Laws of the State of New-York, passed at the Thirty-ninth, Fortieth and Forty-first Sessions of the Legislature, commencing January 1816, and ending April 1818; Vol. IV. Albany: Printed for Websters and Skinners, by the Printer to the State, 1818. [7885]
Full sheep with red leather title label, small "4" in blind to spine, binding scuffed yet remarkably intact with very good outer and inner hinges, tight. 5 1/2 x 8 3/4 inches, 296, 352, 313 pp. plus index, 989 pp. total, moderate foxing, complete with end papers. Very good. Leather bound.
The three sessions, 1816, 1817, and 1818, here bound together with a title page and index for all three years. Vol. IV. of the run in this series, but complete in itself for the years mentioned.
During this early period of New York State history the western part of the state was growing, and there are many mentions of towns dividing their boundaries, and of some new counties being formed. It was also the exploratory and first diggings for the Erie Canal, with the first stretch of 15 miles being dug between Rome and Utica in 1817.
The acts relative to the canal include the original 5 pp. "Act respecting navigable communications between the great western and northern lakes and the Atlantic ocean (April 15, 1817), in which the plan for funding, commissioners, and taxes are laid out, taxes on Onondaga salt and steam travel on the Hudson being mentioned. Also, in regards to the canal, acts regarding the Mohawk and Hudson river company, Chitteningo canal company, and "How they may employ convicts from state prison."
Other events of the times include an Act to Suppress Dueling; Acts regarding the Militia, Fortifications, Arsenals, &c. "And be it further enacted, That the commanding officer of each company shall from time to time enroll all able bodied white male citizens, and every able bodied alien who shall have any time been seised of any real estate within this state ..."; Act regarding children as apprentices and indentured servants.
Also, an interesting act regarding a man who abandoned his wife and joined the Shakers, taking their children with him, the Legislature granting her a divorce, and ordering judges to issue habeas corpus for such children and empowering sheriffs to search Shaker properties for them, with the judges empowered to interview the children and grant custody to the spouse who did not join the sect.
There are many references to churches, often regarding their property, but also the act to incorporate St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in New York City, and an act regarding the Christian Oneida Indians - New York State had recently purchased lands by treaty from the Oneidas, and the legislature herein agrees to sell six hundred of those acres to be sold, the funds to be given to the Indians for the purpose of erecting a church building. There was also an agent appointed to prevent trespass on Indian lands.
There are 18 separate acts regarding the Indians in New York State.
There is a lengthy and detailed "Act to organize the Militia," passed April 21, 1818. 23 pp. long with 60 provisions.
Although we often think of conservation of wildlife as a more modern emphasis, there are several acts for the preserving of game and of fish in certain streams and lakes. We have seen other states with similar laws during the same period.
An 8 pp. "Act relative to slaves and servants," March, 1817. "...that every negro, mulatto or mustee, within this state, who is now a slave, shall continue such, unless such slave shall be manumitted according to law; and that the baptizing of any such slave, shall not be deemed a manumission of such slave..." The act legitimizes marriage between slaves and children born to slaves, and indentures to the master of their parents children born to slaves after July 1799 until their 28th birthday if male and 25th if female; and demands that the masters have these children taught to read so that they can read the Bible, and to receive a certain amount of schooling.... There are 33 enactments total, including that all slaves in New York State are to be made free persons after July 4th, 1827.