Canal Regulations

At a meeting of the Board of Canal Commissioners in the city of Albany, on the 10th of March, 1826, the following rules and regulations, in addition to those provided by law relating to the Erie and Champlain canals, were adopted to wit:

1. Every boat passing on either of the above canals, is required at all times during the night, to carry a conspicuous light on the bow of the boat, and every raft navigating either of the canals at night shall carry a like light on the forward end of the same; and every infraction of this regulation shall subject the master, owner, or navigator of any boat, or raft, to the penalty of ten dollars.

2. No boat or raft shall unnecessarily stop, lie by, or be moored within twenty rods of any lock, except in a basin; and every master, owner, or navigator of any boat or raft, who shall violate this regulation, shall be liable to the penalty of ten dollars.

3. Every boat or raft is required to leave a lock without unnecessary delay as soon as the same is filled or emptied, as the case may be.

4. Every boat, or raft, which shall arrive at any lock, which shall not improve the first opportunity of passing the same, shall lose its preference.

5. Square headed or sharp cornered scows, or boats, shall have a semicircular platform firmly fastened upon the bow thereof, so as to prevent and protect other boats or scows from a contact with either of the corners thereof: and every square headed or sharp cornered boat or scow which shall navigate the canal without such platform, shall be charged in addition to the present rates of toll four cents per mile.

6. No carcass of any dead animal or putrid substance of any kind, shall be thrown into the canal, or into any basin, or feeder connected therewith: and a breach of this regulation shall subject the offender to a fine of five dollars.

7. Owners, masters, or navigators of boats passing on the canal are required to stop with their boats at every collector's office, and exhibit their clearance and bill of lading, and on arriving at the place of destination to report such arrival to the collector, (if such place shall contain a collector's office) before any part of the cargo is discharged from said boat, and for every violation of this regulation, the owner, master, or navigator of such boat shall be liable to a fine of twenty-five dollars.

8. The clearance of every boat shall be exhibited to the first lock-tender, after such boat shall have left a collector's office, and in default thereof the lock-tender shall not permit such boat to pass through the lock.

9. Collectors, lock-tenders and superintendents are hereby required, on every of the above regulations, to make an entry of the nature of every offense, the names of the offenders, the time and place where committed, and the names of witnesses. And it is farther strictly enjoined on each of the above officers to carry these regulations into full effect.

The foregoing penalties are to be sued for and collected in the manner prescribed by the 22d section of an act, entitled "an act for the maintenance and protection of the Erie and Champlain canals and the works connected therewith," passed April 13th, 1820.

SAMUEL YOUNG,
HENRY SEYMOUR,
Wm. C. BOUCK.
March 14th, 1826.