New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-20
NEW YORK RECORDS.

The following Report on the condition of the
Records will be read with interest by all owners Of
City real estate, and by those who hold mortgages on
City property:
NEw-YoRK, Wednesday, June 10, 1850
At meeting of the Commissioners of Records for
the City and County OF New York, held tins day, the
following Report of the Special Committee on the
state and condition of the Records was received,
adopted and ordered to be PRINTED MEruopr ch,,,m,
GEORGE P. NELSON, Secretary
To The Commisones Of Records for the City and County o.
Netc- lork.
The Special Committee appointed to examine into
the state and condition of the Records III the oces Oh
the Surrogate Register, and Clerk of the County OF
New-York respectfully report that they have gwen
the subject very careful attention, and as the result OF
their investigation kave prepared the following state
ment of facts:
suRRoGATE's OFFICE.
The Records of this office consist of ll3 volumes of wills Is
Letters Of Letters Of b me VIII s
nexed ~ Administration Bonds 70 Guardans bonds fio
oeedngs for Sale Of Real Estate Sc Of Minutes and miSeea
neous-makng in the aggregate $50 volumes
There general indexes in this office except OF nyeno
re and guardians accounts and the that no
search OF inv made where the date OF the trans
action uncertain without handling large number o. volumes
examining numerous files of documents when win the hep
of index the precise volume or document would De readily
dcs.d to the 1s 0 S e GG wear ana tear Oh the
The Committee would next direct the attention OF the Com
cords Of wills remaining unsigned by the Surrogate These
omissions through period Of ten years from 1850 70 lSO
As these records imperfect it would be proper invoke the
power Of the Legislature TO authorize s Signature o ne
present Surrogate win the IKE enec' as 'ne hAa 0sen
b1e are several volumes of the records wills
paper OF such fabric that cruu bes to pieces almost at the
obch and i il impossible to use the books without great dan
tbs tsey should be recoped and that copies
certificates founded upon them should be declared by legislative
authority have the same effect as the originals ..
The Surrogstes Office consists OF two rooms ~ BY y and -
BY 90 equal together room about y ieei square Besides
cases papers and $50 volumes OF records desks ana
occurv large part this space. The business OF this oie has
about doubled the last six years and the are
are not only utterly inadequate tor the public oa
also for the the records and the proper
OF the duties Of the Office The surrosse' sA S
Al witnesses crowded into this Sun All space wnere
.ne s yd;ansbp the adjustment accounts the pro-
bate of wills and the bearing OF Irrigated cases sI o
E eopetly so crowded il impossible 10 insure their
sstey OF to observe all times the manner IN winch tney are
@ sc he record of single will might affect the title to an en-
tire estate II must be admitted that the consequences Oh
Of single generation large proportion OIL tae pOey,
ard personal owned in this great and oPusnt Wy Pass
the supervision of this Office and me 'nnP'''AN - "
therefore cannot well be exaggerated
REGISTERS oFFHE.
rye Recoris are composed Of volumes OF POWERS OF Az
me cssiss,es Of Religious lncOrposaons Indexes
Cbaie, Mortgsg, 20 Discharges OF Moreases' "a
cesneOus 7o Maps i5a Gensha @ vomes Sewers Of
caller books are In o bad stare with leaves @ ~
ast csons yns Some of the General Indexes
are SO much that they need 70 be Nasares
traie -.
snd other pSre have been scattered about the once % a.
v ana sra,semen; some Of them are torn ana ~ I, VI
iaS Numbers Of the botte to the Books OF
,;ssiny end many Of them are mutnatea- Aiate
~ - yrsrs are mutaied and oefeced and IN are
the latter are of the Siuy Vesanl
ri and the Sailors snug hArooI estates o"e III n.
an man has entirely destroyed oy lne ~. -.
ssnsrsuy need re pairing. aud some reeopyns. ING
nS mans NAV perhaps be replaced by copies iio @ IN -
30 passs by reference to the numbers Of 'ns ~ r. 80
80, ~ hounds laid down the maps MED WIN .ue ne
a, and is accordingly matter of the Inst I'm ne
80 docnnspts should be carefully Preervea.no ~ -
,;r sn reference ascertain the ocaity OF VIC ss,
yonr Com ittse find that duriog the years hs vih
onnes of rowers OF attorney 81 OF mortgages
the eerti6estes of discharges Of morsases anu The..
80 cnyeysnces were leff unsigned by the then kegse -
records are therefore incomplete and II wa Rea
he Iesisaiure 70 authorize their signature oy inc ave-
lister. 49,. oa.a cannot be de-
p,nded mon for entire accuracy. Developments
hke place showing conyeyances omitted 10 DC avs
these mistake run back early period Inc ,asn,
made upon authority Of these ndeKesi ana ye' him
they cannot be REGARDED perfectly satisfactory. ana
ce have urred also in indeKing under hs WIS Com
letter as for example, The Dry Dock Assoeasa ,,oo
psny under the ietterT standing for s., stand
Tor the Savings Of Merchants Clerk sometimes snoei "a e.
ing for Merchants" and sometime. under %;r. q
Ssvinrs" another the grAntor describing
B. de ST. Jsso tho index made under b, D. ana o. o' VII