the Land Office to take charge of the Congress Hall property, and with power to confer from time to time with the Cominissioners for building a new Capitol in reference to the plans for said building. On motion the resolution was adopted. At a meeting of the Commissioners of the Land Office, held at the office of the Secretary of State, on Wednesday, the 27th day of May, 1568, at 3 o'clock P. M. Present-Hon. Homer A. Nelson, Secretary of State; Hon. William F. Allen, Comptroller; Hon. Wheeler H. Bristol, Treasurer; Hon. Van R. Richmond, State Engineer and Surveyor; Hon. William Hitchman, Speaker of the Assembly. * * The Comptroller reported: * * -* * That Mr. Adam Blake, the present occupant of a part of the buildings known as Congress Hall buildings, and who has invested a considerable sum in furnishing the same upon an uncertain term, has applied for leave to occupy, and a lease of the said building, so long as the same shall remain standing, or until the State shall require the possession and occupation of the same, and offers to pay for the use of the same at the rate of four thousand dollars per annum; and for the use of all except the two buildings occupied by Misses Winne, with a convenient passage, and communication between the south building and the residue of the block occupied by him at the rate of twenty-five hundred dollars per annum ; and proposes to put and keep the same in good repair and condition, and make such improvements as shall be necessary for the occupation of the building as a first-class hotel; the cost and expense of the said repairs and improvements to be deducted from the said rent; that the buildings requiring immediate and expensive repairs, the Comptroller, in the absence of the other Commissioners of the Land Office, but upon conference with such as were within reach, and subject to the approval of the said Commissioners, accepted said proposal for the premises, except the two houses occupied by Misses Winne, and for the whole in case Misses Winne should surrender or yield up the part occupied by them, upon condition that said Blake should at once proceed and put the said premises in good repair and condition, and make the necessary improvements thereon, and furnish the same throughout in a proper manner, and should keep the same as a first-class hotel for the accommodation of the public to the satisfaction of the citizens of Albany; wherefore it was on the motion of the State Engineer and Surveyor, Resolved, First. That the action of the Comptroller be, and the same is hereby ratified and confirmed, and that the said premises, except the two houses occupied by Misses Winne, be rented and leased to said Blake upon the terms and conditions named, until the same shall be wanted by the State for the purpose of, and to make way, for the New Capitol, and the improvements connected therewith, or the Legislature otherwise order, the rent over and above the amount expended in repairs and improvements to be paid quarterly. Second. That the repairs and improvements be made under the direction of the keeper of the Capitol, who shall audit the bills therefor. Third. That in case Misses Winne shall surrender or yield up the possession of the two houses occupied by them, that the whole premises be leased to said Blake upon the terms proposed, and upon the conditions before named. Fourth. That the said lease, and right of occupation is not assignable, and shall terminate and cease upon a transfer or assignment thereof, or upon an under-letting by said Blake, of any part of said premises without the written consent of the Commissioners of the Land Office. At a meeting of the Commissioners of the Land Office, held at the office of the Secretary of State, on Wednesday, the 17th day of June, 1868, at three o'clock, P. M. Present Hon. Stewart L. Woodford, Lieutenant-Governor; Hon. Homer A. Nelson, Secretary of State; Hon. William F. Allen, Comptroller; Hon. Wheeler H. Bristol, Treasurer; Hon. M. B. Champlain, Attorney-General; Hon. Van R. Richmond, State Engineer and Surveyor. The Lieutenant-Governor offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the connection between the Congress Hall and the end building to be occupied by Mr. Blake, be made through the rear hall of the building, and that the bakers be removed from the basement of the house now occupied by Misses Winne. On motion of the Treasurer the resolution was laid upon the table. At a meeting of the Commissioners of the Land Office, held at the office of the Secretary of State, on Wednesday, the 