People ex rel. Johnson v. Benton

This case comes before the court upon a demurrer to the return to a writ of mandamus issued at the suit of the relators against the defendants, commanding them to proceed, and award upon certain claims presented and proved by the relators, or show cause why they did not. It appears from the writ and return that the relators, on the 26th day of July, 1847, entered into three contracts with the canal commissioners, for the construction of two aqueducts and one lock on the Erie Canal enlargement. Those contracts respectively contained a provision for submitting certain questions to arbitrators,…