determine the rate of wharfage that shall be paid by any person desiring a berth at such pier; and unless such demands are acceded to and paid as they see fit to charge, and notwithstanding there may be vacant berths at such piers, the vessel is not allowed to load or unload at that pier. In this connection, upon the statement made by the commissioners to your committee, there are but five or six unshedded piers upon the North river, and they are unfit for heavydraft vessels to land or unload at. The North river, prior to 1875, was practically given over to regular lines of steamship and railroad companies. By the act of 1875 all deep-water piers upon the East river were reserved for sailing vessels regularly "employed in foreign commerce," and having a draught of more than eighteen feet of water. Several of them, however, have been shedded. Your committee desire specially to call the attention of the legislature to the fact that the words "foreign commerce" used in the act of 1875, seem to be an unjust and, unfair discrimination against the American shipping interest. Your committee would recoinmend the repeal of that provision of the act of 1875 which permits the leasing of bulk-heads, and the building of sheds thereon, or the anchorage of scows between piers upon the North and East rivers; and that every fifth pier hereafter constructed upon the North river shall be reserved for general commercial purposes; and as the present leases expire the same rule shall apply to them. Your committee is of the opinion that the shedding of piers on the East river, and the want of accommodations upon the North river for local commerce, is a great detriment to the port of New York; and prompt action should be taken by the legislature to adopt measures of relief. The gentlemen representing the steamship interests, by their testimony convince your committee that for the accommodation of their business they require shedded piers. But the privilege granted to the steamship companies of allowing them to shed piers has in nearly every instance been abused by the lessees, in that they have used the piers for storage and other purposes, in direct violation of section 4 of chapter 249 of the act of 1875. The evidence shows that most of the companies hold out as an inducement to foreign shippers the fact that their merchandise may be stored at this port for days and weeks without extra charge; and in one case a witness testified that their company had actually charged storage on goods that had been stored on the second floor of their shed, which is also a violation of the rules of the dock department, which require all goods to be removed within forty-eight hours. It is in evidence that the several foreign steamship companies have formed an organization for their protection. This was admitted by the representative of one of the largest steamship companies, who stated before the committee, that the organization was for the purpose of regulating the delivery of goods to consignees, and the removal and regulating the consignment of goods to the consignees. The understanding, it was stated, was only known to those who were in the organization; and while it was admitted that there were printed rules and regulations, the witness declined to produce a copy of such rules and regulations, or to state, more specifically, for what objects the organization was formed. The steamship companies have also monopolized the bulk-heads adjoining their piers, and the space between West street and the new bulk-head line, a distance of 250 feet from the street. Personal visits of the committee along the water front of the North river disclose the fact that nearly all the space between West street and the new bulk-head line is occupied and incumbered by steamship companies with casks, pig iron, crates, lumber, ballast, and other materials, and have been so occupied and incumbered ever since the several sections were completed by the dock department, a period of several years, for which the dock department receive no revenue. (See report of city wharfingers, annexed.) In consequence of such incumbrances there is scarcely a bulk-head remaining upon the North river for the accommodation of any other than steamship companies occupying adjoining piers. The testimony upon this subject shows that the dock commissioners have repeatedly passed resolutions directing the removal of incumbrances; and when they have not been rescinded, the officers authorized to enforce the orders have been verbally informed they need not execute them. The vascillating course of the commissioners in treating this matter has been the cause of much trouble to them, inconvenience to the people and profit to the steamship companies. As a proof of which, it appears in the evidence that the board passed a resolution directing the wharfingers to notify all of the parties having_incumbrances upon the piers to remove the same upon the 23d of February, 1881, and that on the 25th of March, of the same year, they rescinded said resolution. The use of the piers and bulk-heads for the storage of merchandise until delivered has grown into a habit at this port, and it raises the question for consideration, what additional facilities ought to be provided to accommodate the wants of commerce in this regard. The piers and bulk-heads exist for the accommodation of all commerce, and not for any special class, and all proper facilities should be provided for in the plan of improvement of the water-front, to reduce the charges upon the receipt and delivery of freight; and the time has come when the subject of the removal of goods at or near the points of receipt and delivery thereof must be taken up and carefully considered; but until this is done the committee are of the opinion that much less latitude should be permitted in this matter of incumbering the piers and bulk-heads, and some stringent and effectual measures adopted. It is in evidence before your committee, that pier 1, in the city of New York, which is built of stone at a cost of over half a million of dollars, has been recently leased to a steamboat excursion. company, who have put upon the same a double shed, which is of frequent occurrence, and have kept a restaurant; and are now charging the public an admission fee for entrance to said pier. That this is a direct violation of the lease of said company is admitted to be so by the commissioners; and your committee consider it only one of the many outrages to which the public are obliged to submit: that no proceedings have been taken to revoke the lease by reason of this violation, or to correct the abuses thereof. Your committee would strongly urge that an act be passed prohibiting any person from charging the public any admission fee for going upon any of the piers or bulk-heads of the city in New York. It is in evidence before your committee that the ports of Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore hold out special inducements to shippers and merchants as to the rates of wharage and other expenses attendant thereto, to increase their shipping interest. It is also in evidence that the charges at this port are exorbitant, and are almost |