43rd New York State Legislature explained

Number:43rd
Imagename:The Old State Capitol
Imagedate:1879
Start:July 1, 1819
End:June 30, 1820
Vp:Lt. Gov. John Tayler (Dem.-Rep.)
Speaker:John C. Spencer (Clint.)
Senators:32
Reps:126
S-Majority:Bucktail
H-Majority:Clintonian-Federalist
Sessionnumber1:1st
Sessionstart1:January 4
Sessionend1:April 14, 1820
Previous:42nd
Next:44th

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.

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 met there since. In 1818, the Legislature enacted that future Legislatures meet on the first Tuesday of January of each year unless called earlier by the governor.

State Senator Darius Crosby died on November 18, 1818, leaving a vacancy in the Southern District.

At this time the politicians were divided into two opposing political parties: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.[1] The Democratic-Republican Party was split into two factions: the Clintonians (supporters of Gov. DeWitt Clinton) and the Bucktails (led by Martin Van Buren, and including the Tammany Hall organization in New York City).

Elections

The State election was held from April 27 to 29, 1819. The Federalists ran their own tickets in counties where they had a majority, but endorsed and supported the Clintonians in most places where they were a minority.

Senator Peter R. Livingston (Southern D.) was re-elected. Charles E. Dudley, John T. More (both Middle D.), Benjamin Mooers, Thomas Frothingham (both Eastern D.), Gideon Granger, Lyman Paine (both Western D.), and Assemblyman Duncan McMartin Jr. (Eastern D.) were also elected to full terms in the Senate. John Townsend (Southern D.) was elected to fill the vacancy. Livingston, Dudley, More and Townsend were Bucktails, the other five Clintonians.

Sessions

The Legislature met at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1820, and adjourned on April 14.

John C. Spencer (Clint.) was elected Speaker by a combined Clintonian/Federalist majority with 64 votes against 50 for Peter Sharpe (Buckt.). Aaron Clark (Dem.-Rep.) was re-elected Clerk of the Assembly with 87 votes against 32 for James Van Ingen (Fed.).

After resolutions for the call of a Constitutional convention had been rejected during the two previous sessions, Gov. DeWitt Clinton now recommended to call a convention with limited powers to amend the State Constitution. This convention should have the power to abolish the Council of Appointment, and consider such other amendments as designated by the Legislature.[2] The Bucktails wanted a Convention with unlimited powers, and nothing came of it at this session either. The issue was pursued further by the Bucktails at the next session, and led to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1821, and a new Constitution.

On January 8, the Legislature re-elected unanimously Rufus King (Fed.) as U.S. Senator from New York, to fill the vacancy caused by the failure to elect a successor during the previous session.

On January 18, a caucus of 64 Bucktail legislators nominated U.S. Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins for Governor and State Senator Benjamin Mooers for Lieutenant Governor.

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. Duncan McMartin Jr. changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

DistrictSenatorsTerm leftPartyNotes
SouthernWalter Bowne1 yearDem.-Rep./Bucktail
John D. Ditmis1 yearDem.-Rep./Bucktailelected to the Council of Appointment
Stephen Barnum2 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Jonathan Dayton2 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
John Townsend3 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktailelected to fill vacancy, in place of Darius Crosby
Peter R. Livingston4 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
MiddleJohn Noyes1 yearDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Peter Swart1 yearDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Martin Van Buren1 yearDem.-Rep./Bucktailuntil July 8, 1819, also New York Attorney General
Jabez D. Hammond2 yearsDem.-Rep./Clintonian
John Lounsbery2 yearsDem.-Rep./Clintonianelected to the Council of Appointment
Moses Austin3 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
William Ross3 yearsDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Charles E. Dudley4 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
John T. More4 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
EasternRoger Skinner2 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktailuntil November 24, 1819, also U.S. Attorney
for the Northern District of New York;
from November 24, 1819, Judge of the U.S. District
Court for the Northern District of New York
Henry Yates Jr.2 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Samuel Young2 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktailalso an Erie Canal Commissioner
Levi Adams3 yearsDem.-Rep./Clintonianelected to the Council of Appointment
George Rosecrantz3 yearsDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Thomas Frothingham4 yearsDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Duncan McMartin Jr.4 yearsDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Benjamin Mooers4 yearsDem.-Rep.[3]
WesternEphraim Hart1 yearDem.-Rep./Clintonianelected to the Council of Appointment
John Knox1 yearDem.-Rep./Bucktail
William Mallery1 yearDem.-Rep.
Isaac Wilson2 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Gamaliel H. Barstow3 yearsDem.-Rep./Clintonianalso First Judge of the Tioga County Court
Perry G. Childs3 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
David E. Evans3 yearsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Gideon Granger4 yearsDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Lyman Paine4 yearsDem.-Rep./Clintonian

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. Henry Seymour changed from the Senate to the Assembly.

