By direction of the Commissioners, who were anxious to place some of the work under contract for the opening of the working season, shafts were sunk at the site of the dam, and along the line of the Aqueduct as far as Sing Sing, eight miles, in order to exhibit the nature of the ground to be excavated, for the information of all parties this, as well as ;

examinations on the same line for stone fit to be quarried and used in the construction, was successfully accomplished. The number of acres required for a Croton Reservoir and Aqueduct from river to river is stated by the Commissioners at 813.

Just previously to this period, some dissatisfaction had been expressed in the Board of Assistant Aldermen, at what seemed to be the irresponsibility of the Commissioners to the Common Council.

This topic is thus adverted to at the close of this Report :

144 MEMOIR OF THE "It has appeared by the proceedings of one of your honorable Boards, as published in the newspapers some time since, that, censure has been cast upon the Commissioners for some unknown cause, and that, in debate, it had been stated they were under no accountability, either to the public, or the Common Council, and that a resolution had been proposed, to apply to the Legislature for an act compelling them to make quarterly reports to the Common Council. There seems to be some mistake in this matter, as the fact is, the Commissioners consider themselves both accountable to the public and the Common Council. To the public, they are accountable for an honest and upright discharge of their duty, and to the Common Council, they are accountable for a vigilant superintendence over those employed under them, and for the strictest economy in the expenditure of the funds placed in their hands.