INTRODUCTORY.
 

The project of uniting the cities of New York, Brooklyn, and
the cities, towns and villages contiguous to the same, into one
great municipality, although long mooted before 1890, first took
definite form in that year, by the passage on May 8th, by the
Legislature, of Laws 1890, Chap. 11, entitled ''An Act to create
a commission to inquire into the expediency of consolidating the
various municipalities in the State of New York, occupying the
several islands in the harbor of New York."

The Act provided as follows:

"§ I. The governor by and with the advice and consent of the
senate and not otherwise, shall appoint six persons who with the
state engineer and surveyor, and one person to be designated by
each of the following named authorities when so designated,
namely: The mayor of New York, the mayor of Brooklyn, the
boards of supervisors of Westchester, Queens, Kings and Rich¬
mond counties, respectively, shall be commissioners to inquire
into the expediency of consolidating the various municipalities
in the state of New York, occupying the several islands in the
harbor of New York, and to report from time to time their con¬
clusions thereon to the legislature, with such recommendations as
they may deem proper for adoption and their reasons therefor.
Any vacancies occurring in the number of the commissioners,
appointed by the governor whether by failure to accept such
appointment or otherwise, shall be filled by the governor, by and
with the advice and consent of the senate and not otherwise, and
vacancies occurring among those otherwise appointed, whether by
failure to accept or otherwise, shall be filled by the authority by
whom the original appointment was made.

§ 2, Said commissioners may appoint a president, vice-presi¬
dent and secretary, and may employ such persons as they deem
necessary, and may gather such information and prepare such
maps as may be needed to present their views intelligently, and
may, with their report, present such bills for the action of the