32nd New York State Legislature

Last updated

32nd New York State Legislature
31st 33rd
Old Albany City Hall.png
The Old Albany City Hall (undated)
Overview
Legislative body New York State Legislature
Jurisdiction New York, United States
TermJuly 1, 1808 – June 30, 1809
Senate
Members32
President Lt. Gov. John Broome (Dem.-Rep.)
Party controlDemocratic-Republican (31-1)
Assembly
Members112
Speaker James W. Wilkin (Dem.-Rep.)
Party controlDemocratic-Republican (60-45)
Sessions
1stNovember 1 – 8, 1808
2ndJanuary 17 – March 30, 1809

The 32nd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 1, 1808, to March 30, 1809, during the second year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, in Albany.

Contents

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1777, amended by the Constitutional Convention of 1801, 32 Senators were elected on general tickets in the four senatorial districts for four-year terms. They were divided into four classes, and every year eight Senate seats came up for election. Assemblymen were elected countywide on general tickets to a one-year term, the whole Assembly being renewed annually.

In 1797, Albany was declared the State capital, and all subsequent Legislatures have been meeting there ever since. In 1799, the Legislature enacted that future Legislatures meet on the last Tuesday of January of each year unless called earlier by the governor.

On February 8, 1808, State Senator Joseph C. Yates was appointed to the New York Supreme Court, leaving a vacancy in the Eastern District. The Legislature re-apportioned the Senate seats, and transferred one seat each from the Southern, the Middle and the Eastern (the vacant one) districts to the Western District.

On April 1, 1808, the Legislature also re-apportioned the Assembly districts. The total number of assemblymen was increased from 100 to 112. Broome and Tioga were separated with 1 seat each. Allegany, Genesee and Ontario were separated with 1 seat for Genesee, 5 for Ontario and Allegany was joined with Steuben. Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence were separated with 2 seats for Jefferson and 1 each for Lewis and St. Lawrence. Cayuga, Chenango, Madison and Onondaga gained 1 seat each; New York City and Oneida gained 2 each. Dutchess, Rensselaer, Washington and Westchester lost 1 seat each. Franklin County was split from Clinton County but remained in the same Assembly district. Niagara County was split from Genesee County, and had 1 seat in the Assembly.

At this time the politicians were divided into two opposing political parties: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. [1]

In 1805, the 28th Legislature had chartered the Merchant's Bank of New York which had been founded by Federalists in competition to the Democratic-Republican Bank of the Manhattan Company. The Democratic-Republican majority of the 27th Legislature had not only refused to grant a charter, but actually ordered the Merchant's Bank to shut down by May 1805. During the next session, the bank bribed enough legislators to have the charter approved, although the Democratic-Republican leaders advocated strongly against it. Gov. Morgan Lewis spoke out in favor of granting the charter what was resented by the party leaders DeWitt Clinton and Ambrose Spencer, and soon led to the split of the party into "Lewisites" and "Clintonians". [2] The 30th Legislature had a Lewisite-Federalist majority and elected a Council of Appointment which removed most Clintonian office-holders. The Lewisites and the Federalists nominated Gov. Morgan Lewis for re-election but he was defeated by Clintonian Daniel D. Tompkins. The 31st New York State Legislature had a Clintonian majority and elected a Council of Appointment which removed most of the Lewisite office-holders, many of whom had been appointed during the previous year.

Elections

The State election was held from April 26 to 28, 1808. Senators Benjamin Coe (Southern D.) were re-elected. Edward P. Livingston (Middle D.), David Hopkins (Eastern D.), Francis A. Bloodgood, Walter Martin, Luther Rich (all three Western D.); and Assemblymen William W. Gilbert (Southern D.) and Sylvanus Smalley (Western D.) were also elected to full terms in the Senate. Silas Halsey (Western D.) was elected to fill the vacancy. Hopkins was a Federalist, Livingston a Lewisite, the other seven were regular Democratic-Republicans.

