New Appointments To The Commission
On April 17, 1816, the State Legislature passed a bill that provided more funds for the project, and appointed Van Rensselaer, Clinton, Joseph Ellicott, Myron Holley and Samuel Young Commissioners to Construct a Canal from the Hudson River to Lake Erie and Lake Champlain. Ellicott was well informed about the lands in western New York as well as being an agent of the Holland Land Company, which donated 100,000 acres(400 km²) to the Erie Canal project. Holley, a State assemblyman, was a supporter of Clinton and government-financed public improvements. Young had written A Treatise on Internal Navigation - A Comprehensive Study of Canals in Great Britain and Holland.
On April 19, 1817, the State Legislature created the Canal Fund and the Commissioners of the Canal Fund which were ex officio the Lieutenant Governor, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, the State Treasurer and the Surveyor General (until 1847).
The New York State Constitution of 1821 provided for the creation of a Canal Board which was established in 1826. Members of this Canal Board were ex officio the Commissioners of the Canal Fund, the Canal Commissioners (until 1878, then succeeded by the Superintendent of Public Works), and the State Engineer and Surveyor (since 1848).
The Commissioners of the Canal Fund and the Canal Board remained in charge of the control of the Canal System until 1905.
Read more about this topic: Erie Canal Commission
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