72nd New York State Legislature explained

Number:72nd
Imagename:The Old State Capitol
Imagedate:1879
Start:January 1
End:December 31, 1849
Vp:Lt. Gov. George W. Patterson (W)
Pro Tem:Samuel J. Wilkin (W), from April 11
Speaker:Amos K. Hadley (W)
Senators:32
Reps:128
S-Majority:Whig (24-6-2)
H-Majority:Whig (106-15-7)
Sessionnumber1:1st
Sessionstart1:January 2
Sessionend1:April 11, 1849
Previous:71st
Next:73rd

The 72nd New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 2 to April 11, 1849, during the first year of Hamilton Fish's governorship, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1846, 32 Senators were elected in single-seat senatorial districts for a two-year term, the whole Senate being renewed biennially. The senatorial districts (except those in New York City) were made up of entire counties. 128 Assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts to a one-year term, the whole Assembly being renewed annually. The Assembly districts were made up of entire towns, or city wards, forming a contiguous area, all in the same county. The City and County of New York was divided into four senatorial districts, and 16 Assembly districts.

State Senator Allen Ayrault resigned on June 2, 1848, leaving a vacancy in the 29th District.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Whig Party. The Democratic Party was split into two factions: the "Barnburners" and the "Hunkers." The Barnburners walked out of the 1848 Democratic state convention and formed with a small faction of anti-slavery Whigs and a part of the Liberty Party the Free Soil Party. The uncompromising radical abolitionists ran their own tickets as the Liberty Party.

Elections

The New York state election, 1848 was held on November 7.

Whigs Hamilton Fish and George W. Patterson were elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor; and the other two statewide elective offices were also carried by the Whigs.

State Comptroller Millard Fillmore was elected United States Vice President.

106 Whigs, 15 Free Soilers and 7 Hunkers were elected to the State Assembly. One Whig was elected to fill the vacancy in the State Senate.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the regular session at the Old State Capitol in Albany on January 2, 1849; and adjourned on April 11.

Amos K. Hadley (W) was re-elected Speaker with 101 votes against 13 for Frederick P. Bellinger (Barnb.) and 6 for Charles C. Noble (Hunker).

On January 31, State Comptroller Millard Fillmore sent a letter to the Legislature, resigning the office, to take effect on February 20.

On February 6, the Legislature elected William H. Seward (W) to succeed John A. Dix (Barnb.) as U.S. Senator, for a six-year term beginning on March 4, 1849.

On February 17, the Legislature elected Washington Hunt (W) to succeed Millard Fillmore as State Comptroller on February 20.

On April 11, Samuel J. Wilkin was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate.

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.

DistrictSenatorPartyNotes
1stJohn G. FloydDemocrat/Barnburner
2ndDavid A. BokeeWhigon November 7, 1848, elected to the 31st U.S. Congress[1]
3rdWilliam HallWhig
4thJohn L. LawrenceWhig
5thSamuel FrostWhig
6thWilliam Samuel JohnsonWhig
7thSaxton SmithDemocrat/Barnburner
8thAlexander J. CoffinWhig
9thSamuel J. WilkinWhigon April 11, 1849, elected president pro tempore
10thPlatt AdamsDemocrat/Hunker
11thValentine TreadwellWhig
12thAlbert R. FoxWhig
13thJames M. CookWhig
14thJames S. WhallonDemocrat/Barnburner
15thJohn FineDemocrat/Barnburner
16thThomas BurchWhig
17thJohn M. BettsDemocrat/Barnburner
18thDavid H. LittleWhig
19thThomas E. ClarkWhig
20thThomas H. BondWhig
21stJohn W. TamblinDemocrat/Hunker
22ndGeorge GeddesWhig
23rdSamuel H. P. HallWhig
24thWilliam J. CornwellWhig
25thTimothy S. WilliamsWhigdied on March 11, 1849
26thWilliam M. HawleyDemocrat/Barnburner
27thJerome FullerWhig
28thA. Hyde ColeWhig
29thCharles ColtWhigelected to fill vacancy, in place of Allen Ayrault
30thJohn W. BrownsonWhig
31stJohn T. BushWhig
32ndFrederick S. MartinWhig

Employees

State Assembly

Assemblymen

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

Party affiliations follow the vote on Speaker, U.S. Senator and USNY Regent.[2]

