New York State Legislature Attorney General's Reports on Petitions to the State Legislature

Chronological.

The Legislature referred some petitions it received to the attorney general for comment. The reports summarize petition arguments, give legal opinion supporting or rejecting arguments, and occasionally suggest an alternative course of action. The series also contains related documents such as original petitions, supporting affidavits, and reports of the surveyor general and the comptroller.

The records concern: claims of heirs to estates of a deceased person, including widows of persons whose estates had been confiscated; dower rights (widow's right to one-third of estate); land conveyances, claims, and disputes, often related to forfeited estates; rights of aliens or newly naturalized citizens to inherit or own real property; leasing of state or private land; compensation for land lost to Vermont in the boundary dispute; dissolution of marriage contracts and alimony; proposed legal provisions against cruelty to slaves; and compensation for damage to boats on the Erie Canal.

Microfilm is available for use at the New York State Archives or through interlibrary loan.

Two alphabetical name and subject indexes (to volumes 35 and 36).

In the 1830s the secretary of state's office bound these records as Volumes 35 and 36 of "Assembly Papers." The records suffered burn damage in the State Capitol fire of 1911 and were disbound.

Access to original records is restricted due to burn damage sustained in the 1911 New York State Capitol building fire.