23rd New York State Legislature explained

Number:23rd
Imagename:The Old Albany City Hall
Imagedate:undated
Start:July 1, 1799
End:June 30, 1800
Vp:Lt. Gov. Stephen Van Rensselaer (Fed.)
Speaker:Dirck Ten Broeck (Fed.)
Senators:43
Reps:108
S-Majority:Federalist (32-11)
H-Majority:Federalist
Sessionnumber1:1st
Sessionstart1:January 28, 1800
Sessionend1:April 8, 1800
Previous:22nd
Next:24th

The 23rd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 28 to April 8, 1800, during the fifth year of John Jay's governorship, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1777, amended by the re-apportionment of March 4, 1796, Senators were elected on general tickets in the senatorial districts for four-year terms. They were divided into four classes, and every year about one fourth of the 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.

Congressman Jonathan N. Havens (D.-R.) died on October 25, 1799. Assemblyman John Smith (D.-R.) was elected in a special election in December 1799 to fill the vacancy.

In 1799, Cayuga County was split from Onondaga County, and was apportioned one seat in the Assembly, taken from Onondaga. Essex County was split from Clinton County, but remained in a double-county Assembly district.

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

Elections

The State election was held from April 30 to May 2, 1799. Senators Richard Hatfield (Southern D.), Zina Hitchcock, Ebenezer Russell, Moses Vail (all three Eastern D.) and Vincent Mathews (Western D.) were re-elected. John B. Coles (Southern D.), Isaac Bloom, John Hathorn, John Suffern (all three Middle D.) and Moss Kent (Western D.) were also elected to the Senate.

Sessions

The Legislature met on January 28, 1800, at the Old City Hall in Albany; and adjourned on April 8.

Federalist Dirck Ten Broeck was re-elected Speaker without opposition.

The Legislature reduced the salary of the New York State Comptroller from $3,000 to $2,500 whereupon Samuel Jones declined to be re-appointed. On March 12, 1800, the Council of Appointment chose Assemblyman John Vernon Henry to succeed Jones.[2]

On March 12, 1800, a bill was proposed to divide the State into districts to elect presidential electors by popular ballot. This was rejected by the Federalist majority [vote 55 to 47], and the electors continued to be chosen by joint ballot of the State Legislature.[3]

On March 19, 1800, U.S. Senator James Watson (Fed.) resigned after his appointment as Naval Officer of the Port of New York. On April 3, 1800, the Legislature elected Gouverneur Morris (Fed.) to fill the vacancy.

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.

DistrictSenatorsTerm leftPartyNotes
SouthernSamuel Haight1 yearFederalistelected to the Council of Appointment
William Denning1 yearDem.-Rep.
Selah Strong1 yearFederalist
Ezra L'Hommedieu2 yearsDem.-Rep.
DeWitt Clinton3 yearsDem.-Rep.
David Gelston3 yearsDem.-Rep.also Surrogate of New York County
John Schenck3 yearDem.-Rep.
John B. Coles4 yearsFederalist
Richard Hatfield4 yearsFederalist
MiddleRobert Sands 1 yearFederalistelected to the Council of Appointment
James Savage1 yearFederalist
Peter Silvester1 yearFederalist
William Thompson1 yearFederalist
John Addison2 yearsDem.-Rep.died in 1800[5]
Peter Cantine Jr.2 yearsFederalist
James G. Graham2 yearsDem.-Rep.
Ebenezer Foote3 yearsFederalistalso Delaware County Clerk
Ambrose Spencer3 yearsDem.-Rep.also Assistant Attorney General (3rd D.)
Isaac Bloom4 yearsDem.-Rep.
John Hathorn4 yearsDem.-Rep.
John Suffern4 yearsDem.-Rep.
EasternLeonard Bronck1 yearFederalist
James Gordon1 yearFederalistelected to the Council of Appointment
Ebenezer Clark2 yearsFederalist
Anthony Ten Eyck2 yearsFederalist
nowrap Jacobus Van Schoonhoven2 yearsFederalist
Abraham Van Vechten2 yearsFederalistalso Recorder of the City of Albany
Leonard Gansevoort3 yearsFederalist
John Sanders3 yearsFederalist
Zina Hitchcock4 yearsFederalist
Ebenezer Russell4 yearsFederalist
Moses Vail4 yearsFederalist
WesternJacob Morris1 yearFederalist
Jedediah Sanger1 yearFederalistalso First Judge of the Oneida County Court
Thomas Morris2 yearsFederalistelected in April 1800 to the 7th United States Congress
Michael Myers2 yearsFederalist
Seth Phelps2 yearsFederalist
William Beekman3 yearsFederalist
John Frey3 yearsFederalist
Frederick Gettman3 yearsFederalist
Thomas R. Gold3 yearsFederalistalso Assistant Attorney General (7th D.);
elected to the Council of Appointment
Vincent Mathews4 yearsFederalist
Moss Kent4 yearsFederalist

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.