DistrictAssemblymenPartyNotes
Albany1stHiram Barber[3] Democrat/Hunker
2ndDavid Van AukenWhig
3rdRobert H. PruynWhig
4thJoel A. WingWhig
Allegany1stOrville BoardmanWhig
2ndErastus H. WillardWhig
BroomeJohn O. WhittakerWhig
Cattaraugus1stSeth R. CrittendenWhig
2ndHorace C. YoungWhig
Cayuga1stJames D. ButtonFree Soil
2ndJohn I. BrinckerhoffWhig
3rdHector C. TuthillWhig
Chautauqua1stSilas TerryWhig
2ndEzekiel B. GurnseyWhig
ChemungAlvan NashFree Soil
Chenango1stJames ClarkWhig
2ndAlonzo JohnsonWhig
ClintonAlbert G. CarverWhig
Columbia1stJames M. StreverWhig
2ndDaniel S. CurtisWhig
CortlandIra SkeelWhig
Delaware1stJames E. ThompsonFree Soil
2ndLuther ButtsDemocrat/Hunker
Dutchess1stEdgar VincentWhig
2ndWesley ButtsWhig
3rdJames HammondWhig
Erie1stBenoni ThompsonWhig
2ndAugustus RaynorWhig
3rdMarcus McNealWhig
4thLuther BuxtonWhig
EssexGeorge W. GoffWhig
FranklinGeorge B. R. GoveWhig
Fulton and HamiltonJohn CulbertWhig
Genesee1stTracy PardeeWhig
2ndMartin C. WardWhig
Greene1stAlexander H. BaileyWhig
2ndAlbert TuttleWhig
Herkimer1stFrederick P. BellingerFree Soil
2ndAsa WilcoxFree Soil
Jefferson1stGeorge GatesWhig
2ndJohn L. MarshFree Soil
3rdBernard BagleyWhig
Kings1stJoseph BoughtonWhig
2ndEdwards W. FiskeWhig
3rdJohn A. CrossWhig
LewisDiodate PeaseWhig
Livingston1stArchibald H. McLeanWhig
2ndPhilip WoodruffWhig
Madison1stDavid MaineWhig
2ndRobert G. StewartWhig
Monroe1stLevi KelseyWhig
2ndL. Ward SmithWhig
3rdElisha HarmonWhig
Montgomery1stFrothingham FishWhig
2ndLewis AverillWhig
New York1stEphraim H. HudsonWhig
2ndJames BowenWhig
3rdHenry J. AllenDemocrat/Hunker
4thGeorge J. CornellWhig
5thSamuel T. McKinneyWhig
6thJames W. BeekmanWhig
7thAbraham Van OrdenWhig
8thWilliam DodgeWhig
9thCharles PerleyWhig
10thGarret H. StrikerWhig
11thRobert B. FolgerWhig
12thDaniel B. TaylorDemocrat/Hunker
13thJoseph B. Varnum Jr.Whig
14thRobert G. CampbellWhig
15thMerwin R. BrewerWhig
16thAlbert GilbertWhig
Niagara1stHollis WhiteWhig
2ndMorgan JohnsonWhig
Oneida1stOliver PrescottWhig
2ndNehemiah N. PierceWhig
3rdJames M. ElwoodFree Soil
4thChauncey StevensFree Soil
Onondaga1stJoseph J. GlassWhig
2ndMyron WheatonFree Soil
3rdJoseph SlocumWhig
4thSamuel HartWhig
Ontario1stDolphin StephensonWhig
2ndJosiah PorterWhig
Orange1stDavid C. BullWhig
2ndDavid H. Moffatt Jr.Whig
3rdMaurice HoytWhig
OrleansReuben RobleeWhig
Oswego1stHenry FitzhughWhig
2ndEdward W. FoxFree Soil
Otsego1stL. Mortimer GilbertWhig
2ndDavid B. St. JohnDemocrat/Hunker
3rdCharles C. NobleDemocrat/Hunker
PutnamJames J. SmalleyDemocrat/Hunker
QueensWessell S. SmithWhig
Rensselaer1stAmos K. HadleyWhigre-elected Speaker
2ndBenajah AllenWhig
3rdWilliam H. BuddWhig
RichmondGabriel P. DisoswayWhig
RocklandMatthew D. BogartFree Soil
St. Lawrence1stHarlow GodardFree Soil
2ndJustus B. PicketFree Soil
3rdNoble S. ElderkinFree Soil
Saratoga1stRoscius R. KennedyWhig
2ndWilliam W. RockwellWhig
SchenectadyIsrael R. GreenWhig
Schoharie1stDavid B. DanforthWhig
2ndAustin SextonWhig
SenecaJacob G. MarkellWhig
Steuben1stAbraham J. QuackenbossFree Soil
2ndJohn G. MersereauWhig
3rdJohn K. HaleWhig
Suffolk1stEdwin RoseWhig
2ndNathaniel Miller[4] Whig
SullivanJames F. BushWhig
TiogaEzra S. SweetWhig
Tompkins1stDarius HallWhig
2ndCharles J. RounsevilleWhig
Ulster1stPeter Crispell Jr.Whig
2ndJames G. GrahamWhig
WarrenReuben WellsWhig
Washington1stLeRoy MowryWhig
2ndAlexander RobertsonWhig
Wayne1stIsaac LeavenworthWhig
2ndPeter BoyceWhig
Westchester1stWilliam H. RobertsonWhig
2ndHarvey KiddWhig
WyomingPaul RichardsWhig
YatesJohn WisewellWhig

Employees

Notes

  1. Bokee's term in Congress began on March 4, 1849, but he remained in his seat in the State Senate until the end of the session on April 11. The 31st Congress actually met only on December 3, and Bokee then took his seat in Congress, vacating his seat in the State Senate.
  2. see Journal of the Assembly (72nd Session) (1849; pg. 6f and 355ff);
    see also incomplete election result given in the Geneva Courier (issue of November 22, 1848
  3. Hiram Barber (born 1820), of Westerlo, later moved to Richview, Illinois; see Hiram Barber at It's All Relative
  4. Dr. Nathaniel Miller (1783–1863), physician, of Brookhaven

Sources

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "72nd New York State Legislature".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.