Sessions

The Legislature met at the Old City Hall in Albany on November 1, 1808, to elect presidential electors; and adjourned on November 8.

James W. Wilkin (Dem.-Rep.) was elected Speaker with 60 votes against 45 for Stephen Van Rensselaer (Fed.). Daniel Rodman (Dem.-Rep.) was re-elected Clerk of the Assembly with 61 votes against 46 for James Van Ingen (Fed.).

On November 7, 1808, the Legislature elected 19 presidential electors, all Democratic-Republicans: Ambrose Spencer, Henry Huntington, John W. Seaman, Henry Rutgers, John Garretson, Ebenezer White, Thomas Lawrence, James Tallmadge, Jonathan Rouse, Micajah Pettit, Henry Yates Jr., Benjamin Mooers, Adam B. Voorman, Thomas Shankland, William Hallock, Russell Attwater, Joseph Simonds, Hugh Jamison and Matthew Carpenter. They cast 13 votes for James Madison and 6 votes for George Clinton for president; and 13 votes for George Clinton, and 3 votes each for James Madison and James Monroe for vice president.

The Assembly met for the regular session on January 17, 1809, the Senate assembled a quorum only the next day; and both Houses adjourned on March 30.

On February 7, 1809, the Legislature elected Assemblyman Obadiah German (Dem.-Rep.) to succeed Samuel L. Mitchill (Dem.-Rep.) in the U.S. Senate.

At this time the major political controversy was the Embargo Act of 1807 which was supported by the Democratic-Republicans, but opposed by the Federalists. Most of the Lewisites eventually supported the Embargo, but assailed DeWitt Clinton in the press because he had originally opposed it. The Embargo was very unpopular and led to a revival of the Federalist Party which had been reduced to a small minority (without any member in the Senate from 1806 to 1808), but at the State election in April 1809 would already win a majority of the Assembly seats.

State Senate

Districts

Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of New York. The counties which are not mentioned in this list had not yet been established, or sufficiently organized, the area being included in one or more of the abovementioned counties.

Members

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. William W. Gilbert and Sylvanus Smalley changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

DistrictSenatorsTerm leftPartyNotes
Southern Ezra L'Hommedieu*1 yearDem.-Rep.
Jonathan Ward*2 yearsDem.-Rep.elected to the Council of Appointment
DeWitt Clinton*3 yearsDem.-Rep.also Mayor of New York City
Benjamin Coe*4 yearsDem.-Rep.
William W. Gilbert*4 yearsDem.-Rep.
Middle Peter C. Adams*1 yearDem.-Rep.
James G. Graham*1 yearDem.-Rep./Lewisiteelected to the Council of Appointment
Elisha Barlow*2 yearsDem.-Rep./Lewisite
James Burt*2 yearsDem.-Rep./Lewisite
Joshua H. Brett*3 yearsDem.-Rep./Lewisite
Robert Williams*3 yearsDem.-Rep./Lewisite
Edward P. Livingston 4 yearsDem.-Rep./Lewisite
Eastern Adam Comstock*1 yearDem.-Rep.
John Veeder*1 yearDem.-Rep.
Jacob Snell*2 yearsDem.-Rep./Lewisite
Isaac Kellogg*3 yearsDem.-Rep.elected to the Council of Appointment
John McLean*3 yearsDem.-Rep.
Charles Selden*3 yearsDem.-Rep.
John Tayler*3 yearsDem.-Rep.
David Hopkins 4 yearsFederalist
Western Silas Halsey 1 yearDem.-Rep.elected to fill vacancy, in place of Joseph C. Yates;
also Seneca County Clerk
Nathaniel Locke*1 yearDem.-Rep.
John Nicholas*1 yearDem.-Rep./Lewisite
John Ballard*2 yearsDem.-Rep.
Salmon Buell*2 yearsDem.-Rep.
Jacob Gebhard*2 yearsDem.-Rep.
Nathan Smith* [3] 2 yearsDem.-Rep.
Alexander Rea*3 yearsDem.-Rep.elected to the Council of Appointment
Francis A. Bloodgood 4 yearsDem.-Rep.
Walter Martin 4 yearsDem.-Rep.
Luther Rich 4 yearsDem.-Rep.
Sylvanus Smalley*4 yearsDem.-Rep.

