supervisors, but is signed by them individually. The committee do not therefore consider that the petition is entitled to any higher consideration than as though the same had been signed by the same number of other respectable individuals in the county. The name now borne by the county in question, was derived from the Allegany river, which finds some of its sources within its bounds, and a change of the name cannot but produce considerable confusion, and should not be done without good and substantial reasons. It is well known that there are several counties in the state of Pennsylvania bearing the same name with counties in this state; but the committee do not consider that of sufficient importance to change the name of that county. The committee have directed their chairman to submit the following resolution : Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioners ought not to be granted, and that they have leave to withdraw their petition. 1 IN ASSEMBLY, January 31, 1831. REPORT Of the committee on ways and means, on the petition of the supervisor of the town of Salem, in the county of Washington, and the report of the Comptroller thereon. Mr. Selden, from the committee on ways and means, to whom was referred the petition of the supervisor of the town of Salem, in the county of Washington, and the report of the Comptroller thereupon, REPORTED: That they have examined said petition and report; that according to the course of the Comptroller's office, annual interests are made on the accounts of the debtors to the state, and interest charged thereon, in consequence of which interest becomes principal at the end of each year, and thus the interest is compounded. They further report, that from this cause, the county of Washington stands charged with compound interest on a sum of $714.04, since a period prior to March 1822, although the principal, with simple interest only, has been collected; and although the delay in collection has been impeded by an act of the legislature, passed March 1822, the committee are of opinion that the relief ought to be granted, by crediting the county the difference between simple and compound interest, and they have prepared a bill for that purpose. IN ASSEMBLY, February 1, 1831. REPORT Of the committee on ways and means, on the petition of John H. Johnson, and the report of the Comptroller thereupon. Mr. Selden, from the committee on ways and means, to whom was referred the petition of John H. Johnson, of the town of Salina, in the county of Onondaga, for relief, and the report of the Comptroller thereupon, REPORTED That the petitioner claims as assignee of E. F. Milley, the sum of $204.16, which sum had, as appears by the receipt of the Treasurer, been paid into the treasury, in order to redeein a lot of land known as lot No. 75, in the town of Hannibal, county of Oswego, sold for arrears of taxes. Your committee further report, that by reason of the mistake of the individual paying the said sum, in not returning the said receipt to the Comptroller, whereby the money might be credited to the particular land intended to be redeemed, the right of redemption was lost, and a deed was sometime thereafter executed to the purchaser. In consequence of this error, the money so paid remains in the treasury not applied to the purposes intended, and therefore ought to be refunded. The petitioner claims interest upon the sum, but your committee believe that the state ought in no case to pay interest on monies erroneously paid into the treasury, unless under most peculiar circumstances, or unless it appears that such error was a mistake on the part of the public officer, which in this case it was not; and your committee have prepared a bill in conformity to the above suggestion, which they ask leave to introduce. |