New York State Assembly Comptroller's Reports on Petitions to the State Legislature

Chronological.

The Legislature referred some petitions it received to the comptroller for comment. The reports summarize petition arguments and give opinions regarding payments claimed or due. The series also contains related documents including the original petitions, supporting affidavits, and legislation for the assessment and collection of taxes and for the payment of claims.

The records concern: grants of bounty lands or other compensation for Revolutionary War service; land grants, patents, and claims; relief for widows of soldiers killed in the Revolution; widow's dower rights to confiscated estate of deceased husband; settlement of debts owed by confiscated estates; requests for return of or compensation for confiscated estates; compensation for depreciation of continental currency and certificates issued by the government during the Revolution; salaries of state officials; payments claimed for supplies or services; assumption of the state's debt by the federal government; payment of rents due on land; assessment and collection of taxes; sale or lease of Indian lands by the state; extracts of minutes and resolutions of the Land Office, of which the comptroller was an ex officio member; and raising of revenues through lotteries.

Transcripts of some reports are included in series A0042, Transcripts of Reports Regarding Claims for Revolutionary War Service, especially pages 352-381.

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

Alphabetical name and subject index.

In the 1830s the secretary of state's office bound these records as Volume 39 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.