Employees

State Assembly

Districts

Note: There are now 62 counties in the State of New York. The counties which are not mentioned in this list had not yet been established, or sufficiently organized, the area being included in one or more of the abovementioned counties.

Assemblymen

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued as members of this Legislature.

DistrictAssemblymenPartyNotes
Albany John Brown*
John H. Burhans
Johann Jost Dietz*Federalist
Jonathan Jenkins*
Stephen Van Rensselaer*FederalistMinority Leader
Abraham Van Vechten*Federalist
Allegany
and Steuben
Henry A. Townsend Dem.-Rep.
Broome Eleazar Dana
Cayuga Henry Bloom Dem.-Rep.
Ebenezer Hewitt Dem.-Rep.
Charles Kellogg Dem.-Rep.
Chenango Samuel Campbell
Obadiah German*Dem.-Rep.on February 7, 1809, elected to the U.S. Senate
Ebenezer Wakley Dem.-Rep.
Clinton and
Franklin
Kinner Newcomb Dem.-Rep.
Columbia James Hyatt
Moncrief Livingston Federalist
Gaius Stebbins
Jacob R. Van Rensselaer*Federalist
Delaware Daniel Fuller
David St. John
Dutchess Samuel A. Barker Federalist
George Bloom
Derick A. Brinckerhoff
Ebenezer Haight Federalist
Benajah Thompson Dem.-Rep.
Jesse Thompson Federalist
Essex Benjamin Pond*Dem.-Rep.
Genesee William Ramsey*Dem.-Rep.
Greene James Gale Federalist
Eliakim Reed Federalist
Herkimer Aaron Budlong*Dem.-Rep.
John M. Petrie*Dem.-Rep.
Westel Willoughby, Jr.*Dem.-Rep.
Jefferson David I. Andrus Dem.-Rep.
Corlis Hinds Dem.-Rep.
Kings Jeremiah Johnson [4] Federalist
Lewis Judah Barnes
Madison Oliver Brown Federalist
John W. Bulkley*Federalist
David Van Horne Federalist
Montgomery Daniel Cady Federalist
John Fay Dem.-Rep.
John Greene Federalist
Richard Van Horne [5] Federalist
vacant
New York John P. Anthony
Joseph Constant
Francis Cooper*Dem.-Rep.
James Fairlie Dem.-Rep.
Thomas Farmar*
Frederick Jenkins
Caleb Pell
Nathan Sanford Dem.-Rep.
Arthur Smith Dem.-Rep.
Solomon Townsend*
Beekman M. Van Buren
Niagara Archibald S. Clarke Dem.-Rep.also Surrogate of Niagara County
Oneida Joel Bristol
James Dean Sr.
David Ostrom Federalist
John Storrs Federalist
Benjamin Wright*
Onondaga Jacobus Dupuy Dem.-Rep.
Asahel Minor Dem.-Rep.
Barnet Mooney Dem.-Rep.
Ontario Micah Brooks Dem.-Rep.
Samuel Lawrence
Richard Leech
Hugh McNair
William Rogers
Orange Anthony Davis Dem.-Rep.
David Dill Dem.-Rep.
William Ross*Dem.-Rep.
James W. Wilkin*Dem.-Rep.elected Speaker
Otsego Haviland Chase
Roger Kinne
Martin Luce
Henry Scott*Dem.-Rep.
Queens Stephen Carman Federalist
David Kissam Federalist
William Townsend Federalist
Rensselaer Derick Lane
Henry Platt Federalist
Cornelius I. Schermerhorn Federalist
Israel Shepard
Richmond David Mersereau*Dem.-Rep.
Rockland Samuel G. Verbryck*Dem.-Rep.
St. Lawrence Alexander Richards
Saratoga Nehemiah Cande
Salmon Child*Dem.-Rep.
David Rogers Dem.-Rep.
Daniel L. Van Antwerp Dem.-Rep.
Schoharie John Ingold Jr. Federalist
John Rice Federalist
Seneca James McCall
Suffolk Mills Phillips
Abraham Rose
Daniel T. Terry
Tioga Emanuel Coryell*Federalist
Ulster Joshua Dumond Federalist
Peter Lefevre Federalist
Cornelius Low
William Swart Federalist
Washington Kitchel Bishop*Dem.-Rep.
James Hill*Dem.-Rep.
Alexander Livingston Dem.-Rep.
Roger Skinner Dem.-Rep.
Reuben Whallon Dem.-Rep.
Westchester William Barker Federalist
Abraham Odell Federalist
Samuel Youngs Federalist