DistrictAssemblymenPartyNotes
AlbanyAsa ColvardFederalist
James McKownFederalist
Peter S. SchuylerFederalist
Stephen WillesFederalist
Allegany
and Steuben		Clark CrandallFederalist
John DowFederalist
BroomeChester PattersonDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Cattaraugus,
Chautauqua
and Niagara		Elial T. Foote[4]
Oliver ForwardDem.-Rep./Clintonian
CayugaWilliam Allen
Samuel Dill
John Haring
ChenangoSamuel CampbellDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Thomas HumphreyDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Samuel A. SmithDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Clinton and
Franklin		Platt NewcombDem.-Rep./Clintonian
ColumbiaThomas Brodhead
Azariah Platt
John I. Van Valkenburgh
Elisha WilliamsFederalist
CortlandJohn MillerDem.-Rep.
DelawarePeter Pine
Erastus RootDem.-Rep./Bucktail
DutchessAbraham BockeeFederalist
Jacob DoughtyFederalist
Matthew MesierFederalist
Thomas J. OakleyFederalistfrom July 8, 1819, also New York Attorney General
John W. WheelerFederalist
EssexJohn HoffnagleDem.-Rep./Clintonian
GeneseeFitch Chipman
Gideon T. Jenkins
Robert McKay
GreeneAbijah Reed
Perez SteeleFederalist
Henry J. DiefendorfDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Henry FondaDem.-Rep./Bucktail
John T. FranciscoDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Lawrence GrosDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Jacob HeesDem.-Rep./Bucktail
HerkimerPhilo M. HackleyFederalist
Jacob MarkellFederalist
James OrtonFederalist
JeffersonCalvin McKnightDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Hiram SteeleDem.-Rep./Bucktail
KingsTeunis SchenckDem.-Rep./Bucktail
LewisNathaniel Merriam
Amos Crocker
Eliphalet S. Jackson
Levi Morton
New YorkClarkson CroliusDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Jacob DrakeDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Richard HatfieldDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Cornelius HeeneyDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Robert R. HunterDem.-Rep./Bucktail
John T. IrvingDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Reuben Munson
Samuel B. RomaineDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Peter SharpeDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Michael UlshoefferDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Samuel WatkinsDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Oneida and
Oswego		James Dean Jr.
George HuntingtonFederalist
Henry McNeilFederalist
Theophilus S. MorganFederalist
John StorrsFederalist
Jonas Earll, Jr.
Henry Field
Henry SeymourDem.-Rep./Bucktailalso an Erie Canal Commissioner
Lewis Smith
Valentine BrotherFederalist
Byram Green
John Price
John C. SpencerDem.-Rep./Clintonianelected Speaker
Elisha B. StrongFederalist
John Van Vossen
Matthew Warner
James Finch Jr.Dem.-Rep./Bucktail
Nathaniel P. HillDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Selah TuthillDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Abraham VailDem.-Rep./Bucktail
OtsegoSamuel Caldwell
Seth Chase
Willard Coye
James HawkesDem.-Rep.
Henry OgdenDem.-Rep./Clintonian
PutnamDavid Knapp
QueensWilliam JonesFederalist
John A. KingFederalist
Thomas TredwellFederalist
RensselaerJohn Babcock
David Doolittle
William C. Elmore
George TibbitsFederalist
Ebenezer W. WalbridgeFederalist
RichmondHarmanus GuyonFederalist
RocklandSamuel G. VerbryckDem.-Rep./Bucktail
St. LawrenceJoseph YorkDem.-Rep./Bucktail
SaratogaBilly J. Clark
Jonathan Delano Jr.
Abraham Moe
Elisha Powell
SchenectadyChristian Haverly
Marinus Willet
SchoharieHeman HickockDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Jedediah MillerDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Peter Swart Jr.Dem.-Rep./Clintonian
SenecaThomas ArmstrongDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Robert S. RoseDem.-Rep./Bucktail
SuffolkEbenezer W. Case
Charles H. Havens
Abraham Parsons
Sullivan
and Ulster		Joseph DeyoDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Isaac EltingDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Charles H. RugglesDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Jacob SnyderDem.-Rep./Bucktail
TiogaJudson Jennings
TompkinsHerman CampDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Joshua PhilipsDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Warren and
Washington		David AustinDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Peleg BraggDem.-Rep./Clintonian
Norman FoxDem.-Rep./Clintonian
James HillDem.-Rep./Clintonian
John KirtlandDem.-Rep./Clintonian
WestchesterJames GuyonDem.-Rep./Bucktail
Abraham MillerDem.-Rep./Bucktail
William NelsonDem.-Rep./Bucktail

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. 521
  3. elected as a Clintonian, but changed sides and was nominated for Lt. Gov. on the Bucktail ticket
  4. Dr. Elial Todd Foote (1796–1877), physician and lawyer, First Judge of the Chautauqua County Court 1824–1843

Sources

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "43rd New York State Legislature".

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