Each quorum or board was required by law to keep exact minutes of its proceedings. So far as is now known, no regular minutes are extant, save only those of the Albany County board, and they extend to August 30, 1 78 1, end abruptly and, manifestly, are incomplete. The meetings of this board were held mainly in the city of Albany; yet, on occasion, the central board or some of its members as sub-boards, met in the Helderbergs, at Stillwater, at Saratoga and elsewhere in the county. The activities of the whole body in the seven counties are reflected

in pay-bills and other vouchers, State auditor's accounts, State treasurer's books and other records, now in the office of the State comptroller or among the archives of the New York State Library. 1 It has been deemed pertinent to give in this chapter a partial analysis of the ramifications of the procedure revealed by the Albany minutes. The results are presented as types, derived from a carefully indexed analysis of the minutes for the year 1778, and are supplemented by very material variations of later date. On April 24, 1778, Leonard Gansevoort, Jr., was appointed clerk or secretary to the Albany County commissioners, and took his oath of office, promising to "keep secret all such Matters as should be given him in Charge," until discharged therefrom by the board. John M. Beeckman, one of the commissioners, acted for a time as treasurer of the board, For financial materials see Appendix II.