N.Y., N.Y. Ordinance Ordained and Established by the Mayor, Aldermen and Commonality of the City of New-York, image 118-119 (1793).

"(IV) And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that it shall and may be lawful for the mayor or recorder, or any two Alderman of the said city, upon application made by any inhabitant or inhabitants of the said city, and upon his or their making oath of reasonable cause of suspicion (of the sufficiency of which the said mayor or recorder, or Aldermen, is and are to be the judge or judges) to issue his or their warrant or warrants, under his or their hand and seal, or hands and seals for searching for such gun powder, in the day time, in any building or place whatsoever, within the limits aforesaid, or in any ship or other vessel, within forty-eight hours after her arrival in the harbor, or at any time after such ship or other vessal shall and may have hauled along side any wharf, pier or key, within the limits aforesaid: And that upon any such search it shall be lawful for the persons finding any such gun powder, immediately to sieze, and at any time within twelve hours after such seizure, to convey the same to one of the magazines aforesaid; and the same gun powder so removed, to detain and keep, until it shall be determined by the Mayor or Recorder and any two Aldermen of the said city, whether the same is forfeited by virtue of this Act: And the person or persons so detaining the same, shall not be subject or liable to any action or suit for the detention thereof. Provided always, that nothing in this clause of this Act contained, shall be construed to authorize any person having such warrant to take advantage of the same for serving any civil process of any kind whatsoever. Provided also, that nothing in this Act contained shall extend to ships of war, or packets in the service of the United States or any of them, or of any foreign Prince or State; nor to authorise the searching for gun powder on board of any such ship or vessel while laying in the stream, and upwards of one hundred yards from the wharf or shore."