CountyAssemblymenPartyNotes
AlbanyJames Bill
Philip Conine Jr.
Johann Jost DietzFederalist
Prince DotyFederalist
John Vernon HenryFederalistfrom March 12, 1800, also New York State Comptroller
Francis NicollFederalist
Joseph ShurtleffFederalist
Dirck Ten BroeckFederalistre-elected Speaker
Jacob Winne
CayugaSilas HalseyDem.-Rep.previously a member from Onondaga Co.
ChenangoPeter B. Garnsey
Nathaniel King
Clinton and
Essex		William Gilliland
ColumbiaEzekiel GilbertFederalist
Robert T. LivingstonFederalist
Charles McKinstryFederalist
John NoyesFederalist
Anson PrattFederalist
Jacob R. Van RensselaerFederalist
DelawarePatrick Lamb
Sluman Wattles
DutchessAbraham AdrianceDem.-Rep.
William BarkerDem.-Rep.
William EmottDem.-Rep./Fed.
Joseph C. FieldDem.-Rep.
Robert JohnstonDem.-Rep.
Ebenezer MottDem.-Rep./Fed.
Isaac SherwoodDem.-Rep.
William TaberDem.-Rep.
Samuel TownerDem.-Rep.
John Van BenthuysenDem.-Rep.
HerkimerThomas ManlyFederalist
John MillsFederalist
John MeyerFederalist
KingsJacob Sharpe Jr.
John HerkimerDem.-Rep.
Cornelius HumfreyDem.-Rep.
Archibald McIntyreDem.-Rep.
Frederick Sammons
Jacob SnellDem.-Rep.
Simon VeederDem.-Rep.
New YorkJohn BogertFederalist
Nicholas EvertsonFederalist
John OothoutFederalist
Anthony PostFederalist
Caleb S. RiggsFederalist
Robert RutgersFederalist
Jacob SherredFederalist
Anthony SteenbackFederalist
Ebenezer StevensFederalist
Samuel StillwellFederalist
Bernardus Swartwout Jr.Federalist
William B. WoolseyFederalist
vacant
OneidaJohn Hall
David OstromFederalist
Nathan Smith
Ebenezer Butler Jr.
Ontario and
Steuben		Nathaniel Norton
Charles Williamson
John Blake Jr.Dem.-Rep.
Robert R. Burnet
James BurtDem.-Rep.
Andrew McCordDem.-Rep.
Seth Marvin
OtsegoJedediah PeckDem.-Rep.
Robert RoseboomDem.-Rep.
Jacob Ten Broeck
Rensselaer Williams
QueensIsaac DentonDem.-Rep.
Jonah HallettDem.-Rep.
Abraham MonfoortDem.-Rep.
John I. SkidmoreDem.-Rep.
RensselaerJacob A. FortFederalist
Daniel GrayFederalist
James McKownFederalist
Josiah MastersDem.-Rep.
John W. Schermerhorn
George TibbitsFederalist
RichmondJohn P. Ryerss
RocklandSamuel G. Verbryck
SaratogaDaniel Bull
Samuel Clark
Adam ComstockDem.-Rep.
James Warren
Edward A. Watrous
SchoharieStorm A. BeckerFederalist
SuffolkNicoll FloydDem.-Rep.
Jared LandonDem.-Rep.
John SmithDem.-Rep.elected in December 1799 to the 6th United States Congress and
took his seat on February 27, 1800, vacating his seat in the Assembly
Silas WoodFederalist
TiogaSamuel TinkhamFederalist
UlsterCharles W. Broadhead
Johannes Bruyn
Moses Cantine
John C. DeWitt
Martin G. SchunemanDem.-Rep.
WashingtonBenjamin Colvin
Micajah Pettit
Isaac SargentDem.-Rep.
Edward SavageDem.-Rep.
David ThomasDem.-Rep.elected in April 1800 to the 7th United States Congress
John ThurmanFederalist
WestchesterGeorge Comb
Abijah GilbertDem.-Rep.
Nathan RockwellFederalist
Abel SmithDem.-Rep.
Charles TeedFederalist

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. https://books.google.com/books?id=bu8SPTyhrF8C&pg=PA133 The History of Political Parties in the State of New-York, from the Ratification of the Federal Constitution to 1840
  3. The choice of presidential electors by popular ballot in single districts was eventually enacted in 1825, but happened only once, at the 1828 United States presidential election. In 1829, the mode was changed to popular ballot on general ticket.
  4. Original owner of Robert Sands Estate in Rhinebeck, Dutchess Co.
  5. The exact date is unclear, but it was early enough to fill the vacancy at the State election in April 1800

Sources

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "23rd New York State Legislature".

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