the College, which is wholly adverse to the view which would require its officials and employés to be classified and subjected to competitive tests as to fitness. It was decided in the Chittenden case that the presumption was in favor of the legality of the exercise of the judgment of administrative officers in the first instance as to the practicability of competitive tests. In the same sense, the presumption arising from the practical construction placed upon these acts by those officials themselves with reference to the College, is controlling upon me in deciding the status of the institution in its relation to the civil service of the State and, in the absence of a decision by the courts to the contrary, compels me to the conclusion that its officials, though, perhaps, in the public service, are not within the civil service as that term is used either in the civil service acts or in the Constitution any more than are the janitors and armorers of armories. I therefore advise you accordingly. Yours respectfully, Official copy. (Signed) WM. L. TURNER, Acting Counsel to the Corporation. ALEX. S. WEBB, President. Ordered, That said communication be printed in full in the minutes. The following-named bills were approved for payment: Myers & Eadie, insurance in following-named companies: Sun, Liverpool and London and Globe, Greenwich, London and Lancashire, Feb. 26, 1897 (App. 18) $240 00 Communipaw Coal Co., stove coal, Feb. 27 66 (App. 1)... ..$27 50 wood, Feb. 27 (App. 36). 13 00 40 50 11 95 81 13 17 50 Geo. E. Hardy, lantern slides, March 1 (App. 20).... Albany Perforate Wrapping Paper Co., toilet paper, Feb. 25 (App. 34). . . Edward Miller, flag pole, etc., Feb. 27 (App. 35) Bryan-Marsh Co., incandescent lamps, Jan. 26 (App. 31) P. Lucchesi, Bro. & Co., casts, March 1 (App. 25).... Hull, Grippen & Co., supplies, workshop, Feb; 27 Hull, Grippen & Co., supplies, Laboratory, Feb. 27 Hull, Grippen & Co., plumbing, Feb. 27 (App. 24). . . $16.00 12.00 28 60 8 45 10 00 30 51 12.96 6 54 3 83 19 00 (App. 5) $183 Hull, Grippen & Co., College work, Feb. 27 (App. 14).. 49 05 50 88 Chas. E. Dressler & Bro., belting, March 2 (App. 9) $10 80 Chas. E. Dressler & Bro., lacquer, March 2 (App. 8) 1 25 12.05 Chas. E. Dressler & Bro., Dept. of Chemistry, March 2 (App. 6)... $6.60 Chas. E. Dressler & Bro., motor, March 2 (App. 26)... 50 00 Clas. E. Dressler & Bro., gyroscope, March 2 (App. 27)... 100 00 Chas. E. Dressler & Bro., gauge, March 2 (App. 28) 8.00 .... Chas. E. Dressler & Bro., clutches, etc., March 2 (App. 23)... 92 50 Chas. E. Dressler & Bro., electric light, March 2 (App. 37)... 22 00 279 10 Toch Bros., supplies, March 2 (App. 8). · 10 01 ACCOUNT OF 1896. O. B. Dowd, lumber, Dec. 14 (App. 4). . . $6 37 The following-named duplicate bill was approved for payment, the original bill having been approved by the Executive Committee July 1, 1896, filed with the Comptroller November 2, 1896, and claimed to have been lost at Comptroller's office: Chas. G. Braxmar, medals, June 18, 1886 (App. 54).....$23 00 ARTHUR McMULLIN, Secretary. THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1897. The Executive Committee for the care, etc., of the College of the City of New York met this day at 4.30 o'clock P. M. Present-ALEX. P. KETCHUM, Chairman, and Trustees HURLBUT, KELLY, MACLAY and WEBB-5. Trustee MONTANT was excused for non-attendance at this session. The SECRETARY submitted the following financial statement. Account of 1892: $1,535 25 Total balances of prior years, unexpended. . . . . Account of 1897: Salaries of Professors et al.......$121,761 76 Scientific apparatus, books, supplies, maintenance etc.. March 25, 1897. 14,095 60 135,857 36 Total.. $137,392 61 Trustee WEBB offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the balances of appropriations made by this Committee for support, maintenance, etc., etc., of the Col |