Employees

Notes

  1. The Anti-Federalists called themselves "Republicans." However, at the same time, the Federalists called them "Democrats" which was meant to be pejorative. After some time both terms got more and more confused, and sometimes used together as "Democratic Republicans" which later historians have adopted (with a hyphen) to describe the party from the beginning, to avoid confusion with both the later established and still existing Democratic and Republican parties.
  2. see Hammond, pg. 219f
  3. Nathan Smith (ca. 1769-1836), of Fairfield, First Judge of the Herkimer County Court 1814-1821; see bio in A History of Herkimer County by Nathaniel S. Benton (pages 357ff)
  4. Jeremiah Johnson (1766-1852), brother of Jeromus Johnson
  5. Richard Van Horne (b. ca. 1770, d. March 12, 1823 Danube)

Sources

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1806 United States House of Representatives elections in New York</span>

The 1806 United States House of Representatives elections in New York were held from April 29 to May 1, 1806, to elect 17 U.S. Representatives to represent the State of New York in the United States House of Representatives of the 10th United States Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">27th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 27th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 31 to April 11, 1804, during the third year of George Clinton's second tenure as Governor of New York, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">28th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 28th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 6, 1804, to April 10, 1805, during the first year of Morgan Lewis's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">29th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 29th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 28 to April 7, 1806, during the second year of Morgan Lewis's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">30th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 30th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 27 to April 7, 1807, during the third year of Morgan Lewis's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">31st New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 31st New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 26 to April 11, 1808, during the first year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">33rd New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 33rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 30 to April 6, 1810, during the third year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">34th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 34th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 29 to April 9, 1811, during the fourth year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">35th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 35th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 28 to June 19, 1812, during the fifth year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">36th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 36th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 3, 1812, to April 13, 1813, during the sixth year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">37th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 37th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 25 to April 15, 1814, during the seventh year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">38th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 38th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from September 26, 1814, to April 18, 1815, during the eighth year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">40th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 40th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 5, 1816, to April 15, 1817, during the tenth year of Daniel D. Tompkins's governorship, and while John Tayler was Acting Governor, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">41st New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 41st New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 27 to April 21, 1818, during the first year of DeWitt Clinton's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">42nd New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 42nd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to April 13, 1819, during the second year of DeWitt Clinton's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">43rd New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 43rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4 to April 14, 1820, during the third year of DeWitt Clinton's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">44th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 44th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from November 7, 1820, to April 3, 1821, during the fourth year of DeWitt Clinton's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">45th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 45th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 2 to April 17, 1822, during the fifth year of DeWitt Clinton's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">46th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 46th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7 to April 24, 1823, during the first year of Joseph C. Yates's governorship, in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">48th New York State Legislature</span> New York state legislative session

The 48th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4 to April 21, 1825, during the first year of DeWitt Clinton's second tenure as Governor of New York, in Albany.