4th day of May, 1870, at ten o'clock A. M. Present Hon. Allen C. Beach, Lieutenant-Governor; Hon. Homer A. Nelson, Secretary of State; Hon. William F. Allen, Comptroller; Hon. Wheeler H. Bristol, Treasurer; Hon. M. B. Champlain, Attorney-General; Hon. Van R. Richmond, State Engineer and Surveyor. The Treasurer presented the following report: The undersigned have examined the accounts of Adam Blake, for expenses incurred in repairs to Congress Hall building, and find his statement to correspond with the vouchers presented, and that he has expended on such repairs the sum of $12,500, and that the amount due for rent of said building from May 27th, 1868, to May 27th, 1870, is $5,000, leaving a balance of $7,500, to be applied upon the rent as it becomes due. W. H. BRISTOL. On motion of the Comptroller, the report was agreed to. At a meeting of the Commissioners of the Land Office, held at the office of the Secretary of State, on Thursday, the 16th day of June, 1870, at eleven o'clock, a. m. Present Hon. Allen C. Beach, Lieutenant-Governor; Hon. William F. Allen, Comptroller; Hon. Wheeler H. Bristol, Treasurer; Hon. Van R. Richmond, State Engineer and Surveyor. The Treasurer presented the following preamble and resolution, which were adopted: Whereas, In the progress of the construction of the New Capitol it has become necessary to take down a portion of the west end of the Congress Hall building, and Whereas, It is proposed to make an extension on the south side of said Congress Hall building in connection with the work necessary to reinclose the same, and it is believed that much of the matter removed on the west side may be used advantageously in such extension, and that the room is needed for the purpose of offices, committee rooms, &c., in connection with its present use, therefore Resolved, That a committee of this board, consisting of the Comptroller and State Treasurer be, and they are hereby authorized in connection with the Capitol Commissioners to cause said Congress Hall building to be extended on the south to such distances, and in such form, as in their judgment will fully accomplish the purpose designed. At a meeting of the Commissioners of the Land Office, held at the office of the Secretary of State, on Saturday, the 6th day of Angust, 1870, at eleven o'clock, A. M. Present Hon. Allen C. Beach, Lieutenant-Governor; Hon. Asher P. Nichols, Comptroller; Hon. Wheeler H. Bristol, Treasurer; Hon. Van R. Richmond, State Engineer and Surveyor. * * * * * * The Treasurer offered the following preamble and resolution, which were adopted: Whereas, The committee appointed by this board, under a resolution adopted June 16, 1870, in relation to certain improvements proposed to the Congress Hall building, having procured and presented plans of such proposed improvements, therefore Resolved, That the plans presented to this board being five sheets marked respectively A, B, C, D and E be, and they are hereby approved by this board, and the said committee are instructed to carry out the same with such modifications as in their judgment will proper to carry out the end proposed. At a meeting of the Commissioners of the Land Office, held at the office of the Secretary of State, on Thursday, the 7th day of April, 1871, at one o'clock P. M. Present Hon. Allen C. Beach, Lieutenant-Governor; Hon. Asher P. Nichols, Comptroller; Hon. Wheeler H. Bristol, Treasurer; Hon. M. B. Champlain, Attorney-General; Hon. Van R. Richmond, State Engineer and Surveyor. The Treasurer submitted the following communication which was unanimously adopted by the board, and the clerk of this board was directed to transmit a certified copy thereof to the chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means of the Assembly: To the Honorable Committee of Ways and Means of the Assembly : By chapter 830, Laws of 1868, organizing the Commission of the New Capitol, it was provided that "the building known as Congress Hall buildings and the present Capitol and State Library building shall not be removed or disturbed until further directions by the Legislature," upon the faith of the enactment, the Commissioners of the Land Office leased the property known as Congress Hall building to Adam Blake upon the condition that the same was put in good repair, and make such improvements as should be necessary for the occupation of the building as a first-class hotel, the expense of such repairs to apply upon the rent. Mr. Blake was already in possession of the property and had invested considerable money in furnishing