--------- 16,000 00 $40,637 18 Accrued interest to February 14, 1876 2,259 21 __________ Total $42,896 39 "The following sums are shown by the reports of this commission to the Executive to have been estimated to the contractors for work that was never performed, or was improperly paid for through erroneous classification, and for which the receivers should be required to make restitution: Denison, Belden & Co.: Port Schuyler to lower Mohawk aqueduct $157,337 02 Denison, Belden & Co.: East of the city of Utica 16,121 35 Willard Johnson: Lower side-cut lock, West Troy 30,595 65 Denison, Belden & Co.: Bullard's Bend contract 85,547 62 E. W. Williams: Building vertical walls at Rome 3,041 08 Flagler & Reilley: Fort Plain contract 5,845 35 S. D. Keller: Jordan Level contract 36,568 39 N. S. Gere: Jordan Level contract 8,801 90 Thomas Gale: Jordan Level contract 6,667 94 Hiram Candee: Jordan Level contract 17,567 33 ___________ $368,093 63 Add to this the balance yet due for money paid under the first John Hand award 30,782 36 ___________ Total $398,875 99 "Large as these sums appear, we are fully impressed with the belief that they form but a fraction of the amount that is due to the State from similar sources. "For the purpose of ascertaining more precisely the extent of this class of liabilities, and to protect the State in future from the irregularities and improvidence out of which they have arisen, we recommend that the Canal Board be clothed with ample powers and authority for taking testimony. "A perusal of the testimony and the reports to the Executive herewith submitted clearly establish the fact that our canals are a burden to the States less, perhaps, through the imperfection of our laws, than the mode in which they have been administered.