the same upon an uncertain term. The rent was fixed at $2,500 per year for the portion he occupied, which includes all the building except that now occupied for the executive residence. The buildings were then in such condition as to require immediate and expensive repairs; the duration of the lease was until the same should be required by the Legislature. Mr. Blake proceeded and put the building in repair and furnished the same suitable for a firstclass hotel in compliance with his lease; it is represented to us that in the early part of the last summer, the Commissioners of the New Capitol considered it necessary to remove a portion of the west part of the main building and also the wing attached in order to greatly facilitate the construction of the walls of the New Capitol; by so doing they destroyed a portion of the dining room and the whole of the kitchen and cooking arrangements connected therewith, and also the total destruction of thirty-five bed-rooms and parlors, rendering the entire house nearly unfit for occupation while the work was going on. The rear of the executive mansion was exposed, rendering it inconvenient for its occupant. Mr. Blake, finding the property nearly useless under his lease availing himself of such means as he had, and such means as he could command by his personal credit, proceeded to rebuild the part so removed, and in compliance with his lease to put the same in condition for a first-class hotel, relying upon the State thereafter to do him justice in the premises. It is represented to us that such expenditures has involved him seriously and deeply in debt for nearly its whole cost. Mr. Blake has presented his vouchers for his claims to the Commissioners of the Land Office. The Commissioners have no power to make any adjustment of the claims and have taken no official cognizance or action in the matter, while they are of opinion Mr. Blake was dispossessed in violation of his lease and in violation of law, yet this board has no power to make reparation of the claim. That authority is vested only in the Legislature. It is a simple case of a tenant wrongly dispossessed of the property held under his lease for which he could have a just claim for damages. It may be mentioned that committee rooms were provided in the building in obedience to the requirements of the Legislature in the part newly erected, and that it has been the policy of former Legislatures and others connected with the work of the New Capitol, including citizens of Albany to preserve this property as a hotel for the accommodation of the public until the time should come for its final removal. Mr. Blake proposes to the Commissioners hereafter to pay an increased rental of $3,500, making the total rent $6,000 per year for the property in its improved condition. In the opinion of the Commissioners the case appeals strongly to the justice and liberality of the Legislature Respectfully, etc. W. H. BRISTOL, Treasurer. At a meeting of the Commissioners of the Land Office, held at the office of the Secretary of State, on Wednesday, the 10th day of May, 1871, at twelve o'clock, M. Present Hon. Allen C. Beach, Lieutenant-Governor ; Hon. Asher P. Nichols, Comptroller; Hon. Wheeler H. Bristol, Treasurer; Hon. Van R. Richmond, State Engineer and Surveyor. The State Engineer and Surveyor offered the following resolution, which was adopted: Resolved, That it be referred to the Treasurer and Attorney-General to examine the accounts of Adam Blake for expenditures on Congress Hall building, and report the amount due to him to be paid as provided for per chapter 715, Laws of 1871. The Treasurer offered the following resolution, which was adopted: Resolved, That the Comptroller be authorized to draw his warrant in favor of Adam Blake for the sum of $20,000 on account of his expenses incurred in repairs upon Congress Hall building as per chapter 715, Laws of 1871. At a meeting of the Commissioners of the Land Office, held at the office of the Secretary of State, the 17th day of June, 1871, at eleven o'clock, a. м. Present Hon. Allen C. Beach, Lieutenant-Governor; Hon. Asher P. Nichols, Comptroller; Hon. Wheeler H. Bristol, Treasurer; Hon. M. B. Champlain, Attorney-General; Hon. Van R. Richmond, State Engineer and Surveyor. * * * * * The Treasurer presented the following report and account: We have examined the annexed account of Adam Blake for expenses incurred in repairing Congress Hall buildings, and believe them to be correct, and recommend the payment of the bill. W. H. BRISTOL, Committee. |